Education Minister orders inspection of teachers’ professional licenses

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Education Minister, Nataphol Teepsuwan, says he has received numerous complaints, not only about cases of student abuse, but also about education fees and other issues. He has instructed the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) to examine these issues and find solutions, including an inspection of the professional licenses of school teachers.

 

Mr. Nataphol said the commission is now focusing on three main issues. The first deals with physical abuse of students. According to the current regulations, violators are subject to warnings, probation, point deductions or taking part in behavioral adjustment activities. The second issue concerns babysitters, as they don’t have teaching duties. The third is tuition fees, which must comply with the rules and regulations. Furthermore, the Teachers’ Council will look into teachers’ professional licenses.

 

Concerning the possibility of closing down a school in connection with a student abuse case, the Education Minister said the impact would not only be felt by the affected students, but it would also affect other students and teachers. The ministry is seeking measures to address the problem, and it is possible that a committee will be set up to control the situation.

 

On a proposal to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in classrooms, the Education Minister insisted that the issue will be thoroughly considered because it may violate the rights of children.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2020-09-30

 

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Installing CCTV cameras in classrooms!

 

They can't even get the <deleted> fans to work!

 

The hub of closing the gate after the horse has buggered off!!!

 

You could be forgiven for thinking that the vast amount of form filling and paperwork required to absolutely bloody everything they might of got the hang of this paperwork and administration thingymebob, you would be wrong...

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

On a proposal to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in classrooms, the Education Minister insisted that the issue will be thoroughly considered because it may violate the rights of children.

Since when did the people in power care about the rights of anyone? Oh yea, when it’s convenient to do so. 
 

Just buy a load of CCTV cameras from China using state funds, and skim as much money as you can from it. Take some pictures of officials pointing at the cameras in schools, and we will wait ‘til the next story of abusing children in schools comes out. 

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

and it is possible that a committee will be set up to control the situation.

Ok I might as well say it. The hub of committees with 0 outcome. 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Education Minister orders inspection of teachers’ professional licenses

This should also apply to Thai teachers .................LOL

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

and it is possible that a committee will be set up to control the situation.

 

WOW a committee to control the situation, thats a first.????????????

After weeks of deliberations, the committee will just come up with, nothing untoward going on.

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

This should also apply to Thai teachers .................LOL

i’ll bet it’s both, Thai as well as foreign, as the same entity handles the licensing for both of these groups (where licensing is mandatory based on the institution).

 

With the “temporary” it should be easier to insure compliance as the letter, when issued, is school-specific.. so Krusapah should know who is currently licensed to be a what schools and for how long.... Permanent (5yr) is harder as they are not tied to any one school. So you’d need to do a hard check on those people - which on a numerical basis, is probably the vast majority of all in-class instructional staff.

Maybe they would care to inspect the students proficiency exams and test scores as well.

Something tells me the degree guy at khaosan could be very busy

16 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Installing CCTV cameras in classrooms!

 

They can't even get the <deleted> fans to work!

 

...or the kids

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

On a proposal to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in classrooms, the Education Minister insisted that the issue will be thoroughly considered because.........

...there might be some big, fat, juicy brown envelops in the offing.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Furthermore, the Teachers’ Council will look into teachers’ professional licenses.

Get many foreigner teatcher out of job if they really do that! 

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree Diploma or Higher, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certification, Non-Immigrant Business “B” Visa, A Good Picture and a Good Attitude

 

Attitude part maybe the most tough one. If watch what have happen now.

 

Edited October 1, 20205 yr by 2 is 1

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a committee will be set up

Committee!!! After weeks of free lunches the committee will have gained several pounds.

2 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

Get many foreigner teatcher out of job if they really do that! 

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree Diploma or Higher, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certification, Non the most tough one. If watch what have happen now.

 

Yes, pretty soon somebody in power is going to suddenly stop from protecting his own rear and realise if they chased up every teacher without papers they wont have any English teachers left.  Its only a few adventurous sorts that would leave high (ish) salaries at home to come out here for very low salaries.  Add to that the already shortage of teachers here due to the corona virus and they have big problem.  This is the root cause of some 'influential' schools getting away with it for so long.  

isn't a teacher like a police officer, hardly ever fired, even some serious s.hit took place ?

5 hours ago, american2 said:

Maybe they would care to inspect the students proficiency exams and test scores as well.

That really would be interesting.

I don't understand why licences are not recorded with a central authority including photo and have a points system exactly the same as UK driving licences (ie photo renewed every 10 years). The School should then have to check the central database for every teacher when they are employed and at least once a year thereafter and submit a current photo for comparison with the one on the licence. When employing a teacher or a teachers assistant the school should notify the central authority and a record kept of their employment.

Can they extend it to checking the degrees of MP's and Senators? some claim to have Phds as well

3 hours ago, RobU said:

I don't understand why licences are not recorded with a central authority including photo and have a points system exactly the same as UK driving licences (ie photo renewed every 10 years). The School should then have to check the central database for every teacher when they are employed and at least once a year thereafter and submit a current photo for comparison with the one on the licence. When employing a teacher or a teachers assistant the school should notify the central authority and a record kept of their employment.

As far as I know, The Teachers Council of Thailand is responsible for the certification of all prospective teachers, And no teacher may be employed without a teaching license. In this sense they do have a central authority, but the TCT should have the authority to visit schools and audit the teaching staff for compliance. Also, no foreigner may work in Thailand without the correct visa and a valid work permit. 

The regulations are there, as they are in most other countries, but if the focus of the employer is on maximizing profits, rules and regulations may be ignored. 

And the profit focus is also not always the main reason. With teacher salaries very much having stagnated for the past two decades or more, the available teacher pool is getting smaller and smaller. This results in schools having to break the rules just to have teachers in the classrooms. 

On 10/1/2020 at 6:42 AM, rkidlad said:

Just buy a load of CCTV cameras from China using state funds, and skim as much money as you can from it. Take some pictures of officials pointing at the cameras in schools

Hah, I've been in several of such schools. You'll often find an unused room somewhere full of equipment. Computers, TVs, air cons, lab equipment, just gathering dust. But not that old, still quite usable. Along with piles of books. Colleagues of mine and I have come across these and attempted to organize projects to get the students involved, which of course were frowned upon. Because these items had all long since past their usefulness to the school. Which was, someone had skimmed from the budget with inflated invoices, someone's brother's company got the orders, someone else got kickbacks, and then of course, the photos had already been taken with all the important people, when the stuff first arrived.

 

I also noticed that in the footage of the Sarasas school on the Thai news, the scene played numerous times where you see the parents screaming at the admin office, thirsty for blood, you can see around it some ornate decorations, pillars and door frames to emulate some European university, and posters in English extolling the school's values, motivational phrases like community, knowledge, academics, or things like that. They've gotta at least make it look like that high tuition is going to something. Meanwhile inside, pretty much the exact opposite, hardly qualified "teachers" smacking around the kids.

 

There are a few good schools out there, but with many you'll often find that it's all a big show, all a farce.

Even getting fingerprinted and a police check takes a week or longer.   I've seen a few schools take FOUR MONTHS to get a teacher their work permit.  not Thailand, of course.  lol.

 

anyhow, schools want teachers to start TODAY.   They know 10000000% you don't have a work permit with their school, as you have just been hired one day ago.

 

well, this is problem 1

 

problem 2.......super low pay and usually bad working conditions (hot, horrible bathrooms, really bad food, must stand in the sun in the morning for whatever reason)....

 

back to the kids getting hit.... they need an ONLINE hotline.  report schools.  I would imagine tens of thousands would be reported, many by students abused before.