Mechai Pattana School (aka the Bamboo School)

Address of foundation office: Mechai Viravaidya Foundation
6 Sukhumvit 12, Klongteoy District, Bangkok 10110 Thailand

Other email: mechai@mechaifoundation.org

About this school: In 2009, the Mechai Pattana School, also known as the Bamboo School, opened to provide children in Thailand’s rural Buriram Province with free private education.

What does it make this school revolutionary?

The school is the largest bamboo geodesic dome in the world, at 30 meters in diameter. Its environmentally-friendly bamboo architecture is specially treated to last up to 80 years;

It promotes environmental protection, poverty eradication, philanthropy and integrity, as well as democracy asnd gender equality. It aims to educate the new generation of social entrepreneurs, while encouraging the students to think out of the box, be creative and learn to fail to better succeed in the future;

There are no student fees in monetary terms at the school. Rather, the students and parents have to plant 365 trees and pay their fees with 365 hours of community service;

Students are given the responsibility of participating in the teacher selection and evaluation process;

Students learn how to become social entrepreneurs and the school sponsors their own start-up business. Basic bookkeeping skills are taught and the students are encouraged to practice what they learnt about renewable energy, energy optimisation and the preservation of environment, starting their own social enterprises.

“Never take no as an answer, but take no as a question.” – Mechai Viravaidya, founder of the Bamboo School