Wai Kru Ceremony

Our students were showing their appreciation for their teachers this morning as Green Valley held its annual Wai Kru Ceremony.

Wai Kru is a Thai ritual where students pay respect to their teachers to express their gratitude at the start of each school year. This morning the Thai department held an assembly for year 1 to 9 to celebrate this special occasion, and it was great to see so many parents supporting this ceremony. 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.

A brief explanation of what this day means: “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.
On wai Kru day students bring flowers to their teachers as a symbol of their respect and readiness to learn. The most popular flower to bring is called “dok khem” (needle flower or Ixora) because it represents the student’s promise that his/her brain will be as sharp as a needle. Some students also present jasmine garlands.