Wai Khru - Teachers Day

Each June the students at the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with Disabilities in Pattaya perform a very special ceremony – Wai Khru, or Teachers Day. Students recently gathered early one Thursday morning to pay respect to the teachers, both Thai and foreign, and to show gratitude for the work they do to ensure each student receives the education, skills and knowledge they need. Fr. Peter, Acting-President of the Fr. Ray Foundation, welcomed the students and teaching staff before the students recited a Buddhist prayer to signify the start of the ceremony. The student oath was then recited, in which the students repeat their vow to study hard, respect their teacher, and behave well to their fellow students. Following on from this a representative from each class presented a beautiful arranged floral paan to Fr. Peter who accepted them from each student on behalf of the teaching faculty. Each chosen student bowed in front of the teaching staff before they went down on their knees, performed a wai and then bowed very low until their head touched the floor; this may seem strange to many westerners, but for the students the respect they have for their teachers can not get any higher. Once the main event was over prizes were awarded for the best paan’s, with the second year electronic repair students claiming not just the first prize but also the second prize. Awards were also handed out to students who have shown an improvement in their work or received top grades in their chosen subject.