11/11/2020
Some 400 children have studied in the preschools since 2013, receiving classes in the Thai language and culture, basic mathematics and social disciplines
11 November 2020, SAMUT SAKHON –Thai Union Group PCL today officially opened its fifth preschool at Wat Samakee Sattharam School in Samut Sakhon, which will help prepare the children of migrant workers for the Thai education system and achieves the company goal of establishing five such preschools by 2020.
Some 400 children have studied in the preschools since the start of the program in 2013, receiving classes in the Thai language and culture, basic mathematics and social disciplines to create a strong educational foundation for them.
“Thai Union recognizes that education is an important fundamental in creating a better life”, said Rittirong Boonmechote, President of Global Frozen and Related Units at Thai Union. “This preschool project is a key part of our sustainability strategy, known as SeaChange®, which aims to improve the lives of those living and working in the communities in which we operate,” he said.
A key contributor to the success of the preschool project is its partnership with the Labour Protection Network (LPN), which plays a key role facilitating communication with the migrant communities in Samut Sakhon to encourage them to send their children to the preschools. “The schools ensure that children are safe in a learning environment while their parents are working. I also want to thank the school partners who understand the significant impact education has in improving the skills of the students to better prepare them for the future,” Boonmechote said.
Thai Union also provides a range of learning experiences such as nutritional workshops, football clinics, mangrove activities and basic fire training workshop for students, not just at the Thai Union preschools but also for students attending other schools at Samut Sakhon.
Sairung Phutha, the Director of Watsamakkee Sattharam School, said it was a great opportunity for them to become one of the partners in Thai Union’s preschool project. “Education is important for children of all nationalities. Our school has a total of 420 students – half of which are Thai students and the other half migrant students. The support from Thai Union in providing classroom facilities and hiring two teachers will allow us to take care of, and benefit all students equally – whether they are Thai or other nationalities,” Phutha said.
“We are committed to social protection for children of all nationalities in public schools to help improve their life, and this project is a great example of that,” said Sompong Sakeaw, Founder and Director of the Labour Protection Network (LPN). “We hope these children will have a better future and life as a result of this opportunity, so they can live happily in society.”
Thai Union has collaborated with the LPN since 2013 to establish the five preschools for children of migrant workers by this year. The five preschools are Wat Srisudtharam School, Wat Sirimongkul School, Wat Yaichomprasat School, Luangpatkosolupthum School and Wat Samakkee Sattharam School.
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About Thai Union Group
Thai Union Group PCL is the world’s seafood leader bringing high quality, healthy, tasty and innovative seafood products to customers across the world for more than 40 years.
Today, Thai Union is regarded as one of the world’s leading seafood producers and is one of the largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding THB 126.3 billion (US$ 4.1 billion) and a global workforce of over 44,000 people who are dedicated to pioneering sustainable, innovative seafood products.
The company’s global brand portfolio includes market-leading international brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar, and Rügen Fisch and Thai-leading brands SEALECT, Fisho, Qfresh, Monori, Bellotta and Marvo.
As a company committed to innovation and globally responsible behavior, Thai Union is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, and a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). In 2015, Thai Union introduced its SeaChange® sustainability strategy. Find out more at seachangesustainability.org. Thai Union’s on-going work on sustainability issues was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by being ranked number one in the world in the Food Products Industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, achieving a 100th percentile ranking for total sustainability score. Thai Union has now been named to the DJSI for six consecutive years. Thai Union was also named to the FTSE4Good Emerging Index for the fifth straight year in 2020.
Media contacts
Thai Union Group PCL.
Wiriyaporn Posayanonda
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M: +66.63.231.0385
E: Wiriyaporn.Posayanonda@thaiunion.com
Jirawat Montreevong
External Communications Manager
M: +66.80.976.4613
E: Jirawat.Montreevong@thaiunion.com