haltes

Sorry but in England you can't get the information without the consent of the person in question. This is covered under the Data Protection Act 1998. I remember I had to sign a waiver authorizing the institution to contact any universities.

Civil Rights in the UK are also covered under the Human Rights Act 1998: Article 8: Right to Respect for Private and Family Life: i.e. right to privacy

Tape recordings that are recorded without the knowledge of the other party are unlikely to be admitted as evidence in any UK court.

See the European Convention on Human Rights (article 8) - the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence

Case law also supports this so she can record all the wants till the cows come home and send it the the entire government/police force. It's not admissible in court.

Only the Police can record without giving notice which requires judicial approval as well.

I have written "model answers" for Thai students studying abroad as well as the odd "model thesis" here and there..... oh and for Thai students studying in universities in Thailand.

I also know a few other people here both Thai and foreign that have done the same. It certainly pays well and we are not breaking the law, it is up to the student to claim it as their work or not.

Not all Thai students do their own work while they are studying abroad in any case

Also some are given courtesy passes to keep the self perpetuating money generating educational system that is our university system running. It 's all about bums on seats!

They get a real shock when they take a real test of English proficiency like IELTS for which they can't cheat and for which there is no automatic pass.

I wonder if the schools can explain the to parents that in spite of 12 years of studying English (and sometimes even studying IN ENGLISH), their child is not even an intermediate user of English.

Good to see you around again, Haltes!

Thanks "S". It's nice to have some free time again!

I have not had much time or inclination to post recently but occasionally I am aroused by the constant stupidity and pointlessness that encapsulates the system that we participate in. I wish I could be optimistic but I remain as always a cynic!

It makes your blood boil everytime a minister of education opens his/her mouth.

Computers for all students are a nice thing if everything for a decent educational system is already in place, they enhance what is already there. They do not act as a substitute for a crap system in the fisrt place or make up for huge deficiencies that already exist.

Why not spend the money increasing teachers salaries that it attracts better quality people to actually do the teaching?

Why not provide smaller classes and hire more teachers?

Why not put together a unified curriculum and testing methodology that means something and that has some actual standards?

There are so many other ways they could spend the money instead of buying a doorstop that will be out of date in 2-3 years time, teaching people real skills they can use for their whole lives (and I hate the cliche of lifelong learning but it IS so true).

Oh well,as long as the laptops come internet ready and run MSN, can look at porn/hello kitty sites, 95% of the kids will be happy.

I'm all for self improvement and for teachers to be qualified as a) educators and subject matter experts but these plans IMO will be an unmitigated disaster and I think they will have to abandon this scheme as there will be hardly any teachers left if they do enforce it! There are so many issues that stem from this, but as time is limited, I will just address the main ones that initially spring to mind.

The first issue is salaries which are low in any case. Simply put, they don't pay enough to attract enough qualified staff. People don't care if salaries are high in relation to what Thai staff get as teachers, salaries are still low in relation to western standards and the cost of living for a westerner living in Thailand. Teaching is a slave of market forces, the best or best qualified teachers will aspire to the best paying jobs/best conditions etc. Although some people might have an overriding desire to be in Thailand for a variety of reasons, making it so hard/inconvenient/expensive to stay and work here will mean people go elsewhere.

The second issue is that we know that the training they give on this course will probably be <deleted>, badly conceived, ill thought out, and tested in a very questionanable and probably subjective way.

The effects (if implemented) will act as a deterent for any new teachers who are thinking of coming to work here while at the same time encourage any people who are already working here to depart rather than face the never ending stream of requirements that change often, are retroactive in nature, and are unpredictable. Will they be willing to lose face and admit that this whole situation is a fiasco albeit with highly laudable intentions? Don't bet on it.

My understanding is that only contracts written in Thai are actually legally binding in Thailand.

You understand incorrectly. Contracts in English are just as valid and binding. All our contracts are in English and they are I can assure you just as binding as those in Thai.

A Thai contract will take precedence only if it conflicts with one written in English (in cases where contracts exist in both languages which is not the norm in any case)

If you look at the contract with the recruiter, there should be a clause that covers termination of the contract, if there is no clause that covers this eventuality then there is a good bet that the contract is not legal.

OK so that's clear.

Do you have a copy of the contracts? Are they in English or Thai or both?

Did you sign a contract with the recruiter or with the school?

She should be able to get one of the better jobs that are available but tell her to be careful and to look closely at any school that is desperate to employ her and will take her on "unseen".too

Some schools are great, but others are very badly managed and if she came a cropper in the state system in the UK, it is possible she might not cope with the trials and tribulations of an autocratically run Thai school. She should be qualified enough to work in any of the school types that are in Thailand.

The best advice is to come over and take a look, meet some people, take a look at the schools, and see what it would be like herself.

As for salaries (these figures are vague but are accurate IME for Bangkok)

Government school : 28 - 35,000

Private Thai school: 30 - 55,000

International School: 80 - 180,000

Language schools: 30 - 55,000

Another hub???

Considering the press release is related to education, they could have got someone to proof read it first.

The Thais that go to study overseas do so because they know the quality of education provided here is not up to par. They will go overseas to study regardless.

