Educational Development At National Level Should Focus On Innovative Thinking

[Jai Dee]

Educational Development at national level should focus on innovative thinking

Education Minister Wichit Srisa-arn (วิจิตร ศรีสอ้าน) indicated that setting up direction of the national education development should emphasize on creating innovative ideas.

Prof. Dr. Wichit presided over the meeting to lay down groundworks of the national education development. The matter will be forwarded to the 10th National Economic and Social Development. He said that the new era of the national education must not adhere to traditional methods.

Right education will not only develop human resources but also improve innovative thinking. In addition, education must create good social examples and analyze problems from its root causes. All educational solutions must be practical.

Prof. Dr. Wichit has instructed that long-term education development needs to be consistent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 Febuary 2007

[ovenman]

Educational Development at national level should focus on innovative thinking

It should, but does anybody honestly think that in Thailand it will any time in the near to not-too-distant future?

[thedude]

somehow i doubt that innovative thinking is the most pressing problem with thai education. they should work on a sound and executable long term road map that everyone sticks to.

[manjara]

I remember a class in my days at school in Scotland called 'Music Appreciation'.

'Appreciate!!' the teacher told us, in a very demanding tone when we were listening to Bach or Beethoven.

Just because you tell someone to do something, doesn't mean it happens....

Innovation implies a cultural change....can't see that happening any time soon.

[cclub75]

In order to create "innovative ideas", you need the ability to... assess, and possibly criticize, other ideas.

That's a basic principle.

And that's a whole other issue in Thailand...

Anyway, we can give him credit when he says : "the new era of the national education must not adhere to traditional methods."

[ColPyat]

somehow i doubt that innovative thinking is the most pressing problem with thai education. they should work on a sound and executable long term road map that everyone sticks to.

I think your criticism is a bit misplaced here, as we have executed a long term road map since ages.

And subsequent governments have all stuck to it very well: make speaches about educational reforms aiming at innovative thinking, and then continue the way how things used to be.

And only a few years ago we had a huge innovation in the educational system anyhow - no more corporal punishment. I think it is still the time to congratulate oneself over this revolution in education, and not just come straight with more novel ideas before we have not formed a committee of inquiry to investigate the effects of the latest reform.

[mark lamai]

IMHO

the essential item missing in school education is learning THINKING.

generally Thai people are not good thinkers, problem solvers or understand a logical train of thought.

this of course helps the powers that rule to stay in power,

i believe they have no interest in having an educated thinking voting public.

aside:

a few years ago thousands of thai students were IQ tested,

western method i think, so allow for cultural bias in the test,

the average score was 81 (80-100 is the "normal" range)

recently another gov official expressed concern that students IQ was going down,

well that would put it in embarrassing territory.

in schools you see it,

up to grade 5 or 6 they are bright and quick,

by the grade 10 or more, the brains have been given a sleeping drug.

(yes, i have taught in Thai schools and in Aus schools)

hypothesis:

99% of all problems in Thailand are the result of the lack of good thinking.

(oiiiii my brain hurt now)

[Mid]

starting with the three R's would help ....................

[alexth]

Educational Development at national level should focus on innovative thinking

Educational Development at national level should focus on thinking. Full stop.

[chownah]

Mark lamai....you hit the nail right on the head exactly .....first they need to teach just plain old thinking......because really they don't.....they teach memorization and regurgitation....at least from what I have seen of the educational system....of course there are some teachers who work hard to improve things but it is an almost impossible uphill battle for them....any improvement, however, should be attributed to individual educators and NOT the gov't.

Chownah

[John K]

Good thought, but a long process to get there. However I don’t see an innovative game plan mentioned on how to achieve this. From what I know the non-Thai teachers have been trying to do this right along. I think this is one of the times that Thai culture plays against them.

[Plus]

a few years ago thousands of thai students were IQ tested,

western method i think, so allow for cultural bias in the test,

the average score was 81 (80-100 is the "normal" range)

Average IQ score in any tested group should be 100 by definition. I've read all those IQ news myself but not once have they mentioned cultural bias in translated tests. Working out patterns and solving problems tasks are common for all cultures, I suppose, but good portion of any IQ test is about the language ability - choosing the word with the closest meaning or striking odd one out etc.

It would be nice if we could see how Thais score in each of these different types of questions.

