Thai Immigration Cracks Down On Foreign Teachers

[farang prince]

corrupt is spelled with 2 "r"s. Perhaps, that is why we need more professional teachers?

Unfortunalty Thailand is a corupt country, so with a corupt country come corupt rules, peolpe, teachers corupt anything for that matter! but thats everywhere in the world, the only thing that i can see to make things better is beefing up the TEFL ,and making new recruits pass a test, exam, and training course all in one in order to satisfy everyone.

Ouch! Well spotted! Probably 'ffatt finngerr syndrome!' And, some teachers I know deliberately put in mistakes, as a 'motivating' factor for their lessons!

Spellink as a gauge of intelegence is the crutch of a weak mind. It cracks me up when I see this one. Many of the peeple I know who are very riche can't spall and yet they are still very rich.

Then you must be very rich, Pap.

[booma]

Having read many of the postings on this thread, some of which are very poorly written (I hope the guilty are not teaching), I just want to ask one question.

WHY DOES BEING IN POSSESSION OF A DEGREE STOP YOU BEING UNDESIRABLE, I"M CERTAIN THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN ENGLISH PRISONS WHO HAVE SUCH A QUAIFICATION, GEOFFRY ARCHER IS ONE EX-CON WHO SPRINGS TO MIND?

A police background check is, surely, the best way to defeat this problem, but then not all 'undesireables' have been convicted of any wrong doing!

The bottom line should be that if there is a bad teacher in a school, fake documents or not, the school should use it's power of dismissal!

[CrazyFrog]

What will happen if all Farang teachers stop to teach in Thailand?

What all Thai students will think and say when they will get in a classroom without a teacher?

I think that it should go that way to have the voice of the Thai population and not just the one from the authorities.

How can you compare a Thai University degree with one from Canada as example?

Thai with Bachelor Degree is equal to Grade 5 of secondary School!

No one will enjoy to pay more than 15000 CAD for a University Degree diploma!

My opinion is to built a strong International Teachers Association to help the Thai Authorities to see clear about this situation.

Those who will represent All International Teachers will have to bring on the table that a Governmental Teaching Test has to be create to make the selection.

This test can be the best solution and equal for every country!

They can't require something that it's not equal at all all around the world!

You wanna teach? Ok!

Police verification abroad

Teaching Test

And you're in!

That's fair!

I think that all the decisions that Thai Immigration is taking is that they don't like to see so many Farangs enjoying life here and probably have a better quality of Life than them.

I can understand them!

But to work together is just positive for the future of Thailand!

If the problem is all the backpackers who's on party all the time, those who made criminal acts abroad and come spend or invest in Thailand, Thai authorities just have to require that all travellers who wanna come in Thailand need a clean criminal record, many problems and images will be resolved.

Edited February 1, 2007 by CrazyFrog

[old wanderer]

Boy....what a bunch of crap to read through......

1. Having a degree shows some discipline in achiving a goal and having been exposed to some form of discipline, (scientific, education, social...etc.). I like degrees.

2. Being able to teach is a completely different set of criteria.

I am an instructor for Boeing Aircraft. For the past 10 years I have traveled the world teaching all sorts of students.

At times I have tried to get knowledgeable people to share their expertize. In many cases I had to translate so the class could understand what they were being told...Not the language but the ideas or concepts that were being presented by a degreed, knowledgeable person that was an expert in a certain field, but lacked the experience to transfer the knowledge to the students.

Teaching and how to teach is something some people have and others regardless of the education or training will never be very successful at. Others you can teach how to teach and grasp the ideas, some people are just naturals.

When a person attends a TEFL/TESL class the ideas are presented on how to accomplish the task, it does not guarantee the student can perform the tasks. You are not tested on your abilities, only a multiple question exam.

I could set any person posting on this board in my class on how to fly or maintain the Boeing 777, but until you get hands on training, and gather experience, you will fail. Practice is essential.

