What is OBEC's role? Do they audit schools?

[BurgerGung]

Academically and financially.

 

What does it take to become a World Class Standard School?

 

How come that lots of financial, err, irregularities point to officials still managing to divert funds into their own pockets. Something which is much harder where I come from. (Basically unheard of)

[otherstuff1957]

I've been through a couple of audits and inspection of the premises or observation of teaching lessons does not seem to happen.  The auditors focus on the paperwork.  If the school can produce boxes full of lesson plans, tests, teacher assessments, syllabi, antecedence records, grades, students' EQ scores, etc, etc, they will pass.  These records do not have to be meaningful or accurate, they just have to be voluminous!

 

I sometimes joke to new teachers that the auditors favorite tool is a ruler and that the school is evaluated by the height of the pile of paperwork the school produces. 

 

Unfortunately, I suspect that the joke is true.

[Scott]

9 hours ago, otherstuff1957 said:

I've been through a couple of audits and inspection of the premises or observation of teaching lessons does not seem to happen.  The auditors focus on the paperwork.  If the school can produce boxes full of lesson plans, tests, teacher assessments, syllabi, antecedence records, grades, students' EQ scores, etc, etc, they will pass.  These records do not have to be meaningful or accurate, they just have to be voluminous!

 

I sometimes joke to new teachers that the auditors favorite tool is a ruler and that the school is evaluated by the height of the pile of paperwork the school produces. 

 

Unfortunately, I suspect that the joke is true.

You are correct.   We once had a surprise audit, or I should say, we had an audit and no one bothered to tell me.   I got a call to bring them all of the evaluations, lesson plans (sorted by grade and subject) as well as an assortment of other documents.

 

I hadn't gotten around to actually setting up the files for all these documents, so in a moment of crisis, I took the folders from the previous year down to the office they were using.   They oogled and awed a bit, set them in the pile and NEVER, NEVER noticed they were from the wrong year!

 

I made it a point after that to keep up with all my filing.  

 

They also wanted to see the personnel records (application, copy of resume/CV, degree, etc.)

 

 

[My Thai Life]

On 9/14/2018 at 3:41 AM, Scott said:

I hadn't gotten around to actually setting up the files for all these documents, so in a moment of crisis, I took the folders from the previous year down to the office they were using.   They oogled and awed a bit, set them in the pile and NEVER, NEVER noticed they were from the wrong year!

I'm assuming that your paperwork was in English, and that the OBEC/MoE people who did the audit can't read English well, or possibly at all. The Thai Buddhist year is almost certainly not the year that you were using on your documents.

 

Let's put the boot on the other foot. Imagine you work in the equivalent of OBEC in your country, and you are sent out to audit a Thai language school. Would you be able to read their Thai documents?

 

OBEC of course are not principally concerned with English, they cover all Primary and Secondary school activities, and they have no responsibility for embezzlement as per the OP's slander. I'm surprised the mods let this pass.

Edited September 27, 2018 by My Thai Life

[anon2736434]

Imagine you work in the equivalent of OBEC in your country, and you are sent out to audit a Thai language school.

28 minutes ago, My Thai Life said:

I'm assuming that your paperwork was in English, and that the OBEC/MoE people who did the audit can't read English well, or possibly at all. The Thai Buddhist year is almost certainly not the year that you were using on your documents.

 

Let's put the boot on the other foot. Imagine you work in the equivalent of OBEC in your country, and you are sent out to audit a Thai language school. Would you be able to read their Thai documents?

 

OBEC of course are not principally concerned with English, they cover all Primary and Secondary school activities, and they have no responsibility for embezzlement as per the OP's slander. I'm surprised the mods let this pass.

Of course in my home country and most others they would send personnel qualified to read the language of the course they were auditing. The MOE of thailand with the largest budget of any ministry there could never be any skimming of funds judging by the high quality of students and teachers produced here.  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355280

[My Thai Life]

3 minutes ago, Notagain said:

Of course in my home country and most others they would send personnel qualified to read the language of the course they were auditing.

I don't beieve you have verified that at all. You have  evidently made an assertion based on no evidence. If you have the evidence show us.

Edited September 27, 2018 by My Thai Life

[My Thai Life]

It might come as a surprise to some posters here that all schools in Thailand file with the MoE in Thai.

 

I have participated in several MoE audits. The audit of English language documents has never been their prime concern, and why should it be! 

[anon2736434]

Which evidence do you want ? My home countries bilingual spanish programs (and many other languages available to study) run by people with Phd's. The thai MOE budget numbers ? The constant churning of MOE directors, program changes here ? Name it I can get it for you. Grow up and accept the problems in the education system here, every thai parent I know is aware of it but what can they do about it ? stick their head in the sand like you is about it. But at least they admit it.

[anon2736434]

If you dont understand the importance of being bilingual in today's interconnected world and the inability of old simple languages versus modern complex languages in STEM and other subjects used to advance society you cant be much of a teacher.

[Scott]

Please stay on topic and keep the discussion civil.

 

[My Thai Life]

On 9/27/2018 at 7:56 PM, Notagain said:

If you dont understand the importance of being bilingual in today's interconnected world and the inability of old simple languages versus modern complex languages in STEM and other subjects used to advance society you cant be much of a teacher.

I've been the most consistent advocate of bilingualism on this forum. Let me remind you, this is a Thai forum.

 

The fact that most farang teachers here are unable to speak Thai is a weakness inside and outside of the classroom. 

 

Are you suggesting that Thai is an "old simple language"? I assume you are not a linguist.

 

If Thai is so simple, how long has it taken you not to learn it?