IQ results make much more sense when they compare different regions in Thailand - northeners are always the stupid ones.

[PeaceBlondie]

Education in Thailand is largely taught by under-taught, over-worked, under-paid, well-intentioned Thai teachers who usually do not encourage thinking. They make multiple choice tests which nobody fails; deliver boring lectures; don't use modern teaching methods; etc. The Dr. Professor Learned Scholar Minister Pemanente can say all he wishes, but if his ministry doesn't spend ten years and ten gazillion baht reforming the system, Pornchasa and Popakit aren't going to know how to count to 90, using a computer. It may as well be hopeless. If your children are being educated in Thai schools, make sure they spend the rest of their lives here, and not in a developed country where the employer asks in the interview, "What would you do in the work place if the following happened......."

Seriously, an experienced Thai teacher wants me to tell her how her daughter should answer questions to a farang to interview for a position in a MNC, and I can't begin to explain the impossibilities.

[wintermute]

IMHO

the essential item missing in school education is learning THINKING.

generally Thai people are not good thinkers, problem solvers or understand a logical train of thought.

this of course helps the powers that rule to stay in power,

i believe they have no interest in having an educated thinking voting public.

aside:

a few years ago thousands of thai students were IQ tested,

western method i think, so allow for cultural bias in the test,

the average score was 81 (80-100 is the "normal" range)

recently another gov official expressed concern that students IQ was going down,

well that would put it in embarrassing territory.

I remember the article on this. Actually there was little cultural bias in the test and it was compared with a wide range of countries across the rest of Asia. The highest aggregates were in HK, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, major cities in China, Japan, etc.. basically all the developed portions of Asia. The low scoring parts were in SE Asia with Thailand amongst the lowest in the region. It's pretty telling and if you've set foot inside a thai school or interacted with thai students before it's pretty apparent that things are pretty screwed up.

[Ijustwannateach]

Educational Development at national level should focus on innovative thinking

Prof. Dr. Wichit has instructed that long-term education development needs to be consistent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 Febuary 2007

Oh, please, please, please- let them take this idea seriously at least!!! No more of 4-5 education ministers per year!!!!

[Casanundra]

As the Director on a program at a Thai University, it is part of my job to drag Thai university students screaming and kicking into the western mindset of questioning things, to thinking outside the box and to generally applying the knowledge that they learn rather than to just absorbing it so that they can regurgitate it at some later point.

When I first meet the students on day one, I always start off with a welcoming speech and presentation of what to expect. One of the first things I tell them is to leave their 'Thainess' at the door because the minute they walk through it they are to become international students.

The other thing I also tell them is that the greatest difference between a bachelors degree and a masters is that the masters is all about application of knowledge rather than the aquisition of knowledge. As such, it is their responsibility (not mine or the professors) to make sure that they apply what they learn. We on the program see it as our job to inspire them, to coach them and to guide them along the path but it most certainly is not our job to do the thinking for them.

Usually it is at this point that we lose several students who realise that engaging brain was not why they joined the masters programme.

As the course proceeds, we tend to find that in the first 6 weeks or so that they don't quite 'get it' with many simply getting hung up on obtaining the right grades rather than obtaining the right education. It is at this point that we start failing students and where they start being warned about failing their subjects as well as being told to engage their poor little heads because if they don't then they too will be shown the door.

At this point we usually lose another one or two.

None of what we do is aggressive and we are an open and approachable team but what we do is always re-enforce that the onus for learning and applying the knowledge is on them. They are adults and it's time to take responsibility for what they do. If they learn but don't apply then they get low grades, it's as simple as that.

Once the dust settles and the brighter ones tune in, we do find that the plan works overall and since we get the support of all of the professors (half of whom are foreigners) we have been able to slowly 'up the ante' and the bar for the Thai students. As such, we are pleased to see that overall standards are increasing and they actually find themselves improving beyond even their own expectations. This year for the first time visiting professors are reporting that they are astounded at how smart the students are and more importantly how more engaged in the class room they have become compared to previous years.

All we can do, as they say, is but try to improve the status quo little by little and eventually they will get there.

Edited February 7, 2007 by Casanundra

[thedude]

nice story casanundra! you must be so proud.

i give you a "C+" as you failed to address the topic at hand in a direct way.