Udon Pittayanukoon School, got Offered a job with no Interview

[Mr5555]

Does anyone know Udon Pittayanukoon School? It's the biggest school in Thailand with 5000 students. I'm very comfortable/confident in interviews and it's a way for me to get a feel if I want to choose the school too.

 

I actually prefer the city of Udon Thani to  another offer I have (a real small provincial city). However, I can't imagine what teaching at the biggest school in Thailand is like, and with such a big question mark hanging over it, I'm just inclined to decline it.

 

Does anyone know of this school in particular? I think I'm just going to ask for an interview. Is a no-interview job offer common in Thailand? 

 

Thanks

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I’ve lived out in the Issan provinces around there. I’ve taught at some of those big provincial schools. Here’s my input.

 

Definitely negotiate for a higher salary, closer to 40k. Don’t take 30k. You could get that at a country bumpkin thesaban (municipal) school, where comparatively you’d be on easy street.

 

At the provincial schools, they’ve got more of an image to maintain, so thus expect a lot of silly extra tasks and responsibilities, gate duty, photo ops, special activities, in which little actual work is being done, and merely are an annoyance. Expect to get flak for not doing this or that, despite having been given no direction.

 

These schools usually have an “English Program”. You may hear things about it like it’s more prestigious, there’s more English education, the curriculum is better, the students are more diligent. All lies. It’s a lot of extra tasks, paperwork, and micromanagement for nothing. You’d get the same salary.

 

EP often has amenities like smaller class sizes, air conditioning, and fancier decor, whereas the regular program may have none. But these are negated by the fact the students are more disruptive and less cooperative, given they are more spoiled and arrogant, given their parents pay a lot more for these programs. Opt for the regular program. You could say something like, I worked with disadvantaged youth in my home country, and that’s my passion.

 

Good luck.

[cyril sneer]

1 hour ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I’ve lived out in the Issan provinces around there. I’ve taught at some of those big provincial schools. Here’s my input.

 

Definitely negotiate for a higher salary, closer to 40k. Don’t take 30k. You could get that at a country bumpkin thesaban (municipal) school, where comparatively you’d be on easy street.

 

At the provincial schools, they’ve got more of an image to maintain, so thus expect a lot of silly extra tasks and responsibilities, gate duty, photo ops, special activities, in which little actual work is being done, and merely are an annoyance. Expect to get flak for not doing this or that, despite having been given no direction.

 

These schools usually have an “English Program”. You may hear things about it like it’s more prestigious, there’s more English education, the curriculum is better, the students are more diligent. All lies. It’s a lot of extra tasks, paperwork, and micromanagement for nothing. You’d get the same salary.

 

EP often has amenities like smaller class sizes, air conditioning, and fancier decor, whereas the regular program may have none. But these are negated by the fact the students are more disruptive and less cooperative, given they are more spoiled and arrogant, given their parents pay a lot more for these programs. Opt for the regular program. You could say something like, I worked with disadvantaged youth in my home country, and that’s my passion.

 

Good luck.

Sounds spot on from my experience

 

What location would you suggest to someone not wanting to live in Isaan? Most job adverts are limited to Isaan and Bangkok

[youreavinalaff]

5 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I’ve lived out in the Issan provinces around there. I’ve taught at some of those big provincial schools. Here’s my input.

 

Definitely negotiate for a higher salary, closer to 40k. Don’t take 30k. You could get that at a country bumpkin thesaban (municipal) school, where comparatively you’d be on easy street.

 

At the provincial schools, they’ve got more of an image to maintain, so thus expect a lot of silly extra tasks and responsibilities, gate duty, photo ops, special activities, in which little actual work is being done, and merely are an annoyance. Expect to get flak for not doing this or that, despite having been given no direction.

 

These schools usually have an “English Program”. You may hear things about it like it’s more prestigious, there’s more English education, the curriculum is better, the students are more diligent. All lies. It’s a lot of extra tasks, paperwork, and micromanagement for nothing. You’d get the same salary.

 

EP often has amenities like smaller class sizes, air conditioning, and fancier decor, whereas the regular program may have none. But these are negated by the fact the students are more disruptive and less cooperative, given they are more spoiled and arrogant, given their parents pay a lot more for these programs. Opt for the regular program. You could say something like, I worked with disadvantaged youth in my home country, and that’s my passion.