As for the international schools here, I would love to see them compare their A Level/GCSE results with schools back in the west just to see how they stack up. I would think that they significantly under perform when compared to a similar school.

I think the quality of Harrow International School is quite low, most of the students are Thai and it is not IMHO an "international" school. Look at the IGCE results and A level results which should be available and where their students go on to study after completing their education there.

It is certainly not in the same league as the public schools in the UK especially the one that it is named after. On the whole I have been more impressed with students from NIST the most.

Needless to say, I will not be paying rent for the last two months unless I decide to sign for another year. If I do sign, I want the finders commission.

Well this breaks just about every rental contract that is out there, normally the landlord is entitled to make a deduction for any utility bills etc that are still outstanding before giving the remainder back.

Surely if some people find it offensive then it shouldn't be used, personally I think it shows ignorance but then Thailand has decades to go before it needs to think about multiculturalism!

Abortion is also illegal in Thailand

Traveling to your home country to get TV sounds like a very expensive option. I am curious how much on average you spend on making 3 visa runs to Penang?

Studying Thai and obtaining ED visa is perhaps a cheaper option for some, making extensions locally without making visa runs, so you learn Thai and do not have to worry about your visa situation.

Frankly speaking your Ed visa seems like just a way of circumventing the law and most places I know that offer this visa insist on their students studying full time not just for a few hours a week. Do you make sure your students actually attend your classes? Tis strange to promote a language school based only on the fact that you can get a 1 year visa for it.

We are looking for a trainer to prepare and implement language and development training for our company.

The full job requirements are below but essentially we are looking for a native speaker (or native like fluency) with a teaching qualification like a CELTA, a degree, plus some experience teaching adults. Experience in Engineering or a technical field would also be useful.

JOB CONTENT:

Implement English language training programs, including those specific to oil and gas technology for newly recruited and current Thai National employees.

Coordinate with other Instructors regarding all language training courses to be offered.

Consult with operations and logistics supervisors to: - assess language training requirements, discuss training solutions and agree on training programs.

Develop and clarify standards of English language skills required for job performance and coordinate with Head office staff on testing standards and procedures.

Ensure a proper balance between general language and technical language development that provides skills in the four areas; speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Perform ongoing course servicing, i.e. instructional classes preparation, modify and update course materials as needs require, prepare and test, etc.

Where practically possible, ensure that Technical and Language topics compliment each other.

Maintain records of training development and progress

Anticipate and identify problems, both personal and work related. Counsel and offer constructive advice to personnel under the training programme, with the aim of resolving the identified problems whenever possible.

Perform Trainee Performance Appraisal Assessments whenever requested.

Provide support to other areas when requested.

Promote and contribute to the achievement of the company policy

JOB KNOWLEDGE – SKILLS – EXPERIENCE - LANGUAGE:

Bachelor degree in related fields

Graduate Level Certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

3-5 years experience in language instruction

Fluent in English (spoken and written) with comprehensive technical vocabulary

Must be a competent PC user, utilizing MS Office suite. (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Must be self motivated and use good communication skills

Must be flexible in his/her approach to work methods and ethics

Must be prepared to work closely with and assist English Language Instructors with preparation of associated English Language training documents

Must be fluent in English (spoken and written) with comprehensive technical vocabulary. Thai language an advantage

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your CV and a cover letter in PM

Don't do it. It's only good for working in Thailand.

Do the proper London Trinity one.

That's a serious accusation, if you're saying that the T&T course is not acceptable in other countries where their graduates/diplomates secured teaching jobs.

Are you saying precisely that only the Trinity course in London, England, is good and the others are not? I always get confused between the CELTA, the Cambridge, RSA, the various other names it's gone under, its franchisees. Do you care to verify or clarify your accusation?

Actually PB, there are two that are internationally recognised - CELTA, as you said, and London Trinity.

Things may have changed at T&T since I knew them, and the guy who owned it.

There are too many so-called TEFL courses in Thailand.

Do you really think that employers vaue a T&T type "diploma"?

Yes, I think the certificate issued by T&T, SEE, TEFL International, and other providers in Thailand are valued by employers, first of all in Thailand. Two of the people in my class went back and taught in South Korea, in Seoul. Countless other internet anecdotes have claimed similar successes by similar graduates of such courses in various countries. Now, you still haven't verified your claim, so you've got 24 hours to clearly prove it, or it will be removed, along with appropriate negative sanctions.

If I have the choice I'll accept a CELTA or Trinity Qualification. IME the quality of some local courses is lacking and I know I can trust a CELTA from International House in London or other well known institution. I know I'm not the only employer who thinks this way.

My work permit says English Instructor

Google search : stickman bangkok

Read his site.. he's a farang teacher in BKK and a Legend

Email him, i'm sure he would be the best guy for help in your situation...

You can report all the details and the name of the school on teflwatch, you can google the url

aaah, all lovely and cosy in here.

Group welcoing hugs all round

....when they get into the real world and have to take something like TOEFL or IELTS and they fail dramatically and their parents will be all surprised.....

But my kid was in an English program/international school for 10 years, how can their English not be good enough to study abroad?

There was a 10 million baht one available as well??