Graduate Diploma in Teaching

[SlyAnimal]

Any recommendations on universities in Thailand that offer a graduate diploma in teaching or similar?  (I.e. a 1 year course, in English, that would provide me with a full teaching license at the conclusion).

I'm not looking for something online, more looking for classes that I can attend and learn from etc.  I had one recommended to me by a colleague, but their course didn't start this term due to a lack of numbers.  If I'm going to do some study then I'll want to commit to it, so am hoping to get a few institutions that I can communicate with so that if one falls through I'd have a backup.

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by SlyAnimal

[allane]

Check with Ramkhamhaeng Univ. in Bangkok. No personal experience, but 10 yrs.ago, a then colleague did something there.

[aidenai]

1.  Nottingham PGCEi (UK, online & F2F)

2. Framingham State U. M.Ed. (US, online & F2F)

3.  St. Roberts/IFUGAO/PCU Grad Dip.Teaching (PH, online & F2F)

4. St. Theresa Grad. Dip. in Teaching (PH, F2F)

Edited July 10, 2018 by aidenai

[BobbyL]

If you're going to commit to something worthwhile to improve your career then definitely do the Nottingham or Sunderland PGCEi (yes, they are mostly online).

 

I know a few people who have done them over recent years and all ended up in decent schools on good money. 

 

Any of the Thai or Filipino ones wouldn't be accepted at decent places and not improve your career or salary. If that doesn't bother you then I would assume they are a piece of p*** to complete. 

[My Thai Life]

The Nottingham education faculty is one of the most highly rated in the world, but the PGCE(i) does not give you qualified teacher status in the UK or here. It does, however, have a Thai start in October, and will give you a preferred status, though not QTS. 

 

You've raised this question in different forms several times over the years. 

 

If you don't want to go back to NZ to get QTS, why not work for a language school here rather than a government school (I think I can guess the answer, but a bit of devil's advocacy may help)?

 

 

[aidenai]

 
You've raised this question in different forms several times over the years. 
 

Completely agreed on.
@Slyanimal, if you would have followed your own advices you gave to members of this forum when you were a moderator, you would have obtained a Grad. Dip. Ed, Grad. Dip. T.P., or PGCE(i), perhaps 3 years ago.

Shame on you. Just saying.

[SlyAnimal]

10 hours ago, aidenai said:

 

Completely agreed on.
@Slyanimal, if you would have followed your own advices you gave to members of this forum when you were a moderator, you would have obtained a Grad. Dip. Ed, Grad. Dip. T.P., or PGCE(i), perhaps 3 years ago.

Shame on you. Just saying.

 

And you're a self inflated, condescending know it all.  Just saying ?

 

Why would I have taken the effort/cost to study for a GradDip in the past?  I've only taught for 1 year in the past 4 (Hence why you probably haven't seen me on Thaivisa much).

Besides, I had half of the teaching licence exams finished, and was hearing about Thai teachers doing seminars to complete this pathway to their full licence.  Surely if the government was offering these to Thai teachers, they'd also offer them to foreign teachers in English right?

Except they didn't, at least not that I could find.

But even then, my Thai is pretty good, so I attended one of the Thai seminars at a Rajabhat University.  A lot of the vocabulary was academic, and it was going to require a lot of additional study in the evenings to learn the new vocab, but having an excuse to learn more Thai was half the reason I signed up anyway.

Except Krusapa advised the Rajabhat that they wouldn't give credit to foreigners for the seminars, even if I passed the same tests etc at the end as the Thai teachers.

But even then, a teacher's licence shouldn't really be that important anyway.  Work permits had been issued to other teachers at my school, who didn't have degrees or teacher's licences, every year for the past 5+ years.  They didn't stand up to the examination of immigration for the extension of Non-B visas, but I'm on a marriage extension these days so could join the club.

Except that the teacher who organized them transferred to another school, and the new teachers organizing work permits can only do so if the teacher has a licence.

