Deputy Minister Of Education Is Concerned About Unemployment In Thailand

[Jai Dee]

Deputy Minister of Education is concerned about unemployment in Thailand

The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Warakorn Samkoset, says he is worried about the unemployment situation in Thailand because the growth rate of the economy is only at four percent.

He says political uncertainty can affect the behaviours of consumers and investors. As a result, many people have been spending more carefully while waiting for the general election to arrive at the end of this year. He says if the government can assure public members that the general election will definitely be held soon, the economy would likely improve.

Mr. Warakorn says the undergraduate study in Thailand will also have to be improved in the next five years because in the past ten years, a number education institutes in Thailand have been focusing on the quantity of graduates rather than their quality and skills.

As a result, graduates with bachelor degrees have been working in jobs that require high vocational certificates, while the ones with high vocational certificates have turned to work in jobs requiring standard vocational certificates.

Consequently, people with standard vocational certificates would be unemployed. Mr. Warakorn says education instates have to be prepared of this problem.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 April 2007

[Tony Clifton]

As a result, graduates with bachelor degrees have been working in jobs that require high vocational certificates, while the ones with high vocational certificates have turned to work in jobs requiring standard vocational certificates.

In comparison, imagine what these bachelor degrees and vocational certificates would be worth abroad... Thailand isn't about to produce a Nobel prize winner or laureate anytime in the near future. Not pointing at the Thai brain here in not being able to achieve such goals but at the whole education system that has been, is and will keep on failing miserably for years to come if no positive improvements and changes are made.

Quality, not quantity. There is way too much ''business'' disguising as schools, education institutes and universities.

[stoneman]

Deputy Minister of Education is concerned about unemployment in Thailand

The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Warakorn Samkoset, says he is worried about the unemployment situation in Thailand because the growth rate of the economy is only at four percent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 April 2007

Wait a minute...I just read an article in the Bangkok Post and the Nation last week that said that the unemployment rate in Thailand was 1%...So what's the worry? Are you saying that the 1% number is not true?

[Mid]

Deputy Minister of Education is concerned about unemployment in Thailand

The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Warakorn Samkoset, says he is worried about the unemployment situation in Thailand because the growth rate of the economy is only at four percent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 April 2007

Wait a minute...I just read an article in the Bangkok Post and the Nation last week that said that the unemployment rate in Thailand was 1%...So what's the worry? Are you saying that the 1% number is not true?

[Thaising]

Deputy Minister of Education is concerned about unemployment in Thailand

The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Warakorn Samkoset, says he is worried about the unemployment situation in Thailand because the growth rate of the economy is only at four percent.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 April 2007

Wait a minute...I just read an article in the Bangkok Post and the Nation last week that said that the unemployment rate in Thailand was 1%...So what's the worry? Are you saying that the 1% number is not true?

Facts and numbers don’t works together that's why those ministries always came out with conflicting figures.

[somtaamgaiyang]

Deputy Minister of Education is concerned about unemployment in Thailand

The Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Warakorn Samkoset, says he is worried about the unemployment situation in Thailand because the growth rate of the economy is only at four percent.

He says political uncertainty can affect the behaviours of consumers and investors. As a result, many people have been spending more carefully while waiting for the general election to arrive at the end of this year. He says if the government can assure public members that the general election will definitely be held soon, the economy would likely improve.

Mr. Warakorn says the undergraduate study in Thailand will also have to be improved in the next five years because in the past ten years, a number education institutes in Thailand have been focusing on the quantity of graduates rather than their quality and skills.

As a result, graduates with bachelor degrees have been working in jobs that require high vocational certificates, while the ones with high vocational certificates have turned to work in jobs requiring standard vocational certificates.

Consequently, people with standard vocational certificates would be unemployed. Mr. Warakorn says education instates have to be prepared of this problem.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 April 2007

How is it that I seem to understand the Thai economy better than this fool! Or has he been residing overseas for the last 30 years.

Having a job earning 130 baht a day or subsitence level farming does not count in my opinion as a job so UNDERemployment in Thailand is about 60%. Next idea to the minister would possibly be to divert half the military budget to schools, and allow 100% ownership of foreign companies investing more than 2mn dollars along with a five year tax break.

[Dakhar]

under employment refers to the concept of being over qualified to do a particular job. 60% sounds like a pretty low figure.

[PeaceBlondie]

I don't think the article quoted an unemployment rate in this press release, only a growth rate prediction of 4 percent, which is actually lower than some other predictions.

I'm glad the deputy minister of education is speaking forthrightly about the problems of education that continue to prevent Thailand from entering the 21st century.

Also, a graduate from a lower-tier Thai university or rajabat is not necessarily underemployed if they only perform lower graded work. Their bachelor's degree may not have prepared them to do much else.

[chownah]

I've worked with alot of subsistence level farmers and odd job workers and I am of the opinion that alot of them are not underemployed....their skill level is rather low and these are the jobs they can handle. Their formal education is typically 6 years of primary school and often less. The last gov't had a program where they could go to school evenings and get a paper giving them a diploma equivalent...but really they didn't learn much in a few months of going to classes a few nights per week..so even these people who got the paper are not really qualified for better jobs..at least not because of having got the paper....some of the people in my village have had the same education but have more drive or were/are able to learn skills on their own and these often have small companies doing remodel work, or well drilling, or various others...I don't know how much they make but I would not say that they are underemployed either since their skills don't really warrant a better situation.

I don't think that Thailand has such a big underemployment problem relative to skill levels...I think Thailand has a big underemployment problem relative to people intrinsic abilities...ablilities which typically go undeveloped for many social reasons...one of the major reasons being the sad state of the educational system.

Chownah

Edited April 20, 2007 by chownah

[richard10365]

I think if they want to improve the quality of graduates they need to start at the pratom level and work from there. The undergraduate level is broke because of the old saying, "shit in = shit out".

Quality pratom students become quality matayom students. Quality matayom students transition into quality undergrad students.

[somtaamgaiyang]

I don't think the article quoted an unemployment rate in this press release, only a growth rate prediction of 4 percent, which is actually lower than some other predictions.

I'm glad the deputy minister of education is speaking forthrightly about the problems of education that continue to prevent Thailand from entering the 21st century.

Also, a graduate from a lower-tier Thai university or rajabat is not necessarily underemployed if they only perform lower graded work. Their bachelor's degree may not have prepared them to do much else.

Apologies, wrong use of language!

Meaning rather to say, that with education, these people are far more valuable than subsistance farmers or construction labour

[Thaising]

I think if they want to improve the quality of graduates they need to start at the pratom level and work from there. The undergraduate level is broke because of the old saying, "shit in = shit out".

Quality pratom students become quality matayom students. Quality matayom students transition into quality undergrad students.

Well Richard you got a point, but by looking at today Bangkok post. The education ministry is squeezing more students into a classroom by sacrificing quality in exchange of quantity. If they keep churning out such graduates without preparing them actual knowledge, Thai workforces were never advance or surpass other developing states.

Quote from Bangkok post: More kids? Just give them bigger classes

Forty-four high schools nationwide will increase the amount of Mathayom 1 students per class from 45 to 55 to support the intake from the third round of student allocations, a senior official said yesterday.

Continue here:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/21...al_30032334.php