Homeschooling on the rise in Thailand
Thailand is leading a global trend towards homeschooling according to Wolsey Hall Oxford, the largest online learning provider in the UK and the third largest in the world. “Because we have students in 125 countries and have educated over 750,00 students, our enrolment data is a bellwether for global trends, and we can see that Thailand is taking up homeschooling strongly, with a 22 per cent increase in enrolment this year”, Principal Lee Wilcock says.
Enrolment has come from across the country with 31 per cent from Bangkok, 19 per cent from Koh Samui and 10 per cent from Chiang Mai.
Established in 1894, Wolsey Hall Oxford was one of the first distance learning providers in the world. Famous alumni include President Nelson Mandela of South Africa and SR Nathan, President of Singapore, but since the days of pen and paper correspondence the organisation has grown to include the very latest multimedia online learning and student support the world can offer.
During the pandemic, many families looked to specialist homeschooling providers like Wolsey Hall Oxford, which could give a much more structured and supportive experience than bricks and mortar schools.
“Among Thai nationals, almost two thirds, 62 per cent said they started homeschooling with us for a better education, so it is clear that the pandemic introduced many families to a type of education that suited them well. Children do not have to sit in classrooms to thrive academically, emotionally or socially if they have the right support in place,” Mr Wilcock explained.
Wolsey Hall was the first online learning provider to achieve Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) registered Primary School status, and holds this accreditation at Secondary level including for both IGCSE and A Levels, opening the door to these qualifications to many more people in Thailand.
Education is more global nowadays and students can compete for a university place anywhere in the world; being able to study from home helps students develop the independent mindset and self-discipline top universities look for.
In Thailand, 12 per cent of parents who enrol for homeschooling with Wolsey Hall cite ‘flexibility’ as the main reason for their decision. Flexibility and the opportunity for development was important to Thai student, Isabella Narisara Kanchanawat, who enrolled with Wolsey Hall Oxford.
Isabella has recently been offered a choice of courses at Chulalongkorn University for either a BBTech (Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology) or BAScii (Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation) and has chosen to study the Biotechnology BSc. Her mother commented:
“Chulalongkorn is the most prestigious university in Thailand. Acceptance to both BBTech and BAScii is a great achievement.
“My daughter would not have been able to skip a grade; have good scores in GED (General Educational Development), IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and SAT (Standard Assessment Tests); win the Honorary Mention Award at BBTech Speech Contest 2022; and achieved a scholarship at Chulalongkorn University had she not studied for her IGCSEs at Wolsey Hall as well as KIS. Your curriculum is highly effective.”
Principal Lee Wilcock believes the pandemic opened the doors to flexible office working, and the same is now happening with education, with Thailand at the heart of this new era in education, embracing homeschooling from primary to university level.
*Homeschooling and enrolment data in Thailand with Wolsey Hall February 2021 – February 2023
*Freedom of Information (FOI) data supplied from 205 councils in 2022 on request to Wolsey Hall Oxford. Data collated on December 31st 2022 show 86,654 home schoolers in the United Kingdom – up from 59, 559 in 2018 and 22, 408 in 2013
To find out more about these statistics, interview any of our team members, request images or to learn more about Wolsey Hall Oxford’s approach to homeschooling, please contact Karen Binedell on [email protected]