PIcture: Daily News

 

A Thai teacher went online to talk about his experiences on a teacher exchange program at a school in New South Wales, Australia.

 

It was a little different to Thailand, needless to say!

 

On day one he turned up at Mount St Patrick College in Murwillumbah in suit and tie.

 

His teaching buddy Grant said:

 

"G'day mate - what have you got all that clobber on for? You're overdressed, mate. Relax a little bit!"

 

Only the headmaster had a tie and even he was casually attired. Other teachers had short sleeves, open neck and shorts.

 

PIcture: Daily News

 

At 8 am there was no need to line up at the flagpole. After a thirty minute briefing for staff it was straight into a ten minute home room registration then the start of a six period day.

 

There was no signing in to work only signing in and out if teachers had to leave during the day.

 

"How will you know if I turn up for work?", he asked in his innocence

 

"Don't be daft mate, we can see if you're here. It you throw a sickie you'll be at home won't you, mate. Get with the programme son."

 

The Thai teacher was to discover there was lots of documentation regarding reports and lesson plans but all other admin was left to the administration office.

 

"Don't teachers have to guard the school at night?", asked the Thai mindful of all the extra duties in Thai schools.

 

"You're 'avin' a laugh are you mate. Security do that!"

 

There were 25 students in the class and everyone had a laptop, said the Thai with incredulity.

 

Not just that.

 

The students put their hands up when they had difficulties in their groups. And the teachers went round to help. 

 

"Your job is to teach, isn't it mate. So teach!", said Grant obviously thinking "we've got a right one here!".

 

The only time when the faculty wore ties was at an "Open House" for parents but even that was informal.

 

Then came a daring trip out to a Tree Top challenge that even the teachers took part in.

 

That would never be allowed in Thailand as parents would say it was not safe, said the teacher. 

 

"Kids have gotta learn about things and take responsibility for themselves, mate," shot back the reply. 

 

The Thai teacher was even shocked that everyone on the bus sang a song he called "Shawn Mendes". 

 

About grades there didn't appear to be much problem.

 

"What if I have to give a child an F? asked the teacher concerned how it might reflect on them as a teacher.

 

"No worries, mate. Just teach 'em all the term. Do your best."

 

Other surprises for the Thai included early finishes and whole afternoons given over to sport rather than academic study.

 

Thaivisa notes that nearly all of the observations of the teacher - except perhaps the dress code - could have been experienced at a decent international school in Thailand.

 

But very few Thai schools are like this with a huge accent on hours of tedius rote learning and regimentation being widely reported by expat teachers who face difficulties in trying to introduce their own suggestions to school hierarchies mired in tradition and reluctant to change. 

 

Thailand's much maligned education system could learn a lot from abroad especially in places like Australia and the number one place in the world for education - Finland.

 

In the Scandinavian country there is virtually no homework, children start school at 7 and are encouraged to play far more than do boring lessons yet they have the highest educational standards in many subjects anywhere in the world.

 

Thailand prides itself on being in the class more hours than other nations but the quality is lacking.

 

More is in fact less and students are bored and under achieving, say critics. 

 

Open your eyes, Thailand!

 

(Our quotes from the Aussies are based on experience as well as Daily News versions in Thai, Thaivisa further notes).

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-04-21

 

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Saw this in Facebook.

 

The Google translation made nonsense of some it though.

 

Good that Thai teachers get to experience other idea and approaches in other countries.

 

Thailand prides itself on being in the class more hours than other nations but the quality is lacking.

 

Sadly in their formative younger years the schools appear to be nothing more than a slightly glorified child minding service.

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

"G'day mate - what have you got all that clobber on for? You're overdressed, mate. Relax a little bit!"

'And here's a tinny, cobber'

An experience teaching at an inner-city school in the US would have made SHOCK in Oz! look like a Sunday school picnic.

One thing stands out, the Thai teacher talking about safety. It was just a week or two ago that a kid drowned in Kalasin during an excursion. Not the first time, also I remember kids dieing after being forgotten in mini vans and getting stuck in caves after being taken down by teachers. Then there's the unregistered motorbikes ridden to school by kids with neither helmets or licenses, which is fine as long as the hair and uniform are correct.

 

Australia is safety obsessed, the 'she'll be right mate' attitude seems a thing of the past.

 

Rape and sexual assualt of students by teachers here isn't that uncommon here, often almost tolerated. That would have been an interesting discussion with their Aussie counterparts.

 

Then there's freedom of expression...

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

Our quotes from the Aussies are based on experience

So made up

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

So made up

No "as well as Daily News versions in Thai"

I was a teacher trainer back in the day and saw many bright young teachers like this; full of wonder and awe.

 

However...

 

This young man will return from Oz full of new ideas and methods, but will then run into the old guard at the school; the ones that have been there forever and that are resistant to change. Further, he will get undermined by those same elderly teachers with the Principal and other Admin people at the school. Finally, he will get shunned a bit because he is trying to introduce 'foreign' ideas.