But even then, that isn't a problem because I've only used my 2nd waiver, so still have a 3rd remaining.  The only caveat to that is that if I use it, I'll finally need to do some study within the next 2 years.  The only question that remains now is where to study, and when (Since I shouldn't "need" to take my 3rd waiver straight away, I can simply wait until I'm ready to study).

Which is why I've come here to ask about institutions, it isn't the first time I've done so during the almost 10 years I've been using Thaivisa, and it won't necessarily be the last either, but as time progresses more information becomes available, more institutions open courses for foreigners, particularly now with foreigners having to rely on a GradDip to get their full licence.

 

I never wanted to study via a university on the other side of the world, and especially not an online university with astronomical fees.  Studying online works for some people, but I know that face to face contact works better for me, so the Nottingham etc universities have always only been a fringe option for me.  If they were the University of Auckland, Waikato or Otago, then I'd have likely lept at the opportunity, but they aren't, and the aforementioned universities' online courses require some attendance in person.

Which is why I've been looking at alternatives, trying to find information about other available courses.  Now I know of 2 other institutions in Bangkok which offer teaching qualifications (St Teresa's & St Robert's), institutions I'd never heard of when I used to frequent TV years ago, maybe I'll hear of more soon too.  And so if it turns out that these institutions, or other institutions/options are better than the limited options I was aware of in the past, then waiting will have been in my best interests.

But hey, shame on me right?

[SlyAnimal]

14 hours ago, My Thai Life said:

If you don't want to go back to NZ to get QTS, why not work for a language school here rather than a government school (I think I can guess the answer, but a bit of devil's advocacy may help)?

 

 

I live in the countryside in Isaan, so there aren't any language schools nearby (And I wouldn't move just for a job, as my wife's family are here).

 

Plus I hate Bangkok lol, I lived there for a year while I was studying Thai, and have contemplated moving there for a year to do my GradDip or to possibly study something else, but wouldn't want to live there longterm.

[ozmeldo]

23 hours ago, SlyAnimal said:

I live in the countryside in Isaan, so there aren't any language schools nearby (And I wouldn't move just for a job, as my wife's family are here).

 

Plus I hate Bangkok lol, I lived there for a year while I was studying Thai, and have contemplated moving there for a year to do my GradDip or to possibly study something else, but wouldn't want to live there longterm.

Well, you have a problem then don't you? Beggars can't be choosers.

 

StR has a newish all online option but as many constantly post here - wondering if the school will be accepted at all for the full credential, this seems an even further stretch. Qualified programs must be in classroom or at worst, mixed. I don't see how this is approved, but that is my judgement. It may also take nearly two years from the time you sign up until the time you have your 'diploma' and transcripts in hand.Check former Jenny5000s posts and I have info that concurs.

 

I am not at all certain, you need to call St Roberts but I believe they have not held classes outside Bangkok for years, at least not on any consistent basis. If YOU get a bunch of 'teachers' together, they may make that effort to serve you.

 

From my experience, you will learn absolutely nothing at 'schools' that do not use westerners or HKG/SIN as teachers. For double the money, get a real degree that is internationally portable and you can be somewhat proud of. It opens China and Vietnam to you.

 

1.5-2 years for the paperwork.

Edited July 21, 2018 by ozmeldo

[My Thai Life]

I admire your tenacity Sly.

 

Increasingly the MoE is looking for teachers with QTS from their own country; it's quite possible that this will be mandatory in the future. Online courses, even from highly reputable unis, do not provide this (as I'm sure you know).

 

I've checked the St Theresa website - does it really provide a Thai TL license? or just a route to apply for one?

 

If you want to be future-proofed I'd still recommend going "home" and getting QTS. It will also open up a wider range of options, and provide access to higher level positions.

 

Whichever route you take, your career as a foreigner in the Thai government sector will be extremely limited.

 

Good luck one way or the other, you've always struck me as being one of the most genuine posters here.

