Education minister unfazed by students' protests, ready to hear their suggestions

[rooster59]

Education minister unfazed by students' protests, ready to hear their suggestions

By The Nation

 

Nataphol Teepsuwan (right)

 

The planned protest by "Bad students" at the Ministry of Education at 3pm on Saturday is not really a debate because the ministry has the same views as the children about reforming education, Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said on Saturday (September 5).

 

 

Bad student is a group of high school students and student organisations from 50 schools nationwide who are demanding that the ministry reform education.

 

Nataphol said the ministry has categorised students and visitors' demands as follows: student hairstyles, dress code, outdated learning courses, channels for expressing opinions, teachers' burden, O-Net exam cancellation, sexual harassment in school, sexual diversity in school, increasing English and third language learning courses and education inequality.

 

"We have unlocked rules on teachers' burden and students hairstyles, but the development of learning courses may not be as same as other countries because it must be in line with the context of Thailand, while we cannot cancel the dress code because students in countries worldwide still wear uniforms to ensure students' safety," he said.

 

He said to deal with sexual harassment in school, the ministry had established a centre for sexual assault victims' protection to investigate cases received from all sectors. He added that 15 teachers who had committed offences had been fired.

 

"The ministry is working on sexual diversity in school as Thailand has a Civil Partnership Bill, while the ministry will discuss the cancellation of O-Net exam next week as the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for schools to reopen at the same time, resulting in inequality during the test," he said.

 

For solving the problem of educational inequality, he said the ministry had launched the Digital Education Excellence platform, and it was also reviewing all learning courses.

 

"Also, we will open 185 Human Capital Excellence Centres nationwide," he said. "For increasing English and third language learning courses, the ministry will hire 20,000 foreign teachers."

 

He added that the ministry has urged schools to allow students to express their opinions, and had opened the website: www.nataphol.com to enable students to submit comments directly to the ministry.

 

He said he was not opposed to the Bad Students' protest at the Ministry of Education.

 

"We are ready to hear their suggestions if they come to hold a protest at the ministry," he said.

 

"If they want me to resign because I cannot meet all their demands, government officials in the ministry also would resign because the ministry has solved various issues for them, while there were a variety of channels to express opinions unlike in the past."

 

In the case of some 109 educational institutes not allowing students to make symbolic expressions, he added that this would not occur again. The ministry had already talked with teachers, students and parents, while there were no schools that had instructed students to refrain from making symbolic expressions, he added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30394072

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-06

 

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[mtls2005]

He makes the perfect role model for protesters, right?

 

Do as I say...

 

Be nice if he had any background in Education?

 

Lovely couple.

[Lacessit]

Just wondering where these 20,000 teachers will come from with the borders closed, and/or an expensive quarantine even if they were opened for them.

There must be hundreds of retirees here who would happily donate their time to teach English or other languages. However, the government doesn't want that obvious solution, as the retirees might spread dangerous ideas.

[PatOngo]

33 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The planned protest by "Bad students" at the Ministry of Education at 3pm on Saturday is not really a debate because the ministry has the same views as the children about reforming education, Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said on Saturday (September 5).

Khun Nataphol, you are delusional!

 

delusional

 

 

adjective

 

1. characterized by or holding idiosyncratic beliefs or impressions that are contradicted by reality or rational argument, typically as a symptom of mental disorder.

   "hospitalization for schizophrenia and delusional paranoia"

   • based on or having faulty judgement; mistaken.

     "their delusional belief in the project's merits never wavers"

[PatOngo]

WE taught you to march, we taught you to sing the national anthem, we taught you that Thailand was never colonized, we taught you who to respect..................WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT! 

[Antonymous]

40 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

"We have unlocked rules on teachers' burden and students hairstyles, but the development of learning courses may not be as same as other countries because it must be in line with the context of Thailand,

 

Socialisation and indoctrination are what he is referring to. Regarded as essential to maintain the status quo in Thailand.

 

[cyril sneer]

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Just wondering where these 20,000 teachers will come from with the borders closed, and/or an expensive quarantine even if they were opened for them.