 

The young teacher will either be told to 'shut up' and do so OR he will embark on a very long journey to amass certificates and seniority in order to implement some of the new things that he learned; that will take a loooooong time. Eventually, that young teacher will have amassed enough clout to finally change things, but by then he will be one of the 'old guard' fearful of the 'new upstarts' and their 'newfangled ideas'.

 

Rinse and repeat.

 

Ad nauseam.

 

If you want to see change in the Thai education system, and everyone should, you need drastic, radical action. 

 

Step one: enter the Bangkok Ministry of Education building and fire 80% of the people working there. Literally. They are the ones who created the current monstrosity and they are the ones who will sabotage any chance of reform.

 

Step two: enter the Provincial Ministry of education building(s) and fire 75% of the people working there.

 

Step three; enter every school in the Kingdom and inform the Principal that if 50% of his senior students don't pass the nation-wide tests, he will be fired.

 

Step four: give the Principal some autonomy to hire/fire and/or discipline staff

 

Step Five: if it doesn't work the first year, do it again for a second, third, and fourth year.

 

Drastic? Yup. Revolutionary? Yup. Serious? Yup. Needed? Yup.

 

But, I ain't holding my breath...

 

 

4 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

No "as well as Daily News versions in Thai"

Partially made up then which is sub standard reporting

Article was clearly biased against Thai schools. 

 

All good schools on the uk the teachers dress smartly with shirt and ties.  Kids wear uniforms so they all look smart and the same do kids don't bully each other for having different clothes. 

 

We always lined up in the playground before going into our classrooms. It teaches children discipline. 

 

We also has not ing assembly and sang songs as well as got the news or info from the headmaster. 

 

Nothing wrong with that.

 

I would have hated going to a school where the teachers dressed in scruffy clothes, kids looked a mess and got bullied for not wearing the expensive trainers, and where it was disorganised and unruly.  That is not a good settled or calming environment to learn.

 

Look as some of the American schools with armed security guards and metal detectors.  

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

(Our quotes from the Aussies are based on experience as well as Daily News versions in Thai, Thaivisa further notes).

Your attempts at the Australian accent are abysmal! 

"But very few Thai schools are like this with a huge accent on hours of tedius rote learning and regimentation being widely reported by expat teachers who face difficulties in trying to introduce their own suggestions to school hierarchies mired in tradition and reluctant to change."

That is the major elephant in the room. Not uniforms, not singing songs.

Most of the teachers probably were taught as kids in this method. Use rote learning probably because the teacher doesn't know the subject either. Students asking questions are seen as "troublemakers". Questions need answers and if teacher doesn't know, then would lose face. Can't have that.

Quote

We always lined up in the playground before going into our classrooms. It teaches children discipline. 

 

We also has not ing assembly and sang songs as well as got the news or info from the headmaster. 

 

Nothing wrong with that.

Except that it wastes time when kids should be learning, which is what school's for. If discipline is needed let the teacher do it in the classroom.

 

I went to school in the 70s/80s. We only had Monday morning assembly, by high school it was seated in an auditorium. The assemblies here remind me of Nuremberg rallies, kids in various styles of uniform, standing in formation with flags and paraphernalia, while the headmaster gets excited at the podium.

 

Sometimes it just goes a touch too far, like this guy who pulled a gun at assembly after being accused of raping a 15 year old student. Would love to know if he's been charged for either crime or even sacked.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/principal-accused-of-sex-with-student-pulls-gun-at-songkhla-school-assembly-video/

It's a dualistic thing - we pretend to teach, you pretend to learn. Having said that there are kids who are desperate for real knowledge, beyond the three Rs that is. But critical thinking, ooer. I guess the only area where Thailand really worries is English language speaking skills; which has real world consequences. Yeah, it's cute, when your Thai waitress has problems understanding the simplest of requests, but International Business isn't so forgiving.

Surprised there was no mention of his shock when he experienced a student asking him a question.

Edit.

Should have said   shock when he found out students were 'allowed' to ask him questions

53 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Article was clearly biased against Thai schools. 

 

All good schools on the uk the teachers dress smartly with shirt and ties.  Kids wear uniforms so they all look smart and the same do kids don't bully each other for having different clothes. 

 

We always lined up in the playground before going into our classrooms. It teaches children discipline. 

 

We also has not ing assembly and sang songs as well as got the news or info from the headmaster. 

 

Nothing wrong with that.

 

I would have hated going to a school where the teachers dressed in scruffy clothes, kids looked a mess and got bullied for not wearing the expensive trainers, and where it was disorganised and unruly.  That is not a good settled or calming environment to learn.

 

Look as some of the American schools with armed security guards and metal detectors.  

 

 

Of course the article was bias, that was the whole point of it, the differences in Thai and International schools is massive. The Thai education system is severely under performing in almost every way because of its historical systems and teaching methods.

 

I'll put a caveat on that, I'm sure there are some excellent Thai and foreign teachers working in government schools here but I'm sure they feel constrained and worthless, with their abilities to be able to actually teach hampered by the system.

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

So made up

All news is made up....

