Submission ID 118592
| Issue/Objective | Mae Sot in Tak province, Thailand, hosts many Burmese migrants fleeing Myanmar's political and economic crises. About 60% of long-term migrants lack documentation, including many children and youth. Though Thailand has national policies like the 2003 Child Protection Act, they may not meet the specific needs of migrant children. In response, ten local organizations formed the Migrant Learning Centre-Child Safeguarding (MLC-CSG) Task Force, implementing Child Safeguarding (CSG) policies in 2013. These collaborative policies aim to protect migrant children and youth in Mae Sot. However, they have remained unchanged since their implementation, necessitating their reassessment considering significant geopolitical changes, such as the influx in migration following the 2021 coup in Myanmar. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A Braun and Clarke thematic analysis followed 10 focus group discussions with six Burmese MLC staff each, recruited through convenience sampling and grouped by teaching experience, gender, and school location. Dedoose software uploaded the interview audio files, which Burmese-speaking researchers translated and coded manually. Codes from thematic analysis were analyzed using the PESTEL framework to identify factors affecting CSG policy implementation. A consultant hired by the MLC-CSG Task Force will double-code identified codes. This study is part of a broader research project that included interviews with administrative staff and students affiliated with the MLCs. |
| Results | Barriers to policy implementation included physical punishment practices, financial constraints causing staff shortages, and inadequate safety measures. Social challenges like discrimination from the Thai community and low parental engagement due to job migration hindered safeguarding efforts. Additional issues were low digital literacy levels and legal vulnerabilities for undocumented students. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Although CSG policies were recognized for their positive effect on student-teacher relationships and for raising students' awareness of their rights and reporting processes, policy implementation has been inconsistent. In particular, regarding CSG training, staff noted that ongoing training for new hires and parents is necessary to enhance their understanding of the policies. Furthermore, policies should become more inclusive, as current CSG policies are less responsive to the needs of students over the age of 18, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, and students with physical and mental health needs. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Nay Chi Htwe Queen's University Nyo Yamonn Mae Tao Clinic (Hired Consultant) Nway Nway Oo Mae Tao Clinic Thandar Kyaw Help Without Frontiers Hassait Hilawe Queen's University Arielle Baguio Queen's University Ivet Castello Mitijans Help Without Frontiers Colleen Davison Queen's University Eva Purkey Queen's University |
