THAI CHILDREN’S INTERESTS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28482, 11 January 1958, Page 2

THAI CHILDREN’S INTERESTS

Games, Sports, And Hobbies

[By CHIRABHA ONRUANG of Thailand.]

“Do the Thai children play games and sports?” “Do they play football, netball and basketball?" The same questions have been asked by children, both boys and girls, in every school that T have visited in New Zealand. My answer is that Thai children, like others in the world, have games and sports and very much love to play them.

In early childhood a boy in Thailand likes to play with a little motor-car, boat, gun, aeroplane or toy soldier. He also likes adventure; a girl’s interest is in a little pot for cooking, Bowers or a doll. The girls always like to act as housekeepers, inviting friends to come for a meal or to aet as a seller or a buyer. A child in town usually goes to kindergarten at the age of three and a half years, to take a course for two years before going to primary school. A child in the village attends school at from seven to 14 unless he finishes the primary course before that Then he can attend secondary school for six years and go to the preuniversity or other professional school if he likes.

Apart from their lessons the children are taught at school to pay respect to parents, grandparents and teachers and to look after them when they are old, to pay loyalty to the nation, religion, the King and ,the Constitution. ’i - '*/!■

Boys and girls at schools in Thailand play basketball, football, netball and other games in the playground. There are every year football, netball, basketball and Rugby football matches between the Schools, apart from athletics at the national stadium.

Some girls like singing and dancing. The Thai classical drama is very well known. It is composed of dialogue, chorus singing, graceful gestures and gyrations. The various movements are very difficult to the uninitiated. They consist of moving the arms, swaying, advancing and retreating with gliding motions while the fingers are kept bent back to the utmost. Their classical drama, ballet and music are taught at Silapakorn College or the Academy of Fine Arts. The boys sometimes like to train for boxing. The hobbies of pupils are collecting stamps and pictures and gardening. Thai children, like the New Zealanders, are interested in penfriends. Returning from the school, the boys in the vilages help their fathers in farming. They look after cows and water buffaloes while the girls help their mothers in cooking and sweeping the house, or in looking after younger brothers and sisters. They dress them and cook for them When the mothers are away.