"Top Story?" Who is trying to change the subject?????

Was that conversation verbatim from the aussie teacher? 

Poor guy, I bet he's wished he'd didn't turn down the Chinese School offer.  Seriously, if you think it's bad here...

It is now 17 years since I first got involved with assisting in English teacher training and English camps in Thai state schools.   I was asked by both Thai and farang enthusiastic teachers to get join them in helping Thais learn colloquial, conversational English.   It was great fun and the satisfaction obtained was all the reward needed to ensure I'd be available next time around.

 

Then the Ministry of Education went through a whole deck of Ministers in a short space of time, each bringing in a new, hopeless English policy.   The result was that all those enthusiastic Thai and farang English teachers lost heart and now just put in the hours.

 

So many points in this article hit the target in Thailand:

- pupils don't need to everyday watch the flag go up the pole to know they are Thai

- they need to be told when they have not achieved a satisfactory level of a subject

- they need to learn to managed risk

- they need to learn that the concept of loss of face is keeping them ignorant of so much that schools should be teaching them.   If you don't know, ask !   Otherwise you'll stay ignorant !

- designated times and durations need to be set for staff meetings.   Almost every day a class for my boy is cancelled at short notice as the teacher has to "attend a meeting".   Except for the afternoon break being extended on the last day of term, I do not recall any class being cancelled for lack of a teacher in my time as a pupil.

22 minutes ago, simonr said:

All news is made up....

No

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Then came a daring trip out to a Tree Top challenge that even the teachers took part in.

 

That would never be allowed in Thailand as parents would say it was not safe, said the teacher. 

Yet, Thai parents let their kids ride motorbikes with no helmets. ????

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

Kids wear uniforms so they all look smart and the same do kids don't bully each other for having different clothes

Although I agree with you on the principle of wearing uniforms at school, I have to point out that people are bullied for numerous reasons. Not just their clothes. 

 

I also fail to see how this article is biased against Thai schools. This Thai teacher pointed out his observations and compared both systems. How is that biased? Please don't tell me you actually have faith in the educational system here and can't see any of its many, many, many shortcomings. 

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

So made up

Yes. But made a point.  I think most Aussie or Kiwi teachers would think those answers but be a bit more helpful to the poor Asian "Drongo". (naive simpleton)

Kinda summarizes the educational, social, and cultural differences between Australia ("the West") and Thailand ("Asia"), and why Asia, and particularly China, is eating the West's lunch economically, socially, and culturally.

1 hour ago, Smithson said:

One thing stands out, the Thai teacher talking about safety. It was just a week or two ago that a kid drowned in Kalasin during an excursion. Not the first time, also I remember kids dieing after being forgotten in mini vans and getting stuck in caves after being taken down by teachers. Then there's the unregistered motorbikes ridden to school by kids with neither helmets or licenses, which is fine as long as the hair and uniform are correct.

 

Australia is safety obsessed, the 'she'll be right mate' attitude seems a thing of the past.

 

Rape and sexual assualt of students by teachers here isn't that uncommon here, often almost tolerated. That would have been an interesting discussion with their Aussie counterparts.

 

Then there's freedom of expression...

Spot on , exactly what I was thinking as reading , Australia is safety obessed to the max , maybe you don't climb a tree at school here but you see so many other dangerous actions .

When I went to an Australian primary school , plenty of heirachy in.those days , it's turned out there was a pedophile ring , took 30 years to come out . That's what heirachy and capital punishment achieves ..silence . I was not a victim , but despite being young I knew something was happening , particularly in the football team and other sports , plus the Library master .

Quote

Other surprises for the Thai included early finishes and whole afternoons given over to sport rather than academic study.

My nieces schools are constantly stopping for 'activities', which can take days and seem to happen on the whim of the headmaster.

 

Just the other day one was complaining her school planned 'activities' to make the kids happy after all the covid stress, but she's stressed about her studies after spending so long away from the school. The focus should be on education, no wonder young people entering the workforce have so much trouble with deadlines and being productive, making a profit etc.

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Partially made up then which is sub standard reporting

You're reading a translation from Thai, and a good and fun one that is faithful to the original. If you want exactly what the Thais' are reading then read Thai. 

31 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Kinda summarizes the educational, social, and cultural differences between Australia ("the West") and Thailand ("Asia"), and why Asia, and particularly China, is eating the West's lunch economically, socially, and culturally.

 

I taught PRC graduate students in a Thai university. They were not forced to dress and behave in the same formal way as the Thais. Nonetheless, they displayed a professional attitude that did come from dressing appropriately, being on time, paying attention, doing work on time, and contributing to classroom discussions. If I compare this to my American graduate students, who came into class still eating, wearing flip flops, shorts, failing to read assignments, and leaving early because of "emergencies," I would say I prefer both the Thai and Chinese students. Chinese students in particular remind me in their behavior of Americans in the 1970s and 1980s. They seriously want to learn. If Americans (and apparently Australians) believe that this much informality leads to anything but laxness, they are in for a terrible awakening.