Education policy given a failing grade

[webfact]

Education policy given a failing grade

By Chularat Saengpassa 
The Nation

 

Athapol Anunthavorasakul

 

Academic says reforms shortsighted and politicised due to lack of coordination

AS 2017 comes to a close, a prominent educator has compared top education policymakers to inefficient orchestra conductors given their recent performance. 

 

“It’s as if decision-makers do not know what to do or where to focus,” Athapol Anunthavorasakul, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education and director of the Research and Development Centre on Education for Sustainable Development, told The Nation in an exclusive interview last week about his observations about education policy by the junta-led government. 

 

Athapol was responding to a request to evaluate the educational performance of the current government. 

 

After coming to power more than three years ago, the military-installed government has already named three education ministers.

 

Admiral Narong Pipatanasai was the first, followed by General Dapong Ratanasuwan and the latest incarnation is Teerakiat Jareonsettasin. 

 

“As the education minister, [Teerakiat] should focus on the overall picture and assign proper roles for each agency to play,” Athapol said. 

 

He expressed concern that the Equitable Education Fund, which will be established next year, would further entrench a culture whereby agencies work separately. “Without integration, children are affected,” he said. 

 

Even good ideas that were not well integrated and implemented would end in failure, he said. For example, while the idea of a “professional learning community” (PLC) is a good concept, the Education Ministry’s decision to link it to academic-rank promotions has posed problems. 

 

“The PLC will be a real driving force only when teachers voluntarily join. There is no point making it mandatory,” Athapol said. 

 

He added that Thailand had good practices but lacked the determination to implement them into the mainstream.

 

Athapol also emphasised the need to prepare efficient long-term teacher development, because teachers played a key role in educational quality.

 

He said it was necessary to prepare good prepatory programmes for teachers, otherwise young, energetic newcomers would eventually lose determination in the face of an unproductive work structure and unfavourable work culture. 

 

“Actually, if we can change just 10 per cent of the teachers to be efficient ones, the good practices will catch on,” he said. “That way, we can transform the country’s educational sector.” 

 

Athapol also approved of the “teacher as learner project”, under which senior teachers guide their younger colleagues. But the project has not been implemented on a large scale, he added. 

 

During the current government’s term, various educational policies have been introduced, including shorter class hours, an emphasis on history and civic duties, and the establishment of provincial education committees. 

 

While provincial education committees were intended to change the educational sector for the better, they have instead caused problems, going against the ongoing decentralisation trend and also upsetting schools.

 

“Schools can’t be happy because suddenly they have two bosses to report to – provincial education committees and educational services areas offices,” Athapol said. 

 

Before Teerakiat Jareonsettasin stepped into the top position as Education Minister, Athapol said he had been trying to work on a new curriculum. But the extent of the change had affected many people, and so Teerakiat retreated from facing problems head on and updated the curricula only for sciences, maths, computers, technology and geography.

 

All of those subjects are linked to the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) and the International Science Olympiads.

 

Teerakiat only upgraded portions of each subject to ensure consistency so that teaching colleges’ curricula could keep up with required changes in teaching methods. As teachers faced constant changes, they began to act more like politicians, working for short-term objectives rather than the long-term shifts required to upgrade the system, Athapol said. 

 

Teerakiat had also stopped talking about teaching colleges’ four-year or five-year curricula adjustments as that had turned into a political agenda. 

 

Many institute administrators also were afraid of making big changes and simply bought time just to get by, while people who stepped forward but did not have solid academic practices were defeated. 

 

“The emphasis on history and civic duties and shorter class hours has already faded. And now the teaching colleges’ four-year or five-year curricula adjustment, or English programmes for Prathom 1 and Prathom 3, is also fading,” Athapol said. 

 

That was evidence that people were working from a place of ignorance without drawing on academic research as the policy foundations, he said, adding that choices were being made from the erroneous belief that policy issues could be separated, rather than from a higher-level analysis that saw things as connected in one body. 

 

Thailand has not drawn up a long-term plan to manage human resources within the educational sector, he said, adding that only short-term projects or policies had been introduced, mostly without the backing of evidence or research. 

 

He said the government and its ministers should not focus on short-term issues or what achievements they could claim credit for in a year, but instead focus on enabling an environment in which their successors could continue the good work. 

 

There were also time bombs in the present system, he said, such as the establishment of the Higher Education Ministry being spearheaded by Deputy Education Minister Udom Kachintorn. If people thought universities had problems and tried to regulate them uniformly under the new ministry, it could do more harm than good, he said. 

 

Universities, which are each governed by their own independent university councils, had already moved beyond tight external controls and could not be reined in now, Athapol said. 

 

He also identified a worrying trend in which people seemed inclined to take internal conflicts at a few universities as an excuse for power centralisation at the new ministry.

