Self Development
RAIS is a school that practices holistic education as a way to transform students “from being ‘a person who knows’ to being ‘a person who is’” as our school founder, Associate Professor Prapapat Niyom, described and as included in our school vision and mission statement. The statement outlines that our goal is for all community members to
- Develop self-awareness and mindfulness
- Take action and employ knowledge to confront problems and solve social issues
- Be selfless and ready to make sacrifices for the common good, to improve society, nature and the environment.
This mindset relates to the holistic pedagogical approach as summarised by John P. Miller:
Holistic education focuses on the relationship between the whole and the part and suggests that teaching and learning approaches need to be rooted in a larger vision. If techniques are isolated and unrelated they can become dysfunctional. The holistic vision includes a sense of the whole person who is connected to his or her surrounding context and environment.
Our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum encompasses community responsibility with the growth of self-awareness through the development of mental, emotional and interpersonal skills. This curriculum is still evolving and includes elements from “Pedagogy for Transformation”, by Victoria Subirana, who was a consultant with us during our first two years of operations, as well as Buddhist teachings and dhamma practices facilitated by Khru Ba Anh (Mahayano Bhikku).
Practices of compassion, empathy, conflict resolution, and self-management are taught explicitly in extended homeroom sessions. In the year 2023 -2024, this course has been developed to be a Self-Development class. Through these activities, students learn how to take care of themselves and others and how to balance their emotions.