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In all his years as an educator, Aung Kyaw Win, the principal of a Migrant Learning Centre (MLC) in Tak province, had never seen anything like it. Stepping through a canopy of trees into a dirt clearing, he was greeted by the bright white dome of a new building—it looked as if an igloo had been dropped into the jungle.

The striking appearance of the 'Instant House' now serving as a library at his learning centre is by design. Its thick layer of foam insulation keeps the interior cool and its high windows enhance airflow—giving children and teenagers a comfortable place to study even during Tak’s sweltering hot season. True to its name, experts constructed it in just four days.

The provision of the Instant House is just one example of how private sector companies have mobilized to support resource-constrained MLCs in Tak province and ensure continuity of education for some of Thailand’s most vulnerable learners. 'We now have electricity to power appliances, so we can teach students how to use computers. We have lights in classrooms, the kitchen, and the dormitories, so students can read and study at night. And walking to the toilet at night is now safe,' Aung Kyaw Win told UNESCO.

Aung Kyaw Win’s MLC is one of 64 in Tak province’s border districts of Mae Sot, Phop Phra, Mae Ramat and Tha Song Yang. They play a vital role in enabling access to education for migrant learners in Thailand, many of whom are fleeing the civil war in neighboring Myanmar. However, with the ongoing conflict contributing to a 40% surge in MLC enrollment in Tak according to The UN Network on Migration’s recently released  many already stretched centres are struggling to cope. The closure of two MLCs in Tak in 2024 shows that international and civil society support remains critical to local government efforts to provide education for all. But ensuring continued access to education requires a whole-of-society approach, experts say.

'Protecting children’s right to education is essential for their future,' says Rika Yorozu, UNESCO Bangkok’s Education Programme Specialist. 'With the number of migrant learners growing rapidly, support from all stakeholders is more vital than ever. Every effort counts—including private sector contributions—to ensure safe and supportive learning environments for migrant children,' she adds.

Thailand’s Education for All policy guarantees 15 years of free basic education to all children, including migrants. In August 2024, the Thai Parliament further strengthened protections for refugee children and youth by withdrawing Thailand’s longstanding reservation to the related Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child—a milestone applauded by national and international organizations. 

However, many migrant children face barriers such as registration issues, language challenges, and integration difficulties in formal Thai schools.

Migrant Learning Centres help address some of these challenges by providing basic education, offering Thai language classes to ease integration into Thai schools, and acting as safe spaces for children at risk of exploitation or abuse. Yet many are overcrowded or lack basic facilities like running water or reliable power sources. In some cases, resource shortages force educators to work extra hours collecting firewood and growing rice to ensure students get enough to eat.

In a project beginning in January 2023, UNESCO, in collaboration with local education authorities and with funding from the People of Japan, provided emergency assistance to Tak’s 64 MLCs. The project benefited nearly 15,000 children and youth (7,472 female and 6,896 male), including children with disabilities. It focused mainly on supporting 20 MLCs in the province with lodging facilities home to nearly 10,000 young people (5,164 female and 4,624 male). Support included providing them with daily nutritious meals, training 200 educators in innovative teaching methods, and providing IT equipment to enable access to digital learning platforms.

Although the project officially concluded in June 2024, UNESCO and Japan have continued to engage private sector partners to address urgent needs, including infrastructure constraints, at several MLCs.

The infrastructure upgrades that have supported learning continuity at Aung Kyaw Win’s MLC come courtesy of Samut Prakan-based Tomas Engineering, which built the instant house, Thai company Solar Power Roof and Japan’s Kyocera, which provided solar panels and a battery system, respectively, to boost the MLC’s power supply. In addition, Japanese companies including Panasonic Energy, Kao, and Saraya contributed essential items like flashlights and batteries, daily use consumer products, and hand soap. 

'It's important for everybody to chip in any way they can to make sure that education continues for these children,' said Japanese Ambassador to Thailand Masato Otaka on a recent visit to Tak province. 'This is the reason why Japan attaches importance to supporting UNESCO.'

In the MLC’s new igloo-shaped library, 13-year-old Khin Hla Aye, now in the fourth grade, dreams of becoming a doctor. 'I come here to read two or three times every day. I love our new library,' she says, flipping through a storybook.

With better facilities, nutritious meals, and an enabling and safe environment, thousands of migrant learners like Khin Hla Aye are finding hope for brighter futures—one building block at a time.