The “skip online learning” twitter campaign, launched by the anti-establishment “Bad Students” movement, to reject the online teaching being applied in most schools across Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic, is trending on social media today (Monday).

 

The movement is urging students to skip online classes, from today until Friday, in protest against the online teaching method which, it claims, is ineffective and discouraging for many students who may not understand the lessons being taught and cannot ask their teachers for explanations.

 

It also claimed that many students are not ready for online learning, implemented about four months ago, due to the lack of learning tools, while several teachers themselves are not fully prepared as well.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/skip-online-learning-campaign-launched-monday/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-09-06

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Ugh, where to begin. I can't speak for all Thai govt schools, but as far as mine goes out here in Issan, the lessons nor teaching aren't the problem. We've been doing everything we can.

 

I realize primary age kids being at home really is a disaster. Yet my more capable, secondary students are just doing what they do best, and that's make excuses. Whereas before sneaking away to cut classes was a bit conspicuous and difficult, the Covid situation's now presented them with an excellent opportunity to shirk off responsibility.

 

You know the kids all got phones. They just about die without them these days. Even out here in the moo bans, there's micro cell towers everywhere and good signals. There's plenty of signal for their Facebooking, YouTubing, TikToking. We know this because my Thai colleagues always see them on there. But lo and behold, when it's time for schoolwork, oh! Suddenly the signal's bad, suddenly their phones have problems. It's hilarious.

 

We got nearly all of them in Line Groups. They've nearly all been able to join, we see them in there reading the messages. The lessons really aren't difficult. In fact, I think they're being better delivered without the typical distractions of the classroom. We make worksheets, tell them to fill them in, tell them to watch a YouTube and comment on it, or use the voice recorder to do spoken assignments.

 

We're not telling them to use any special applications or learning platforms. Just type in an answer, same as you always message your friends, or write it in your notebook and snap a pic, and we know how you love to snap pics. We give plenty of suggestions, examples, trying to push them along. Alas, they just don't bother. Some students have done nothing all semester. When confronted about this, then the ol' face saving kicks in, with every excuse they can think of.

 

In the few cases where a kid truly doesn't access to a phone or signal, worksheet packets are made available for them to pick up. I see much of these stacks still sitting out there. As for asking questions, all teachers are available on Line. Their Line IDs and phone numbers are on the worksheet packets. They said they've been getting little contact. In the case of not understanding English, we know they know how to use Google Translate, because of the Google Translate-like answers we often get. Hey, it's better than nothing. Yet most of the time, given all these tools and capabilities, they're just opting for nothing.

I agree the online learning is pathetic with an emphasis on children learning "answers" than any pretense of garnering any knowledge from the subject they are meant to be learning. Sent in by teachers who also do not understand the subject with liberal dollops of cut and pasted lessons they have clearly "borrowed" from other online learnings in other countries. 

Although I agree online learning is terrible, is it any worse than the so called education Thais get in the state system?

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

Edited September 6, 20214 yr by ThaIrish Sean

Students strike against online schooling

By Pear Maneechote

 

 

Thai students went on strike Monday to protest against having to learn online from home on their first day back at school in a campaign led by prominent pro-democracy youth movement Bad Student. 

 

With the slogan and hashtag #ไม่เรียนออนไลน์แล้วอิสัส (no more online learning, you animals), netizens and young people throughout the country protested against the disruption that online learning and COVID-19 have caused to their mental health and well-being, as well as their academic achievements.

 

“Would you please take care and responsibility for the kids’ mental health?” the campaign wrote. “We skip our lessons to teach you one,” another slogan of the movement said.  

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/32268/students-strike-against-online-schooling/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2021-09-07

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

4 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

I know just how you feel, my school teacher, university taught wife had never heard of 9/11

5 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Although I agree online learning is terrible, is it any worse than the so called education Thais get in the state system?

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

Could you recognise a picture of General Yamamoto?  Hitler is an irrelevance to them..

 

9 hours ago, starky said:

I agree the online learning is pathetic with an emphasis on children learning "answers" than any pretense of garnering any knowledge from the subject they are meant to be learning. Sent in by teachers who also do not understand the subject with liberal dollops of cut and pasted lessons they have clearly "borrowed" from other online learnings in other countries. 

Not much difference between online or in class learning, to be honest.

23 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Not much difference between online or in class learning, to be honest.

True but still having to pay school fees for unoriginal content while my missus bears the brunt of being 24 hour caretaker plus teacher of multiple subjects, when that is not even expected of teachers in a school environment is extracting the urine in my opinion 

The choices are limited.  I think that with the new term starting in a month  they can open the schools and start teaching again in class.

 

I agree that students need to learn in a classroom but really did the government have a choice.

 

We are no different than a lot of other  countries that had to go to the online lessons.  It is a fact of life.

 

 

1 hour ago, zzaa09 said:

Not much difference between online or in class learning, to be honest.

True but I seem to get higher scores when I do my nephews online school tests  ????