In todays schools in Thailand I see the results of these English classes, and 98% are failures due to the lack of subject matter knowledge by the instructor, or the ability of the instructor to communicate the subject to the student.

While the vast majority of you disparage the idea of a degree, who in life that wants to archive a mid to high level of success does not attend a college? Certainly there are exceptions of those talented people that drop out (i.e. Bill Gates) , they are the exception rather than the norm.

I put myself through a top private university street racing and taking exams at the state university for students in order to pay my tuiton. I collected a drawer full of licenses and certificates, so I feel somewhat qualified to criticize the attitudes that many have taken about teaching here in Thailand.

As for Thailand ....well you get what you pay for. (usually).

Edited February 1, 2007 by old wanderer

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Boy....what a bunch of crap to read through......

Spot on! Most astute post so far!! (apart from my ones - of course!)

[CharleyChips]

so my big plan to teach English in Thailand for a year could be over!! I have no degree altough am of sound nature and back ground. I have been dreaming of teaching since I last visited Thailand a year ago, have made some vast changes in my life to do so and now this!!! I understand there are some very nasty types who are about and yes, tougher and better regulations should be presented. A TEFL study and qualification should be enough if its managed correctly. Police checks on the likes of me wishing to teach should be done before I travel or apply for the position, I would have know problem with this what so ever as I have nothing to hide! I feel gutted!! I understand the reason to want a higher standard of teacher, it's only fair on those being taught but a degree does not mean this what so ever. It should be down to ones attitude, experience and ability, in any given job, in any country. I have alot to give and know I am more than able. Since I returned from visiting Thailand last year, I have helped to teach English to Thais visiting England in my free time (unqualified). This has helped me gain a good taster of things to come. I have spent money and time investing in books and relivant matterials in preparation for my year out. My Thai students have all made amazing head way in understanding English and they intern have helped me learn the Thai language. To be honest, I can't really see me now wanting to take time out to gain a degree just to qualify as a 'good person' in order to teach English, I can however argue my case and educate the local authorities that I can do an excellent job in teaching, but will they show any latitude?

Help anyone, please? really am most sad by this new rule, any advice would be most welcome, thank you.

"FOREIGN TEACHERS" CREDENTIALS TO BE CHECKED

To obtain a work permit to work legally in Thailand for a year, one of the requirements is to have a university degree, which needless to say, few foreign aspirant teachers have. Most of the reputable international schools recruit abroad, requiring high qualifications and experience, performing stringent background checks of their potential employees in the process. However, the vast majority of foreign teachers teach in local language schools or Thai government schools where screening and requirements are not so strict.

For foreign aspirant teachers, the base requirement is a TEFL certificate. Following attendance on TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses run by local providers, (some of which leave much to be desired), the aspirant teachers, only partly qualified, need to further obtain false degrees in order to satisfy local regulations, especially those to relating to work permits. These false degrees are most often obtained from such places as the Kao Sarn Road.

This is a current loophole in the Thai recruitment regulations, which has allowed pedophiles, radically under-qualified individuals and other undesirables to teach in Thai schools. Some of these teachers have even been known to commit crimes against the students. Accordingly, the Thai authorities are keen to remedy the situation.

In order to correlate procedures and rectify current discrepancies, Pattaya Immigration set up a conference with the principals of international schools on 26th January at 10 am at the office of the Pattaya Immigration Authority.

Pattaya Immigration have especially requested the aid of the international schools in Chonburi Province to bring their recruitment procedures into line by checking on foreign teachers’ credentials with the supposed issuing authority.

At the conference, the Director, Police General Aithipol Aithisaranachai, advised the schools and other interested individuals on new screening methods, including recently amended accreditation procedures, outlined in the Thai Education Authority Regulation 606/2549 dated 8th September 2006, which was introduced on 1st October 2006.

On a recent check of credentials, 60 teachers from all Thai international schools nationwide were found to be in possession of false documentation, which is a deportable offence.

-- Pattayadailynews.com 2007-01-30