There must be hundreds of retirees here who would happily donate their time to teach English or other languages. However, the government doesn't want that obvious solution, as the retirees might spread dangerous ideas.

Most retirees in this country try to screw the students rather than teach them.

 

Then when that doesn’t work they spend their time gossiping and slander other teachers.

 

Can be a very problematic bunch.

[mtls2005]

Just now, Antonymous said:

 

Socialisation and indoctrination are what he is referring to. Regarded as essential to maintain the status quo in Thailand.

 

 

Of course he was born in Boston, MA and went to prep school and college in MA.

 

(yes, he went to Pathumwan for P1-6.)

 

The absolute lack of self-awareness, combined with zero shame or empathy is hardly surprising.

 

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

we cannot cancel the dress code because students in countries worldwide still wear uniforms to ensure students' safety

Having grown up in a country that didn't impose school uniforms, I don't understand the connection between safety and uniforms. I felt perfectly safe going to school in jeans and t-shirt. 

If students need uniforms to ensure their safety, then maybe you should address the reasons in your society for that instead of ordaining camouflage.

Edited September 6, 2020 by klauskunkel

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

WE taught you to march, we taught you to sing the national anthem, we taught you that Thailand was never colonized, we taught you who to respect..................WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT! 

You forgot a few important points:

 

We taught you how NOT to think for yourselves;

We taught you that Thailand is the best country in the world;

We taught you that Thai culture is the pinnacle of civilization;

We taught you that the Thai race is superior.

 

So, indeed, what more do those ingrates want!?

[Benmart]

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

WE taught you to march, we taught you to sing the national anthem, we taught you that Thailand was never colonized, we taught you who to respect..................WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT! 

And was never occipied by a foreign power...oh wait! Japan was  a Japanese ally during during WW2 and then changed sides when the tide of of war changed. Look for that in Thai textbooks.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"For increasing English and third language learning courses, the ministry will hire 20,000 foreign teachers."

From where, it's not quantity it's quality that they lack.

I know students who have foreign language teachers but they can't understand a word they say as they have such diverse accents/dialects.

[Flying Saucage]

"The planned protest...is not really a debate because the ministry has the same views...about reforming..., Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said"

 

This is a well approved tactic of the ultra conservatives to appease their opponents, while in reality they think and plan and intend to do the complete opposite.

 

It reminds my of the response of another gentleman some 88 years ago, when suddenly the situation became uncomfortable for him.

[Sydebolle]

The days of "Phoo Yai" are hopefully counted and anytime soon over at this Ministry as well ....... 

[herfiehandbag]

 I believe that white ribbons are one of the symbols of the disaffected high school students.

 

White hair ribbons are part of the uniform at the school at which I teach (for the girls). Until recently it was virtually impossible to get a girl from M3 upwards to wear a ribbon in her hair - causing much grief to those who get excited about such matters.

 

Now the profusion of elaborate white ribbons decorating their hair is quite remarkable.

 

Of course fashion plays a part, but I suspect that if those teachers,  for whom foot drill and the correct wai are the pinnacle of the academic year knew what it meant, they would be heartbroken!

 

Later in the month we will have the afternoons entertainment of "The school will amble past in rag order, taking it's time from the NAAFI clock"; or as it's more properly known the Scouts and Guides drill parade!

 

Last year was notable for the poor children of the school band marking time for 10 minutes in a large puddle, and the entertaining antics of the most wildly nationalistic of the older teachers (widely believed to wear yellow knickers on a Monday) in saluting the flag with her cane, whilst M6 flounced past behind her  led by a couple of younger teachers, doing a passable impression of a troupe of Californian Cheerleaders!

 

This year I look forward to the hair decorations!

Edited September 6, 2020 by herfiehandbag

[Artisi]

We will hire 20,000 foreign teachers, that was more than enough to stop reading and paying attention what had gone before. 

[hotchilli]

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Education minister unfazed by students' protests, ready to hear their suggestions

That's not what I see in his eyes.... 

[FangFerang]

The title should have been "Education minister unconcerned by students' protests, ready to ignore their suggestions".