TerryM

I am not opposed to it.

As long as it is used sparingly as it seems to be in Thailand.

And of course I am worried about them getting the wrong person - but also as stated, in Thailand it is mainly applied to "slam dunks" as far as I know.

So it is different to the way it is used in USA or previously in Australia.

Also different - Western countries have developed a culture based around personal freedoms and rights. So in that backdrop, executing an individual is the ultimate 'injustice'.

In Thailand and Asia in general, there is still a culture that values family and community over individual (although it is changing). Within that background removing a harmful individual for the good of society seems to make some sense.

And also in the back of my mind, I have grave concerns that the planet is very much overpopulated. Although killing criminals to fix this problem does seem barbaric - the fact still remains that we will need to learn, at some stage soon, how to reduce the human population. So violent criminals are not putting themselves in a favourable position. How many animals or trees have to die, or how much of the environment has to be destroyed to keep that criminal in prison all their lives? Is it worth it? As the environment becomes more fragile and more precious - the answer to this question surely swings further away from the importance of a violent and destructive human life.

AUSTRALIA ABANDONED THE DEATH PENALTY IN 1967- THE U.S.A IN MOST OF THEIR STATES STILL HAS IT. THE REASON WHY AUSTRALIA GOT-RID-OF IT WAS... TO MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE WERE HANGED.

Thank you for the video 2long. It was a joy to see. Are there any more like this? If not, there should be.

With his passport cancelled and the Interpol on his trail, there will not be many places for Thaksin to go. Sure, he can spend time in Central America, as a roaming Ambassador for that region, but how long will it be till they begin to tire of his lies a deception and hand him over to the Thai Government? In answering my own question. "May be the harder the economic crisis hits the region and when Thaksin's money is no more'".

Another question I would like to posse is. Why do Thai's suffer fools like Thaksin so gladely? All comments welcomed.

Phd in education??

I am sure that should read PhD. As in Doctorate. Good point nontheless TerryLH. But that aside.

It frightens me how many Non-Qualified Teachers there are attempting to teach in South East Asia. Those that lack formal education and qualifications should go and do three years of study at a "Real University". Learn to Read, Write and Speak English WELL! before they teach unsuspecting school students with their lack of knowledge in the Universal Language, that is English.

I teach and have a B/A from the University of Queensland Australia....its a Sandstone University in St. Lucia Brisbane, it is recognised worldwide as a great research and teaching Institution. While there are other Grand Universities elswhere, the Australia standard of Education is a broad and well-rounded pedagogic discourse. All comments favourable or not welcomed.

Yours in the pursuit of better communication linked to key outcomes in Education. TerryM

degreediscussion dot com has an interesting forum that discusses unaccredited universities and degree mills.

I had a young yank come in once with his resume/CV and a CDRom with a scanned copy of his 'degree' from the University of Queensland! He didn't know anything about the university and he had even written on his Resume that he was working in Starbucks or somewhere in the States while he was supposed to be studying in Australia! He didn't get a job from me but he is still in Chiang Mai and is doing quite well.

How dare he. I myself graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from UQ (University of Queensland), Australia. One of the best Academic Institutions in Australia. A great Sandstone and Research University. I say, if we can, we should expose all those with Dogie Degrees who attempt to pass themselves off as "University Qualified Teachers". Surely, heads of English Dept's at Thai Schools have a responsibility and indeed an obligation to check whether Degrees are false or not.

Its up to all of us as Professional Teachers I believe, to ensure that the Farang Teaching profession as it currently stands stems the tide of tainted qualifications by fraudsters.

All comments re: this post welcomed.

So much for Democracy. I'm getting out of here while the getting is good beforethey shut down the main airport in Bangkok. I certainly don't want to be stuck here during a Revolution should it come to that.

I was thinking the same njpski. Qualified Teacher indeed. Must be one of those that the Ministry of Education (MOE) are attempting to deport from Thailand for having fake degree's. Gives us legitimate teachers a bad name. My question to the "Qualified Teacher" is this. Did you sit the Teacher Licence Course to obatain a Licence to Teach in Thailand, or are you a Border Runner. Just a thought.

