http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011...-30146334.html

Lack of local wisdom teachers decried

By The Nation
Published on January 14, 2011

There are only 315 local-wisdom teachers left in Thailand. "We have recognised local-wisdom teachers since 2001," Nopmonthon Sibmeun-piam of the Office of the Education Council said yesterday.

In the nutrition field, the number of local-wisdom teachers stood at just eight, he said. For agriculture, the number is 49, for industry and handicrafts 25, traditional medicine 30, and natural resource and environmental management can count only 26 local-wisdom teachers.

Community fund and business has 23, fine arts 93, language and literature 30, and philosophy, religion and tradition 31.

Dang Marasri, 62, is a local-wisdom teacher with expertise in training water buffaloes to plough paddy fields. She works at Kasarakasiwit School in Sa Kaew, which was established by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn two years ago to preserve the valuable knowledge.

"You may think technology is better. But buffalo manure can be used as natural fertiliser," Dang said. "Over a decade, it can also produce other buffaloes. A tractor, on the other hand, loses its value over time."

Another local-wisdom teacher, Manas Pankhao, said the government should have paid more attention to teachers with indigenous knowledge.

"Dr Prawase Wasi, a senior citizen, has said the Culture Ministry should increase local-wisdom teachers' role in society. Instead of having the local-wisdom teachers conduct classes for just a few hours each time, the Culture Ministry may develop cultural routes for students and tourists to take and learn about local wisdom from these teachers," he said.