 

Good luck.

I guess you don't know Udon Pit that well.

 

Udon Pit School started an International Program in 2018. It was offered to Matthayom 1 and Matthayom 4, after 2 years now offered to all grades from M1-6. It is similar to an English Program but with more classes in English. The school has been hiring teachers for the new program regularly since it's inception. Junior high had 1 class and senior high had 2 classes of 25 students in each at first. NOt sure how many now. The first of these is Science oriented, Math, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The second class is language oriented, English, Math and a second language, Chinese or Japanese. All classes are taught in English except for Thai language, Chinese or Japanese and Social Studies. Cost is approximately 120,000 baht per year.

 

I did not see the OP mention salary so not sure why you mentioned 30k a month. I know that the salary is quite a bit higher than that, especially for the subject teachers.

 

You mention provincial schools and then you compare to "country bumkin schools". What about the plethora of large schools in the districts out side of the town? Not provincial but certainly not country bumkin. In Buriram, my home town and nowhere near the size of provinces like Udon, Korat, Khon Kaen or Ubon, there are many schools out side of Ampher Muang with in excess of 2-3 thousand students. All regarded as good schools and all following the same curriculam as the large provincial schools. These schools usually have a small team of expat teachers, usually 2 -4  and are good places to teach. They are big schools and have the extra work you mention but most teachers just accept that for what it is,IE part of the job. You mention Tessaban schools. In most provinces that I have been to and taught at, Tessaban 1 is located in the town. Large schools catering to over 3000 people. Go to Korat and Tessaban 1,2,3 and 4 are in the town. All large with students in the thousands. The use of the words "country bumkin" or, more kindly, "rural" when speaking about schools with vacancies for expats in many parts of Isaan are long gone. Generally speaking, rural schools would not have the funding for expat teachers. Basically because of size, maybe no more than 100 kids across the board, and the fact that the kids are poor and parents do not have the funds to contribute. A sad side of education in Thailand.

 

I once went to speak to the local Tessaban office. I tried to get them to start a program for the local, rural schools. I offered to teach at 10 local village schools, 2 each day of the week, that were under their jurisdiction.  The remuneration I was asking for was not much. Just enough to cover travel, food and a couple of beers after work. I was thinking about 10-15k a month. The idea did not even get past the first hurdle. The staff in the office thought it was a wonderful idea and were really up for it. Sadly, the finance man said he could not find the funds.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Yeah, I don’t know Udon Pit. But I do know other big provincial schools, and was assuming it was like them.

 

I said 30k, because that is what a thesaban school pays, and I’ve known some of the big provincial schools to offer nearly the same. Thus I said, negotiate for more if that’s what they offer. I say all of this having worked for both provincial and thesaban schools.

 

”Country bumpkin” was not meant to be derogatory, but in reference to their level of work and salary. My first school was a thesaban and I have fond memories of it. It was on the outskirts of a big Issan town. Most of the students were the children of farmers and small family businesses, like shops or market stalls. As such, the emphasis wasn’t particularly on education, but keeping the kids occupied and happy. It’s a good place to get started as a teacher, with exposure to Thai people and their culture. It’s work that’s worth the 30k.

 

But if one goes to a provincial school, which was my next school, there will a lot more responsibilities and activities, which may or may not have any bearing on education or conceivable logic, haha, and so you absolutely deserve higher than the thesaban’s 30k. I made a bit less than that at my first thesaban job.

 

This was quite a few years back, I dunno how things have changed since. I was able to walk into the thesaban office, along with my GF at the time, and be offered that job.

[youreavinalaff]

5 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

This was quite a few years back, I dunno how things have changed since. I was able to walk into the thesaban office, along with my GF at the time, and be offered that job.

Also remembering the different levels of Tessaban. The Tessaban Nai Muang will have a highest budget. They will be responsible for funding education within the boundaries of the town district, with the exception of those funded centrally. In Buriram, for example, there are Tessaban 1,2 and 3.

 

The Tessaban district that I spoke to, although still within Ampher Muang, receive less funding. Hence, my offer to help as many schools as possible for the sum of 10-15k a month was not possible, all the while the Tessaban 1,2 and 3 schools have a total of 4 foreign teachers.