Thanks To The Teachers Out There.

[soundman]

My daughter started school today. & to say the least, I was reasonably impressed.

I have been involved with function work at the local schools over the past couple of years, however, I never really paid much attention at all to the local classrooms. Today was a different story.

My daughters first day at school & all. Rolled up late, typical thai style waiting for my wife to finish eating. Found the classroom no probs, & to my amazement there were actually three teachers (or teaching assistants, I have no idea) there. The classroom had all the things three year olds need, toys, VCD machine, crayons, paper, & a toilet situated less than ten meters from the door.

Anyway, hung around for about two hours, to make sure she was settling in OK. In this time I wondered around to the other nearby classrooms, & to my amazement there were 2 – 4 teachers (or assistants) in every one, including the special English programs, which start as early as kindergarden.

After watching all the other parents leaving their children for the first day at school, I was a little apprehensive about leaving, having witnessed all the kids tantrums. I go to leave & of course my kid chucks the biggest and loudest wobbly of the lot. I was cringing with embarrassment as the whole wing of the school could hear my daughter. The older teacher walks over, takes a hold of my daughter & in no uncertain words tells me go. I put my trust in the teacher, head for the door, & hide outside. I sneak a look two minutes later & the teacher has all the children sitting down involved in activities. Miracle!!!

Anyway, the reason for this report. I have heard many awful stories about the education system in Thailand. From local state schools to low level private schools to state of the art inter. schools. I have started my daughter in a lower end private school, (about 10,000B per semester add 5,000B for English program). And from what I have seen, the amenities are as good, & there is a higher ratio of teachers to students than the $9,000 a semester school I went to in the eighties.

Anybody care to share their thoughts on thai schools?

Very Happy & Relieved.

Soundman.

[steveromagnino]

Anybody care to share their thoughts on thai schools?

Some very good some very poor; you are approaching it the right way to see for yourself.

Despite all the comments about how bad they are, I have a few friends that got into Cambridge, Harvard etc via the Thai education system and they got on ok; however the not so good reputation is somewhat deserved; however any parent who expects teachers to be the only provider of education to their kids during their formative years has missed the point; my mum taught me all the stuff that the school was missing out from my age 8 - 12 (until the point I got into the secondary school system) and I haven't turned out like a complete maroon; close though.

When you consider some of the geniuses posting on here who are teaching your child engrish; well you get the idea of some of the teachers; on the other hand I know some personally who are the kind of teacher I wish I had when I was growing up. Keep watching and doing what you are doing, and I am sure your child will do well :-)

[paveet]

Anybody care to share their thoughts on thai schools?

As the poster above already said, the quality of schools here vary quite significantly.

Although I don't recall much of my kindergarden and primary school years, I remembered the attitude the teachers had towards us. Children learnt not because they were motivated by having an interest in the subject but rather because "we have to learn this or the teacher will get angry". The approach of the learning was to remember rather than to understand. English was also never introduced until Prathom 2 when it was ineffectively taught.

This was ten odd years ago though, maybe things have improved since.

Pavee

[Flysiam]

I attended both Thai gov't schools in the NE and International schools in Thailand as a young boy. I never reallyhad any complaints about the quality of education at either. I did find that the Thai schools demanded more of me and I had to be more careful in my actions as corporal punishment was alive and well! I can only speak of my experience at my school and I can only assume that other Thai schools were similar then. I got the impression that standards and levels of study were far beyond those required of me in a US system (International School) - though I do think that learning by rote (hai system) is not necessarily the best way to learn or develope individuals thought processes.

I can say that from my experiences - way back when - that the English language programs in Thai schools left ALOT to be desired. I was actually removed from the program for correcting the English teacher. Ahhh live and learn!!!!