 

 

[SlyAnimal]

Yeah Jenny5000 has contacted me with some info about their time spent studying at St Roberts.  This is probably my preferred option as I've settled down in Thailand (Thai wife + child + house etc), and am not too worried about a better qualification, I just want to have the option of teaching in my wife's hometown without the fear of being arrested lol.

When I first came to Thailand, and was unattached, I wanted to make teaching more of a career, to try and pursue the higher salaries etc.  However I just see it as a lifestyle job now, a job which fits in well with family life ? 

Edited July 21, 2018 by SlyAnimal

[youreavinalaff]

On 7/20/2018 at 9:39 AM, SlyAnimal said:

And you're a self inflated, condescending know it all.  Just saying ?

 

Why would I have taken the effort/cost to study for a GradDip in the past?  I've only taught for 1 year in the past 4 (Hence why you probably haven't seen me on Thaivisa much).

Besides, I had half of the teaching licence exams finished, and was hearing about Thai teachers doing seminars to complete this pathway to their full licence.  Surely if the government was offering these to Thai teachers, they'd also offer them to foreign teachers in English right?

Except they didn't, at least not that I could find.

But even then, my Thai is pretty good, so I attended one of the Thai seminars at a Rajabhat University.  A lot of the vocabulary was academic, and it was going to require a lot of additional study in the evenings to learn the new vocab, but having an excuse to learn more Thai was half the reason I signed up anyway.

Except Krusapa advised the Rajabhat that they wouldn't give credit to foreigners for the seminars, even if I passed the same tests etc at the end as the Thai teachers.

But even then, a teacher's licence shouldn't really be that important anyway.  Work permits had been issued to other teachers at my school, who didn't have degrees or teacher's licences, every year for the past 5+ years.  They didn't stand up to the examination of immigration for the extension of Non-B visas, but I'm on a marriage extension these days so could join the club.

Except that the teacher who organized them transferred to another school, and the new teachers organizing work permits can only do so if the teacher has a licence.

But even then, that isn't a problem because I've only used my 2nd waiver, so still have a 3rd remaining.  The only caveat to that is that if I use it, I'll finally need to do some study within the next 2 years.  The only question that remains now is where to study, and when (Since I shouldn't "need" to take my 3rd waiver straight away, I can simply wait until I'm ready to study).

Which is why I've come here to ask about institutions, it isn't the first time I've done so during the almost 10 years I've been using Thaivisa, and it won't necessarily be the last either, but as time progresses more information becomes available, more institutions open courses for foreigners, particularly now with foreigners having to rely on a GradDip to get their full licence.

 

I never wanted to study via a university on the other side of the world, and especially not an online university with astronomical fees.  Studying online works for some people, but I know that face to face contact works better for me, so the Nottingham etc universities have always only been a fringe option for me.  If they were the University of Auckland, Waikato or Otago, then I'd have likely lept at the opportunity, but they aren't, and the aforementioned universities' online courses require some attendance in person.

Which is why I've been looking at alternatives, trying to find information about other available courses.  Now I know of 2 other institutions in Bangkok which offer teaching qualifications (St Teresa's & St Robert's), institutions I'd never heard of when I used to frequent TV years ago, maybe I'll hear of more soon too.  And so if it turns out that these institutions, or other institutions/options are better than the limited options I was aware of in the past, then waiting will have been in my best interests.

But hey, shame on me right?

Why not just give up on the bureaucracy and b$@l#@t that is teaching in Thailand and go online? Better money and you can stay with your family.

[SlyAnimal]

22 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Why not just give up on the bureaucracy and b$@l#@t that is teaching in Thailand and go online? Better money and you can stay with your family.

 

The money is definitely handy, and that's what keeps me from quitting when I get frustrated, but I mainly teach as it's fun and a good way to get involved with the community.

[youreavinalaff]

23 minutes ago, SlyAnimal said:

 

The money is definitely handy, and that's what keeps me from quitting when I get frustrated, but I mainly teach as it's fun and a good way to get involved with the community.