 

He predicted more problems ahead if top policymakers do not change their approach. 

 

“Education is a transformative process, not a big-bang change,” he said, adding that policy-makers had to move way from old ways of thinking and allow changes to take place sustainably while working to prevent good ideas from turning into bad practices when implemented.

 

He said innovations had been implemented without good preparation. For example, a project giving teachers coupons for self-development was a good idea, but without a good screening system it had resulted in a wasted budget.

 

Teachers should be allowed to choose training on subjects relevant to their specific needs, he said, adding that authorities were now pressing universities to submit training programmes ahead of the new budget and teachers could plan to attend training sessions held after April. 

 

He also argued that the Education Ministry had only superficially and inconsistently applied the “brain-based learning” principle, which resulted in a failure that was also related to various learning principles and activities being implemented in the same way when they should have been done differently to fit each style. 

 

Asean citizenship curricula was also superficial and quickly faded from use, he said, adding it had been replaced by the “Education 4.0” scheme intended to boost creativity and innovation, which required direct teaching as well as motivated students and teachers. 

 

“Do not focus just on short-term plans. Don’t be preoccupied with credit you expect to receive from your work. Why don’t you start rethinking the issues? Let’s start with a question as to how to make it easier for educational personnel, officials and teachers to work,” he said. “Let’s think about how to motivate teachers.”

 

Student and teacher motivation was important because motivated teachers would perform at a high standard and be able to inspire students, he added.

 

Athapol said there was a good chance of success if the teaching force was overhauled now, given that the average age of teachers had declined significantly and young people tended to be more ready to embrace reforms.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30334704

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-25

[PatOngo]

Education policy given a failing grade

The plan is working then! The mushroom system, keep them in the dark and feed them BS!

[Samui Bodoh]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

...“It’s as if decision-makers do not know what to do or where to focus,” Athapol Anunthavorasakul, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education and director of the Research and Development Centre on Education for Sustainable Development...

 

"It’s as if decision-makers do not know what to do"

 

I think that this one sentence is an excellent summary of the article and of the entire Thai education system. I recall a while back that Thai students failed seven out of eight of their core subjects in standardized testing, and the only subject that a majority of Thai students didn't fail was Thai language.

 

Normally, I argue that public policy problems are complex and require great thought and nuance to achieve a workable solution. However, in the case of the Thai education system, I would advocate a "chain saw" approach, specifically to the Ministry of Education. If I had Article 44 at my disposal (God forbid!), I would fire the top 100 people at the Ministry immediately. Today. "Attention senior officials of the Ministry of Education! Pack up your crap and go, you are out of here.". These leaders, and their immediate subordinates, have created a system that does not work and I do not believe that they have the capacity to fix it. So, out they go!

 

In this modern age where there is great upheaval and rapid change, the focus in an education system should be how to solve problems, how to analyze, how to adapt, and how to overcome difficulties. Unfortunately, in Thailand there is still a mentality of 'you have to recite these facts(?!)'.

 

I have posted this story before; a while back I saw an interview with Lee Kwan Yew (spelling) where he was asked if he worried for Singapore's future in relation to its neighbor's larger size and superior natural resources. He just smiled and asked, "What are their education systems like?".

 

If a country wants to have a good future, it needs a good education system. Thailand doesn't have one. Period.

 

[greatwhitenorth]

how did they get a failing grade? I thought if you paid your tuition, you got a pass mark in this country

[Briggsy]

The Thai education system has 2 goals, one unstated and one euphemistically stated.

 

1. The huge education budget plus the uncounted and unaccounted parental contributions offer massive opportunity for self-enrichment. Those working in schools and the Ministry of Education target these budgets and opportunities for graft. (Unstated)

2. The Thai education system has been a battleground for decades between reactionary forces who wish to preserve the current power structure and progressive forces who wish to change it. The battlefield is usually control of the setting of the syllabus at primary and secondary levels. It occurs in the selection of the minister and top civil servants who favour one side or the other. This impacts greatly on some subjects such as history and social studies. It also leaves less time for more useful learning in the school timetable. (Euphemistically stated)

 

Any other priorities such as measuring of student progress, cognitive thinking, teacher training, monitoring of school performance is quashed by the 2 top priorities stated above.

 

I see no chance for change in the near future.

[leeneeds]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Athapol said there was a good chance of success if the teaching force was overhauled now, given that the average age of teachers had declined significantly and young people tended to be more ready to embrace reforms.

 

It was only the other month where they asked all retiring or retired teachers to come back to help fill in shortages, Lifting monies payed and lifting age requirement if those teachers who want to stay on working can do so, in their areas who have the skill to be a benefit for those that they teach,

[Lupatria]

With a majority of well educated citizen, there would hardly be a junta to run the show.

