A short drive out of Chiang Mai’s sprawling city will take you to the quiet town of Doi Saket; where, amidst its meandering sois and quiet communities, sits a unique little school which may just be the perfect choice for your child.
KSI Academy is a purpose-built school which sits on one rai of land, covered mostly with a spacious green lawn, all safely wrapped in a bright white fence. Every school day 15 children of all ages, ranging between 6 and 16, come to learn, play, create, collaborate, communicate and, importantly, grow. Their three ‘coaches’ or ‘guides’, the preferred names at KSI Academy for teachers, focus on creating connections with each child, understanding their unique interests and needs and helping them to learn how to become their very best selves.
“Micro schools really took off over the pandemic, especially in the United States,” explained school Founder and Learning Architect, Sonthaya ‘Sandy’ Chutisacha, who opened the school pre-fad, in 2018. “KSI Academy (short for Knowledge Source Institute) provides the social setting of a classroom while also offering the tailoring of homeschooling, which means that we can really cater to diverse needs, including neurodiverse learners, children who may have some emotional challenges or children who thrive on a more personalised learning schedule, giving each child our full attention and guidance as he or she develops.”
As Citylife chatted with Sandy on the patio of the petite school—designed by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University himself—a shy child wandered up to show us a drawing before heading into the garden to play, she was soon followed by another more excited friend who showed us some of his drawings. Children wandered or ran about, seemingly without direction, but when asked, they all seemed to be intent on finishing a project, working with a friend on a math riddle or heading to the kitchen to offer help to the ladies preparing a meal. With a manageable 15 children, it seemed that there was no need to push for conformity as each child had space to create their own educational journey.
The school building itself is designed to support Sandy’s vision for KSI Academy to become a micro school focused in alternative and individualised learning—she expects the school to eventually expand to accept a maximum of 30 students. Classes are tiny and contain children big and small—multi-age classrooms, we discover, are ideal for personalised learning as it not only allows the individual to flourish, but also encourages peer mentorship, leadership and encourages social-emotional growth where older kids feel a connection and responsibility to help out younger kids. This is one of the key areas which is also ideal for students who may be struggling in more traditional learning institutions where their voices may get drowned out amidst mass conformity.
Sandy, who has a master’s degree in psychology, following the attainment of her bachelor’s degree in business from a university in the United Kingdom, has spent many years working in the field of education. She taught in a special needs school in Bangkok for many years, before enrolling in a course in Singapore which inspired her to start a business with her husband to train teachers—thousands of whom have since come to her courses from all across Asia and beyond. Drawing her inspiration from numerous alternative forms of education and having had experience with children with specific needs, Sandy herself has two sons, one of whom was bullied in school because he was an introvert and she applied her educational knowledge and experience by selecting smaller and more child-focused schools for her son, before he eventually joined KSI Academy in its opening year, being the first to graduate with a GED some years later.
“I realised that what was missing in schools was the personal connection,” she explained as we watched a group of children head to the music room to jam. “Often all it takes is just some time and genuine interest. Listen to the child rather than just lecture to it and you will find that they develop their passions, their creativity, their interests.”
“As the world labour force moves from routine based tasks to a focus on more human-centric skills due to the remarkable advances of technology, we find that children need to be prepared for the future in what they call the four Cs; creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. While these skills come naturally to some children, to others they must be fostered and nurtured. Mainstream education is not for everyone and we believe that we have created the right environment for these skills to grow for the children who require a different parameter for learning.”
At KSI Academy the ratio of students to guides is 7 to 1, with learning tools carefully selected from the plethora of online resources currently available. With all the resources available online, guides and coaches can really focus their time on each individual child.
“Each morning we have a moment of mindfulness when we encourage the students to observe their thoughts and listen to one another. This is then followed by an assembly where I give a briefing as to what is going to happen that day. While subjects such as maths and English can be highly personalised due to online tools, we bring in special coaches for other subjects, from music to fitness.”
Children who wish to focus on a more traditional academic trajectory will also receive all of the support they need as they are tutored towards doing their independent GED or transitioning to an IB school in grade 10.
While the school embraces technology, devices are banned one day a week. Classes only run between 9am to 1pm or 2pm and there is one long weekend set each month so that families can have quality time together. Every Friday is also designated Flow Day, where each child is challenged to create something. Anything. While all of this may sound amorphous, the small class size means that each child enjoys the full attention of a guide or coach, which allows them to create their own educational structure and building blocks.
The children learning and growing at KSI Academy are not trained to fit into a pre destined future. In stead they are asked to think of how they can be part of and affect the future itself.
“To me, it is about common sense,” said Sandy as the school suddenly went rather silent—the cacophony of children had stilled. “It is all about preparing for every eventuality.”
A child beckoned us to follow her and soon we were sitting in the mini—dare we say micro—amphitheater, as a dozen children, traditional Thai musical instruments in hand, suddenly performed a classical Thai song. The chaos, the questions, the giggling, the shouting ceased under the weight of concentration as they swayed, stummed and drummed a familiar song. They had decided to put on this show for the Citylife team, setting it up, choosing a song, inviting us in and performing in harmony and unison. It was all quite awe-inspiring to see the children organise themselves and come together in such collaboration.
Many of the children who come to KSI Academy have done the rounds of Chiang Mai’s, maybe even Thailands, many international schools and felt that they simply didn’t fit in. We met one child who had been in and out of schools for most of his life. While socially awkward, he came and sat with us before we left, showing off the African kalimba he was trying to master.
“I fit here,” he told us. “I have never been happier in a school before.” A simple statement which comes with such weight for a child who has finally found a place he belongs.
Knowledge Source Institute
Address : 129/55 Moo 2, Tonpao, Sankampaeng
Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50130, Thailand
Email : sonthaya@ksipd.com
Website : https://www.ksipd.com/