Teaching students who want to learn is fun. Not too many of those in Thai schools. There are many ways to get involved in the local community.

[otherstuff1957]

On 7/21/2018 at 10:38 AM, My Thai Life said:

I admire your tenacity Sly.

 

Increasingly the MoE is looking for teachers with QTS from their own country; it's quite possible that this will be mandatory in the future. Online courses, even from highly reputable unis, do not provide this (as I'm sure you know).

 

I've checked the St Theresa website - does it really provide a Thai TL license? or just a route to apply for one?

 

If you want to be future-proofed I'd still recommend going "home" and getting QTS. It will also open up a wider range of options, and provide access to higher level positions.

 

Whichever route you take, your career as a foreigner in the Thai government sector will be extremely limited.

 

Good luck one way or the other, you've always struck me as being one of the most genuine posters here.

 

 

Regarding the underlined question, none of the PGCE or Grad Dip courses provide a TCT license, they all allow you to apply for one.  The ones that Aidenai posted are currently offered and are currently accepted by the TCT.  I don't know anyone who has taken the St. Theresa course, but I do know people who have taken all of the others and now have licenses.

 

If I was younger - say 45 or under - I would take the Nottingham or Framingham, as they are overseas universities and will be accepted in other countries.  Because I am older, I took the St. Roberts course and now have a TCT teacher's license which allows me to teach and renew my visa without any worries.

Edited July 22, 2018 by otherstuff1957

[Andrew108]

Has anyone here taken the St. Theresa course?

[My Thai Life]

Thats interesting info OS1957.

 

Just a point of clarification: are you saying that the Nottingham PGCE(i) will obtain a Thai teaching license from TCT, or simply a waiver?

 

The PGCE(i) doesn't confer UK QTS (qualified teacher status), so I'd be very surprised if TCT would provide a Thai teacher license on the basis of the PGCE(i) alone. But then I'm often pleasantly surprised!

 

Like you, there are several online certs/dips/MAs  I've been thinking about doing just for fun and interest really, despite the fact that I did my master's decades ago. But I just don’t have the time.

[jenny2017]

On 7/10/2018 at 2:07 PM, aidenai said:

1.  Nottingham PGCEi (UK, online & F2F)

2. Framingham State U. M.Ed. (US, online & F2F)

3.  St. Roberts/IFUGAO/PCU Grad Dip.Teaching (PH, online & F2F)

4. St. Theresa Grad. Dip. in Teaching (PH, F2F)

     5. Become Prayut's trainer.

 

     

 

 

[jenny2017]

On 7/20/2018 at 9:39 AM, SlyAnimal said:

And you're a self inflated, condescending know it all.  Just saying ?

 

Why would I have taken the effort/cost to study for a GradDip in the past?  I've only taught for 1 year in the past 4 (Hence why you probably haven't seen me on Thaivisa much).

Besides, I had half of the teaching licence exams finished, and was hearing about Thai teachers doing seminars to complete this pathway to their full licence.  Surely if the government was offering these to Thai teachers, they'd also offer them to foreign teachers in English right?

Except they didn't, at least not that I could find.

But even then, my Thai is pretty good, so I attended one of the Thai seminars at a Rajabhat University.  A lot of the vocabulary was academic, and it was going to require a lot of additional study in the evenings to learn the new vocab, but having an excuse to learn more Thai was half the reason I signed up anyway.

Except Krusapa advised the Rajabhat that they wouldn't give credit to foreigners for the seminars, even if I passed the same tests etc at the end as the Thai teachers.

But even then, a teacher's licence shouldn't really be that important anyway.  Work permits had been issued to other teachers at my school, who didn't have degrees or teacher's licences, every year for the past 5+ years.  They didn't stand up to the examination of immigration for the extension of Non-B visas, but I'm on a marriage extension these days so could join the club.