[Borzandy]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“It’s as if decision-makers do not know what to do or where to focus,”

Who can be surprised?

[djayz]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

but lacked the determination to implement

That just about sums up Thais in every aspect of life, be it education, law enforcement, etc. 

[AlphMichaels]

"Inefficient orchestra conductors" is giving them entirely too much credit.  Stupid is as stupid does - until those who think they know what they're doing (but don't) are no longer in positions to impact this, it will not change.  

[mikebell]

Control the colleges/Universities that take in unqualified/unsuitable candidates in the name of money.  The students contribute financially for four years and learn nothing.  They are then turned over to the scrum of job-seeking where unscrupulous local officials judge who will make the cut; unprincipled principals then take their turn at the trough.

[grumbleweed]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

After coming to power more than three years ago, the military-installed government has already named three education ministers.

 

Admiral Narong Pipatanasai was the first, followed by General Dapong Ratanasuwan and the latest incarnation is Teerakiat Jareonsettasin. 

So we've had an admiral and a general in charge of education.  Just a thought but what about appointing people who have some experience in the field of education?

[jenny2017]

"After coming to power more than three years ago, the military-installed government has already named three education ministers.

 

Admiral Narong Pipatanasai was the first, followed by General Dapong Ratanasuwan and the latest incarnation is Teerakiat Jareonsettasin." 

 

  Asean citizenship curricula was also superficial and quickly faded from use, he said, adding it had been replaced by the “Education 4.0” scheme intended to boost creativity and innovation, which required direct teaching as well as motivated students and teachers  

 

Student and teacher motivation was never important because motivated teachers would perform at a higher standard and be not able to inspire Kindergarten students to sleep more, he added. 

 

  

 

     

Edited December 25, 2017 by jenny2017

[JAG]

So we've had an admiral and a general in charge of education.  Just a thought but what about appointing people who have some experience in the field of education?

They went to school didn't they?

Sent from my KENNY using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[recom273]

38 minutes ago, leeneeds said:

It was only the other month where they asked all retiring or retired teachers to come back to help fill in shortages, Lifting monies payed and lifting age requirement if those teachers who want to stay on working can do so, in their areas who have the skill to be a benefit for those that they teach,

There are thousands of young teachers that can’t make the grade, the government entrance exam is unrealistic, as far as I know - they need to know about the history of scouting and how to teach traditional Thai values not how to use modern teaching method in the classroom.

 

So instead of pushing ahead with education reforms they put the gear shift in reverse and pay retired teachers to come back and fill seats, perpetuating the cycle. 

 

Thai education needs massive reform, not just photo opportunities. 

[Ossy]

How happy are the education top-dogs that Thailand is currently at no 54 out of the 70 'developed' nations measured?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_rankings_of_Thailand#Education

 

The international measures speak for themselves and, if you're interested or concerned at the country's abysmal record, separate rankings for Maths, Science and Reading are as under:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment

 

For a country that, for want of a better word, boasts long-established universities by the dozen and that has probably the highest admin to teaching staff ratio, where is the system going wrong. Is it (A) lacking in academic standards when it comes to teacher training? Or is it (B) just typical lousy Thai management from the top, down, that is failing to communicate 'the knowledge', down through the system, first at the Professor/graduate teacher-training level and then at the teacher/pupil level, throughout the nation's well-developed infrastructure of primary and secondary schools. Or maybe it's (C), an ill-equipped or ill-motivated teacher assessment system. Does the system have enough suitably-qualified school inspectors to be 'buzzing' around the country, keeping the teachers and school directors on their toes and weeding out - and sacking - all those who aren't busting a gut to get the education syllabus into the heads of the kids.

 

Unless Education Minister no.3 makes some real effort to tackle the deficiency, he will see the international rating fall even lower, next year.

Edited December 25, 2017 by Ossy
clarity

[phetpeter]

Why help embrace and offer to increase and develop learning when we are promised a decent pay year after year and each year refused due to budget all used and it up to the government to pay, plus offered are refused and they believe that offering only 1 year contract gets round pay increases and would require going through labour office to get pay due to continued employment. and so you also fall in line with the attitude of the state teachers and just tick along, so sad really, because there is so much many teachers could do and help improve, But the rewards are not given and I sit in regular meetings seeing the money go on cake and coffee which is mandatory for all meetings to which there are a lot!  The larger education facilities have buckets of cash really all wasted on unnecessary projects, and events, and disappearing into pockets and departments, that show no sound results on its spending.

[miamiman123]

IF you only knew! We can’t make everyone smart...because then who would run the food stalls and 7-11’s? And there’s not enough room at the top for more smart bankers or politicians! 

IF you only knew! 

[wvavin]

How to have good education in Thailand where there are these teachers themselves have no clues as to what the rest of the world are doing?

