Dates Of October Break

[iclaude]

My wife and I will be starting to teach in Khon Kaen "high school" this May. We don't yet have the dates of the October break. Anyone out there who can help us ot with this?

[Jookster]

Indeed, a Thai School Calendar would be very nice anyone...

[otherstuff1957]

IME every school has their own calendar, but they often make unannounced changes to it.

Also, before you make any plans, you might want to make sure your school doesn't expect you to do a 'summer camp' or go into the office for planning sessions or just clock into the office every day so that they can see that you exist.

You can't always rely on the school giving the teachers a break when the students have a break.

Edited February 17, 2007 by otherstuff1957

[PeaceBlondie]

Indeed, most Thai schools don't even seem to have a calendar, publicly. You hardly know from one day to the next. Generally, there's a break between terms or semesters in October, of 1 o 12 school days, for the staff. No telling when, though. They might give you a rough idea in July or in October, but it can change by whim. Not your whim.

[spectrum]

a Thai School Calendar would be very nice

yes, it would

In some other countries the absence of information is a cultural tendency exploited as a control mechanism.

In Thailand, it is just sheer ...

um, pass the som tam.

(Scene from Thai teachers' room. Time : 11.30 a.m.

Thai teacher (eating contentedly) : Do you have a class today ?

Foreign teacher : Not until 1.00 o'clock. How about you ?

Tt (contentendly) : I have one at 11.00. )

Edited February 17, 2007 by spectrum

[Ijustwannateach]

In Thailand the school directors have the final say over the calendar, to the extent that they can independently choose to close the school, cancel classes, or have an all-day party at a minute's notice. Even teachers at the schools often don't get details about the school schedule until the last moment. Nothing that anyone could post about their school here would be of the slightest use to you if you were working at a different school.

[Scott]

Oh, yes, best of luck on this one. One year, they cancelled the October break entirely (that was about 9-10 years ago)--at least in Bangkok and surrounding areas because of the World Bank Meeting or something like that. Inner city schools were informed in a reasonably good time, but schools further afield weren't notified until only a few weeks before that they must attend school in October and the break would be taken at different time (when the meeting was being held).

We had 5 or 6 teachers who had booked flights back to their home country for the "scheduled break" as it was told to us and listed on the calendar. All were docked their pay for missing school!

Then one year they decided some grades were performing poorly and ordered them and their teachers to teach them in October.

Last year, we got a 1 week notice that they wanted a month long camp!!

Amazing Thailand!

[toptuan]

I don't have very good news either, for the OP:

I teach at a Thai university of 30,000 students. There exists no published school calendar, on paper nor internet. All school calendar information is disseminated by rumor. Usually the students know about breaks before the faculty does. Information about unexpected days off often leak through the night before the break. (Incidentally, due to unexpected days off, my Tuesday classes only met 10 weeks in a supposed 16-week semester. Students missed over 1/3 of their course material. TIT)

Last October, the entire break (usually 2-3 weeks) was canceled with one week's notice. Teachers were expected to sit in their offices and twiddle their thumbs until the next semester's schedule came out so we would know what to prepare for. The new schedule finally came out Oct. 29, with a Nov. 1 start date.

So, TIT (This is Thailand). Go with the flow. Or go crazy.

Edited February 26, 2007 by toptuan

[Tarragona]

The Universiade (University Olympics) is being held in Thailand this year. It will take place in August and I know some universities will be shifting the October break to August to coincide with the games.