Except that the teacher who organized them transferred to another school, and the new teachers organizing work permits can only do so if the teacher has a licence.

But even then, that isn't a problem because I've only used my 2nd waiver, so still have a 3rd remaining.  The only caveat to that is that if I use it, I'll finally need to do some study within the next 2 years.  The only question that remains now is where to study, and when (Since I shouldn't "need" to take my 3rd waiver straight away, I can simply wait until I'm ready to study).

Which is why I've come here to ask about institutions, it isn't the first time I've done so during the almost 10 years I've been using Thaivisa, and it won't necessarily be the last either, but as time progresses more information becomes available, more institutions open courses for foreigners, particularly now with foreigners having to rely on a GradDip to get their full licence.

 

I never wanted to study via a university on the other side of the world, and especially not an online university with astronomical fees.  Studying online works for some people, but I know that face to face contact works better for me, so the Nottingham etc universities have always only been a fringe option for me.  If they were the University of Auckland, Waikato or Otago, then I'd have likely lept at the opportunity, but they aren't, and the aforementioned universities' online courses require some attendance in person.

Which is why I've been looking at alternatives, trying to find information about other available courses.  Now I know of 2 other institutions in Bangkok which offer teaching qualifications (St Teresa's & St Robert's), institutions I'd never heard of when I used to frequent TV years ago, maybe I'll hear of more soon too.  And so if it turns out that these institutions, or other institutions/options are better than the limited options I was aware of in the past, then waiting will have been in my best interests.

But hey, shame on me right?

 

  http://thailandteaching.thai-forum.net/f3-teacher-licencing Please see, there's all information you'll need. 

[jenny2017]

On 7/21/2018 at 10:38 AM, My Thai Life said:

I admire your tenacity Sly.

 

Increasingly the MoE is looking for teachers with QTS from their own country; it's quite possible that this will be mandatory in the future. Online courses, even from highly reputable unis, do not provide this (as I'm sure you know).

 

I've checked the St Theresa website - does it really provide a Thai TL license? or just a route to apply for one?

 

If you want to be future-proofed I'd still recommend going "home" and getting QTS. It will also open up a wider range of options, and provide access to higher level positions.

 

Whichever route you take, your career as a foreigner in the Thai government sector will be extremely limited.

 

Good luck one way or the other, you've always struck me as being one of the most genuine posters here.

 

 

 

I can assure you that these courses, for example, a Diploma in teacher education will get you the full license. Sad is, that so many Africans and Asians who don't know much about English, now not even talking about educational, pedagogical, or psychological skills, are already applying for jobs everywhere and their chances are much better to land a job than Sly's chances currently are.

 

  The times are over when it was enough to be an NES, almost all Filipinos have their license even when a lot of them used improper documents to get there. Licking shoes and calling all Ajarn seems to work well. You'll find all the information on this website:

http://thailandteaching.thai-forum.net/f3-teacher-licencing.

 

   How many more years do you want to wait to start, Sly? My neighbour is a high cop who also works with Immigration when they go hunting for foreigners. They are dead serious and they won't accept a sorry, I'll apply for a Diploma in TE soon. Don't you understand that you should wake up and do something now?

 

  I'm telling you that as a friend, otherwise, I wouldn't care what happens to you. Whatever you decide, do it now, you've got family. 

 

  

[My Thai Life]

Jenny, the PGCE(i) is not a diploma, it's a certificate. It does not confer QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) in the UK, but as I said before, I'd be pleasantly surprised to find that it automatically obtains QTS, ie a Teacher's License, in Thailand. It's not possible to obtain UK QTS via any UK distance-learning course. I cannot comment on the US online courses generally, but the few I do know about do not confer QTS either (even at MA level), or the English language diplomas in Thailand.

 

If anyone has obtained a Thai Teacher's Licence via any of these qualifications, it would be interesting to hear what the process was - I am sure it would be valuable info for many people here.

