Students give thanks to teachers on ‘Wai Kru Day’

The annual Wai Kru Day Ceremony was held at school yesterday. The Wai Kru ceremony is an important event in Thailand where students show respect and gratitude to their teachers. At the St Andrews Green Valley Ceremony, students in the Primary School and Years 7 and 8 paid their respects to their teachers.

An explanation for members of the St Andrews community who are new to the Wai Kru ceremony is that “Wai” means to bow in Thai and involves bringing your hands together as if saying a prayer. Thai culture fosters a deep respect for educators and the “Wai Kru” ceremony is a meaningful way to demonstrate this as part of the academic year. The ceremony is very formal and decorative but it also is a vital part of the traditional Thai educational system.

It was great to see so many parents in attendance and supporting this ceremonial occasion. After chanting the Wai Kru Oath, the teachers were presented with special offerings of flowers from student representatives - the flowers symbolize the students respect and readiness to learn in the coming academic year.

Thank you to the Thai Department for organising this event.