Well I teach online and happy to do so. I am still getting my salary and grateful for it. I teach the same material as in class. My students have the opportunity to ask questions or let me know if they do not understand something. Now the students logging in is something else. Many students sign in then do not respond when asked a question (are they really there?) I have had students telling me they are out with their parents??? or they are visiting relatives, gone shopping etc. I applaud them for being honest but why do their parents allow this? So in my view, online teaching works but students and parents must be willing.

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

It also claimed that many students are not ready for online learning, implemented about four months ago, due to the lack of learning tools, while several teachers themselves are not fully prepared as well.

Only several?

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Could you recognise a picture of General Yamamoto?  Hitler is an irrelevance to them..

 

 

Interesting point you make, but do you have any reason to believe that most Thais would recognise Yamamoto?

 

Also, Yamamoto was only one of several Japanese commanders involved in WW2. The likes of Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill were the leaders of their countries.

 

 

8 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Although I agree online learning is terrible, is it any worse than the so called education Thais get in the state system?

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

I bet they could identify anything in Thai history for the last 500 years... 

World knowledge is a mystery to most.

I showed my students a world atlas, the facial expressions was astonishing.

ahhhh......
so this is why the teacher has said there is no skool this week

about time and good if teachers are speaking up
online learning is abysmal

4 minutes ago, nkg said:

 

Interesting point you make, but do you have any reason to believe that most Thais would recognise Yamamoto?

 

Also, Yamamoto was only one of several Japanese commanders involved in WW2. The likes of Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill were the leaders of their countries.

 

 

Field Marshal Phibun was quite an admirer of the Imperial Japanese and their way throughout the late 30s into the 1940s

He had the occasion to have Yamamoto visit a couple of times in this era. 

 

12 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Ugh, where to begin. I can't speak for all Thai govt schools, but as far as mine goes out here in Issan, the lessons nor teaching aren't the problem. We've been doing everything we can.

Thanks for your post. Enjoyed first hand report from personal experience.

Easy for blokes like me with no kids. 

I think the younger ones are missing out the most, if it's even possible to rank this bad situation.

12 minutes ago, patman30 said:

ahhhh......
so this is why the teacher has said there is no skool this week

about time and good if teachers are speaking up
online learning is abysmal

Perhaps they'll take this real learning experience back to their respective teaching situations. 

 

Nah....

8 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Although I agree online learning is terrible, is it any worse than the so called education Thais get in the state system?

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

they don't even know Thai history, or pretty much anything out of their province

 

show them a video of Bangkok, most won't be able to identify it

 

on a positive note, whilst most don't show up for online learning, they do show up when there's a test

It’s all so visible for all now - Thai online is just as bad as attending a Thai school. 
 

“Can’t ask the teacher for explanations” ?? They don’t anyway - they sit there and copy from the board. Lol 

 

Great to see that the students do learn something at an early age - to make excuses. 

9 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

I bet they could ALL recognize Ronald McDonald - with or without the moustache.

9 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Although I agree online learning is terrible, is it any worse than the so called education Thais get in the state system?

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

Hitler had a different role in Thailand. 

5 hours ago, remobb said:

Now the students logging in is something else. Many students sign in then do not respond when asked a question (are they really there?) I have had students telling me they are out with their parents???

Yup, my experience has been much the same. It's as if they leave their phones on the table, then go do something else. I keep teaching for the few who remain engaged. The old "starfish on the beach" story.

 

Having to work for their parents is a frequent excuse. Yes, we get that Covid has taken its toll financially, and thus they now want the kids helping out in the shop. Yet I've seen a few of such children in their parents' food stalls, still diligently filling out their notebooks.

This is from the "Bad Students" Facebook. As you can see, they're not too happy about the online learning situation, as well as the govt's general response to Covid. Though I'm not sure what good a strike will do, considering how many weren't showing up to begin with.

13 hours ago, ThaIrish Sean said:

Although I agree online learning is terrible, is it any worse than the so called education Thais get in the state system?

When my staff could not identify Adolf Hitler in a picture, that was a sad reflection on the education system.

 

Who is this ?? -

 

I would like to make the point that while it is shocking to a Westerner that Thai’s may not be able to identify Hitler, perhaps there History education was of subject matter closer to home. 

 

That said, how many Thai’s could identify the Character below? - not many would be my guess, so that throws my idea out of the window. 

 

Yes, the Thai education system is a shambles - these ‘Bad Students’ campaigners are doing the right thing by protesting for better education and education reform, they do need a better name though. 

 

4 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Hitler had a different role in Thailand. 

I actually ate there once, had really bad gas afterwards.

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I would like to make the point that while it is shocking to a Westerner that Thai’s may not be able to identify Hitler, perhaps there History education was of subject matter closer to home. 

I doubt many Thais could identify Saloth Sar, Brother Number One or Pol Pot either. 

 

The ones I have spoken to know next to nothing about what went on across the border.

4 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Hitler had a different role in Thailand. 

I sat behind an 11yo nephew to watch an online "lesson" the other morning.

I asked him "what is this lesson?"......he didn't understand the question,  so his mother piped up "it's an English lesson"  

Well the teacher was a Male Thai and I couldn't understand a word he was saying! (Albeit cast on a smartphone)

 

Ive lived in SE Asia and East Asia for decades and very used to listening to weird accents speaking English. 

But this guy was a shocker.