I am a highly qualified teacher and choose to home educate my 2 very intelligent boys, as the teaching here is so bad. I put them into the Satit English programme Summer School. I did not expect too much and the main reason was that they get to mix with other kids for a month. I made a point to talk to their teachers beforehand to explain that both my kids were way beyond their years in English and maths. My conversations were wasted. Lessons were poorly planned, if planned at all. The level of teaching was totally inappropriate for my kids and I am now trying to catch up with a lost month. It is clear that their teachers have had little or no training. My 9 year old actually taught one lesson on directions (North south east west etc) as many of the kids had English asa second language. I wouldguess t hat histeacher has a minimal background in ESL. My 6 year old (who studioes maths at Grade 10 level!!) spent the fortnight doing adding and subtracting with a little bit of fractions! IT lessons were spent playing games, assuming the children found a computer that worked!

I had a long conversation with the principal of the ELP and made many suggetions from my many years of experience in teaching in the UK and around the world. The main point being that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys and that unfortunately, is what many of the teachers are. Do not expect much from the school until they up their pay (currently around 30k/m). Our friend has a girl in K1 and she seems to be doing OK. She is a little horror and the school seems to be working wqell with her so maybe for early yeasr it is OK. I do like the ambience and the location is good, as I told them. With the right investment it could easilyu be the best bilingual school in Pattaya - but not until they start employing qualified teachers. (they did offer me a job but I told them they'd have totriple the offer!)

Grammatical and spelling errors, tut tut!

Highly qualified teacher? Of what, pray tell? English or woodworking? lol

And hands up all those who assess their children as highly intelligent? I thought so - all of us!

I agree with your grammar statement Peace Blondie. Further however, what action will the school, or for that matter, the Parents take if we Farang teacher DO FAIL Thai students? The point after all is to be the best teacher we possibly can.

The Failing of students here in Australia is considered part of the learning process so the pupil corrects their mistakes and learns from them. Am I being to harsh?...I don't think so! Having come from a low socio-economic Australian Indigenous background myself I can appreciate the difficulties schooling holds for some students. However, Education as I see it is the key to better employment prospects and social interaction. Is this not so elsewhere?

Just a thought.

I have a related question. I'm waiting on my police check records befor I can send my documents off to Thailand. My question is this. Can I still gain a teaching place in a Thailand school in June, July or August.

Yes, work experience is what we would use here in Australia. Internship is normaly used by Doctors to mean "Doctor's in Training". Feel free to correct me anyone if I am wrong. By the way, we here in Australia use the British spelling and word structure in our Language. The reason American's have changed some of the spelling and English structure goes back I believe to the War of Independence. This is what we were taught in my American History Major. Once again, correct this if wrong.

may have let this flirting inflate my ego. I mean it's better than standing in front of a class where you feel they really don't like you.

The problem with student and teacher relationships, is this. Apart from being unethical, it will be viewed as Child Abuse even if the student consents to the encounter. Child Abuse in Thailand as elsewhere will land you in goal, destroy your reputation and your teaching profession. This thread of mine is not a direct attack on you PaddyThai, just a small reminder of our general responsibilities to the students, their families and communities. We after all are guests in Thailand. I suggest we leave the extra curricula activities for outside the classroom and stay well-away from student encounters. Just a thought.

"Would you like a cup of Coffee". This denotes the offer of a cup. If one just said would you like "coffee" this may be confused with would like a coffee tree, or a jar, as another member suggested. For what its worth, I think we Should try and give the best examples to students we can. On a different note. I have read on other forums, where it has been flaged that we farang teachers are NOT to fail any Thai student. If this is so, what's the point in teaching them English. Just a thought. All comments welcomed.

Terry

I'm an Australian with a BA from a Sandstone University. What I'm reading in this thread scares me. Twenty Five years ago I was arrested for a small amount of POT I got a $200 fine. This will come up on my police check, will the Thai authorities still allow me to teach?

I do know that Thailand has very tough Drug Laws, I have also read in other forums that one can get ten years goal for one joint! However, from that time twenty five years ago I have never been arrested for anything or had any other trouble with the Australian police. Will this fact go in my favour or will the Thai authorities simply refuse me to teach.

Terry.