 

My final point was that increasingly the MoE is looking for QTS level qualifications from the foreigners' home countries - I can understand this, as it would provide nominal parity with Thai teachers, though I don't necessarily agree with it. My recent conversations with the MoE suggest that this trend is likely to continue, hence my comment about future-proofing. As we all know, the required qualifications for a foreign government-school teacher here are a moving target, and have been for a while: QTS from home countries will fix this once and for all in my humble opinion, which is consistent with the info in your link regarding necessary qualifications as of a year ago (a year from now will be another story I'm sure!):

 

2. Have academic qualifications in one of the following:
(a) Have a degree in education or its equivalent
(b) Have a degree in another field and a teaching license from another country
(c) Have a degree in another field and a graduate diploma in teaching profession with 1 year of
course study
(d) Have a degree in another field and have passed other professional certification in accordance

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2018 by My Thai Life

[My Thai Life]

The irony is that most people with home-country QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) would probably opt for the private sector anyway!

 

It's a kind of double catch 22 which doesn't favour the aspiring teachers or the government schools, but that's a different story.

[otherstuff1957]

On 7/22/2018 at 7:08 PM, My Thai Life said:

Jenny, the PGCE(i) is not a diploma, it's a certificate. It does not confer QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) in the UK, but as I said before, I'd be pleasantly surprised to find that it automatically obtains QTS, ie a Teacher's License, in Thailand. It's not possible to obtain UK QTS via any UK distance-learning course. I cannot comment on the US online courses generally, but the few I do know about do not confer QTS either (even at MA level), or the English language diplomas in Thailand.

 

If anyone has obtained a Thai Teacher's Licence via any of these qualifications, it would be interesting to hear what the process was - I am sure it would be valuable info for many people here.

 

My final point was that increasingly the MoE is looking for QTS level qualifications from the foreigners' home countries - I can understand this, as it would provide nominal parity with Thai teachers, though I don't necessarily agree with it. My recent conversations with the MoE suggest that this trend is likely to continue, hence my comment about future-proofing. As we all know, the required qualifications for a foreign government-school teacher here are a moving target, and have been for a while: QTS from home countries will fix this once and for all in my humble opinion, which is consistent with the info in your link regarding necessary qualifications as of a year ago (a year from now will be another story I'm sure!):

 

2. Have academic qualifications in one of the following:
(a) Have a degree in education or its equivalent
(b) Have a degree in another field and a teaching license from another country
(c) Have a degree in another field and a graduate diploma in teaching profession with 1 year of
course study
(d) Have a degree in another field and have passed other professional certification in accordance

 

 

 

 

Any of the degrees/diplomas/certificates that Aidenai mentioned in his post will get you a Teacher's license from the TCT.  I have a license with the Grad. Diploma from St. Roberts, the fellow sitting next to me has a Teacher's license with a Nottingham PGCEi and another friend is working on an MEd from Framingham.

In addition to the degree/diploma/certificate, you will need to have been employed at a Thai school for at least one year (365 days, not May to March), have a current Visa and Work permit and other requirements that I will copy and past from my application instructions:

 

Original of Professional Experience Evaluation Form
- The evaluator group must be between 3 and 5 people. These people must include
an educational institution administrator, a teacher in the institution, or other related
persons (e.g. educational supervisor or specialist in learning management).
These persons will evaluate together as a group.
- This form must be completed and signed by all evaluators; including attached with
photocopies of their current professional licenses that are certified as true copies of
the original.

 

(In other words, the department heads and teachers at you school have to fill out a form saying that you are a competent teacher)

 

Copy of the applicant’s passport, particularly the photo page and the latest update
current school NON-B Visa
- In case of holding visa type “NON-O”, please attach a copy of individual official documents
having relationship with Thai people such as birth certificate, marriage certificate or other
related documents.).

 

And other stuff about certifying degrees and transcripts and not smiling in the pictures and so on.