[Ossy]

29 minutes ago, phetpeter said:

Why help embrace and offer to increase and develop learning when we are promised a decent pay year after year and each year refused due to budget all used and it up to the government to pay, plus offered are refused and they believe that offering only 1 year contract gets round pay increases and would require going through labour office to get pay due to continued employment. and so you also fall in line with the attitude of the state teachers and just tick along, so sad really, because there is so much many teachers could do and help improve, But the rewards are not given and I sit in regular meetings seeing the money go on cake and coffee which is mandatory for all meetings to which there are a lot!  The larger education facilities have buckets of cash really all wasted on unnecessary projects, and events, and disappearing into pockets and departments, that show no sound results on its spending.

So good to hear from a 'real' teacher in T, as opposed to me ranting as an ex teacher in UK! From the above, you make it sound like the biggest drawback is a lack of teacher effort due to pay frustrations. Is the typical teacher still on about 30K per month? What sort of pay deal are they after that might make them change up a gear when it comes to what the kids have learned during a typical 8hrs at school?

[Ossy]

14 minutes ago, wvavin said:

How to have good education in Thailand where there are these teachers themselves have no clues as to what the rest of the world are doing?

So how come the teacher-training system doesn't guarantee against that key failing? After a 3 or 4yr T-T course at a Uni that takes a pride in its output, how can there be this high proportion of 'bad attitude' teachers? Any idea? It really does bug me that the Thai ed system is so clearly failing to perform.

[TEFLKrabi]

31 minutes ago, miamiman123 said:

IF you only knew! We can’t make everyone smart...because then who would run the food stalls and 7-11’s? And there’s not enough room at the top for more smart bankers or politicians! 

IF you only knew! 

But it’s everyone’s right to have access to good education, wherever you live in the world. Most of the younger teachers I know are motivated and want to help but are held back by those running the schools and education departments. A good start would be to look at other countries that have turned it around, such as Vietnam, and elicit some advice. It’s possible to change but will take a generation. 

[ice4351]

As a retired educator from the USA, I would love to be able to sit down with the powers to be in Thailand and have a discussion on how to improve the education system.  Who could I contact?

[Ossy]

4 minutes ago, TEFLKrabi said:

but are held back by those running the schools and education departments

'Held back' . . . how? Are you suggesting that school directors are on a different agenda to the rest of the world of education? It's hard to believe that, as you suggest, there is energy and ability literally champing at the bit to help produce brighter kids. How can school bosses and ed. depts. be putting the brakes on such teacher resources?

[Ossy]

4 minutes ago, ice4351 said:

As a retired educator from the USA, I would love to be able to sit down with the powers to be in Thailand and have a discussion on how to improve the education system.  Who could I contact?

 . . . my feelings, exactly! Frustrating, ain't it . . . oops, sorry, sir!

[Sydebolle]

I am surprised there is a "falling" element in the statement as I - for one - thought that the Thai education system had hit rock bottom decades ago already 

[thaiguzzi]

And there you have it.

1st education minister was an Admiral.

2nd minister a General...

Cretins, the lot of 'em.

Makes me weep what this lot are doing to this country...

[janpharma]

As long  as the system allows incapable individuals to buy themselves in a job as a teacher it will never improve.

[Curmudgeon1]

4 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

 

"It’s as if decision-makers do not know what to do"

 

I think that this one sentence is an excellent summary of the article and of the entire Thai education system. I recall a while back that Thai students failed seven out of eight of their core subjects in standardized testing, and the only subject that a majority of Thai students didn't fail was Thai language.

 

Normally, I argue that public policy problems are complex and require great thought and nuance to achieve a workable solution. However, in the case of the Thai education system, I would advocate a "chain saw" approach, specifically to the Ministry of Education. If I had Article 44 at my disposal (God forbid!), I would fire the top 100 people at the Ministry immediately. Today. "Attention senior officials of the Ministry of Education! Pack up your crap and go, you are out of here.". These leaders, and their immediate subordinates, have created a system that does not work and I do not believe that they have the capacity to fix it. So, out they go!

 

In this modern age where there is great upheaval and rapid change, the focus in an education system should be how to solve problems, how to analyze, how to adapt, and how to overcome difficulties. Unfortunately, in Thailand there is still a mentality of 'you have to recite these facts(?!)'.

 

I have posted this story before; a while back I saw an interview with Lee Kwan Yew (spelling) where he was asked if he worried for Singapore's future in relation to its neighbor's larger size and superior natural resources. He just smiled and asked, "What are their education systems like?".

 

If a country wants to have a good future, it needs a good education system. Thailand doesn't have one. Period.

 

Exactly 

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, ice4351 said:

As a retired educator from the USA, I would love to be able to sit down with the powers to be in Thailand and have a discussion on how to improve the education system.  Who could I contact?

What are your qualifications as a educator?