Pattani: Thamavitya Mulniti School here not only instils strong moral values in its students, but has also produced thousands of outstanding academic and tahfiz graduates with support from the Thai government.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the privately run Islamic-based school, established 75 years ago, currently has more than 6,000 students and operates with government subsidies of nearly 20,000 baht (RM2,600) per student annually, challenging the perception that Islamic education is marginalised in southern Thailand.
Its chairman Abdul Rahman Tupa said that although the school operates under a private Islamic education foundation, it still receives government subsidies and community support to help cover its operational and management costs. Abdul Rahman highlighted that the combination of religious and academic studies offered at the school not only opens the path for students to further their studies in the Middle East, such as Egypt, but many have also been accepted into top universities in Thailand, including Chulalongkorn University. The institution aims for its students to excel in religious knowledge and contribute in professional fields such as economics and medicine.
Abdul Rahman further explained that the morning session is dedicated to religious studies in Malay and Arabic, while the afternoon session focuses on academic subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, and English, taught in Thai. Among the school’s proudest achievements is the creation of ‘Damar Plus’, a guava leaf-based body deodorant formulated by the students, which won a gold medal at an innovation competition in South Korea in 2019 and has participated in several other international contests.
The school uses a total of 140 classrooms daily, including a dedicated campus for female students, which accommodates over 1,000 pupils. About 12 students further their studies in Egypt and other countries every year, with many going on to serve in the public sector in Thailand as members of the security forces, teachers, and doctors after graduation.
Malay language teacher Rokiah Ismail, 57, expressed pride in having served at the school for 25 years, helping nurture high-achieving students. She noted that one of the main challenges was teaching students to use standard Malay instead of the local dialect, which is crucial for pursuing education or careers outside the southern provinces of Thailand.
Fifteen-year-old student Kasmini Isa described the opportunity to study at the school as an important step towards achieving her ambition of becoming a doctor. She emphasized that the school provides confidence and significant opportunities to chase her dreams.
The school’s integrated religious and academic education system underscores its success, offering a new narrative that Islamic education in southern Thailand continues to receive attention and support from the government to develop a future generation that is knowledgeable, virtuous, and globally competitive.
According to Thailand’s Office of Private Education Commission, a total of 654 registered private Islamic schools operate in the four southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Songkhla. Each primary school receives a government subsidy of 15,000 baht (RM1,950) per student annually, while secondary schools receive nearly 20,000 baht (RM2,600). Pattani has 263 private Islamic schools and 650 fardu ain kindergartens; Yala has 117 schools and 429 kindergartens; Narathiwat has 81 schools and 304 kindergartens; while Songkhla has 193 schools and 197 kindergartens.