[Slip]

11 minutes ago, otherstuff1957 said:

Any of the degrees/diplomas/certificates that Aidenai mentioned in his post will get you a Teacher's license from the TCT.  I have a license with the Grad. Diploma from St. Roberts, the fellow sitting next to me has a Teacher's license with a Nottingham PGCEi and another friend is working on an MEd from Framingham.

In addition to the degree/diploma/certificate, you will need to have been employed at a Thai school for at least one year (365 days, not May to March), have a current Visa and Work permit and other requirements that I will copy and past from my application instructions:

 

Original of Professional Experience Evaluation Form
- The evaluator group must be between 3 and 5 people. These people must include
an educational institution administrator, a teacher in the institution, or other related
persons (e.g. educational supervisor or specialist in learning management).
These persons will evaluate together as a group.
- This form must be completed and signed by all evaluators; including attached with
photocopies of their current professional licenses that are certified as true copies of
the original.

 

(In other words, the department heads and teachers at you school have to fill out a form saying that you are a competent teacher)

 

Copy of the applicant’s passport, particularly the photo page and the latest update
current school NON-B Visa
- In case of holding visa type “NON-O”, please attach a copy of individual official documents
having relationship with Thai people such as birth certificate, marriage certificate or other
related documents.).

 

And other stuff about certifying degrees and transcripts and not smiling in the pictures and so on.

To add- I know a teacher who has the Sunderland pgce(i) who has a licence, and one St Roberts diploma applying now with another in a a few weeks.  The admin is not expecting any problems whatsoever.

[My Thai Life]

Useful info Otherstuff & Slip. I'm in the private sector, but I've been following the developments in government school foreign teacher qualification requirements for the last few years.

 

The changes have been incredible, with the MoE moving increasingly in the direction of requiring foreign teachers to have the equivalent of a Teaching License from their home countries, "QTS" as it's known in the UK. I guess it's quite conceivable that the MoE will go that final step and insist that foreign government school teachers must be home country QTS qualified,  a small step compared with some of the other changes over the last few years. 

 

 

[Slip]

On 7/22/2018 at 7:08 PM, My Thai Life said:

Jenny, the PGCE(i) is not a diploma, it's a certificate. It does not confer QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) in the UK, but as I said before, I'd be pleasantly surprised to find that it automatically obtains QTS, ie a Teacher's License, in Thailand. It's not possible to obtain UK QTS via any UK distance-learning course. I cannot comment on the US online courses generally, but the few I do know about do not confer QTS either (even at MA level), or the English language diplomas in Thailand.

 

If anyone has obtained a Thai Teacher's Licence via any of these qualifications, it would be interesting to hear what the process was - I am sure it would be valuable info for many people here.

 

My final point was that increasingly the MoE is looking for QTS level qualifications from the foreigners' home countries - I can understand this, as it would provide nominal parity with Thai teachers, though I don't necessarily agree with it. My recent conversations with the MoE suggest that this trend is likely to continue, hence my comment about future-proofing. As we all know, the required qualifications for a foreign government-school teacher here are a moving target, and have been for a while: QTS from home countries will fix this once and for all in my humble opinion, which is consistent with the info in your link regarding necessary qualifications as of a year ago (a year from now will be another story I'm sure!):

 

2. Have academic qualifications in one of the following:
(a) Have a degree in education or its equivalent
(b) Have a degree in another field and a teaching license from another country
(c) Have a degree in another field and a graduate diploma in teaching profession with 1 year of
course study
(d) Have a degree in another field and have passed other professional certification in accordance

 

 

 

 

I would say that the qualifications being discussed are covered under either (c) or (d)- The renewal forms for the licences are just as bad with seemingly overlapping categories. (As an off topic heads up- for renewals now you cannot have the same category of OPD for your 3 pieces of evidence like you used to, according to the school admin who did it on my behalf.) For a long time people were saying that the PGCE(i)s were not going to be recognised, but from what you hear on the grapevine it seems that they are.  As you say that could all change tomorrow.