Online learning opens up huge can of worms as parents get direct line into out of date Thai Education System

[KhruGin]

I'm a Prathom teacher and teach 4 hours a week online at the moment. Onsite with a TA, 4 classes to 250 kids at a time is the schools solution (yeah not the best solution eh). Since May the enthusiasm of the kids has noticeably gone south and in my classes from say a 30% true participation rate down to less than 10% now. TBH trying to engage the kids constantly and motivate them to participate feels like a losing battle but I keep on trying. Yep the parents comments are worthy about the substandard way online teaching is being delivered on the whole. 

 

However, we find ourselves in a unique situation where we can't go to school and thus online learning is the solution. Its terrible for the kids, stuck at home, no face to face interaction, my kids sitting there for the last 5 months 30 hours a week in front of a computer screen listening to a bunch of teachers going blah blah blah over a variety of subjects ... I don't blame them at all for switching off and 100% sure at their age I would do exactly the same. The parents are frustrated too having to look after their kids 24/7 and many of them can't ensure that their kid is participating as they're out at work.  You have to put yourself in the boots of those children and think how you would react to this situation.

 

I'd like to add too, yep the Thai online learning set up is poor and doesn't work very well IMO, but really where does it in the world? For University level its about self motivation thus if you want a good degree you participate. In a kids mindset what do you have to lose? Teachers in the UK for one country say the same about online learning being ineffective and I would guess pretty much anywhere in the world, please share an example of genuine success if you know of one.

 

This whole situation since Covid took hold for my kids has been a shame, one semester late start split classes sat in masks and face shields, another semester where the school closed and opened on three occasions once due to a small covid outbreak too, and then this semester where the kids are stuck at home with no physical interaction with others. When you think of it these kids have had pretty much one and a half years of poor and interrupted education and importantly social interaction with friends and peers. This I feel has already given rise to long term consequences as to childhood development.

 

Yep we really need to get the schools open in November but as for Prathom kids where's the plan? Have I missed something but I see no plan other than parent consent forms for Prathom 6 kids only to be vaccinated ....What about K1 to P5? My personal opinion kids don't need to be vaccinated but from reading TV articles they are vaccinating Matayom kids before the school can open ...soooo ummm Prathom, what's the plan? Let's see.

[khunPer]

20 hours ago, me4175 said:

I've paid for an international school education for my son and I have to say I don't regret a single Baht I spent on it when I compare the outcome to kids his age from standard Thai schools. He's grown into a well-rounded personality and it's due to the education he received and the environment he has grown up in. Parents may underestimate the impact school, and the social environment which comes with it, will have on their kids here in this country.

It might well be a combination of both school and home. Most of us foreigners probably talk about other subjects at home than just what happens inside the nation's borders, and thereby give our child, or children, a broader perspective. When that is combined with private schools using more modern education material and methods, for example Cambridge books, it gives the students a very different education from the typical Thai family and government schools, where there however also seems to be variation of quality. I know village families that send a child to stay with relatives a larger town, or a tourist area, as they say that the schools there are better.

 

Those that can afford a bilingual, or EP (English Program), school - which can be in an relative affordable level - should do it, at least for the primary years. That will give a good base for passing the higher levels with excellent grades. If the child's future is in Thailand, an expensive Cambridge certificate might not be important, while good grades from a Thai high-school are.

 

In the area where I live the financially better off Thai families use a bilingual School with Cambridge curriculum for kindergarten and the six primary levels, thereafter it's often a selected private boarding school up north - i.e. Bangkok-area, as I live in the south on an island - or in a major town on the mainland.

[rbkk]

The internet has been the best teacher to my 2 kids. Guided direction from me to topics of interest has personalized their education.  If they are excited by the topic/subject they will research it on their own, and quickly! Their keyboard skills are now lightning fast. English spelling and an appreciation of the different national and regional English accents has impoved in ways only today possible with the internet. Their improvements began with English but have now expanded to all the curriculum subjects. Bilingual and trilingual kids have different 'Wiring' in the brain. These connections formed at a young age will be set up for life. Example: languages become easier to pick up and math problems can be analysed faster. The research backs up my experience. My kids are 16 and 11 years old and I taught in the public and private school system here for 15 years. Ipads, keybords and the internet are invaluable tools of learning. Supply the spark and they will burn brightly.

[itsari]

21 hours ago, fusion58 said:

It's almost like the powers that be don't want an educated citizenry or something.

You have it , the powers want the offspring that have parents who can afford one million baht a year for there education to become the new power  . Has been that way in the first world for many years too . 

[lahgon29]

3 hours ago, starky said:

My daughter got exactly that question in her online learning. Tbh it was ridiculous I have 2 daughters and I really don't want them learning that sort of bias. I'm not some mad SJW but we are living in a time where girls should be encouraged to achieve whatever they would like to achieve with a gender bias.

  I would love to post the lesson here as it was pages of absolute rubbish about boys do this and girls do that but unfortunately the well known private catholic school logo is on the headers and I would hate to risk defamation claims.

Wouldn't be DB would it?  My kids there, and the online stuff we're doing is woeful. 

[Rampant Rabbit]

22 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

The parents, the children, the school owners just didn't care.

Its  not limited to just those  things in Thailand either

[chilly07]

Even the international schools have to do a significant percentage of the Thai curriculum and if you don't watch them they will increase that percentage to save costs ie Thai teachers are cheaper than foreign ones. And even though some say they follow GCSE curriculum students still have to sit exams at the British Council as well as sitting the normal Thai matriculation exams to be eligible for Thai Universities. Transferring to western Universities is only possible by paying exorbitant fees three times those of a native student

[paulikens]

23 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

''Parents want Thailand to look at how things are done Abroad''     No chance as they have no desire to copy anything from Abroad as 'Thai's know best' about everything.  Sadly; that's why just about everything is in such a mess !

@trainman   look at how things are done abroad,  they'd have a shock as abroad you can actually fail, not get a pass even if you've done nothing all term.   and thai parents wouldnt like that, their children failing, it would be the old loss of face chestnut.

[hotchilli]

On 9/18/2021 at 12:50 PM, webfact said:

Or bite the bullet and fork out for a very expensive International School eduaction where well trained foreign teachers and the cream of Thai nationals use foreign or independent curricula that is both relevant and interesting to children.

The rich elite send their kids to places to get a real education to continue the legacy, all others are just worker ants for the monopolies.

[Artisi]

6 hours ago, starky said:

My daughter got exactly that question in her online learning. Tbh it was ridiculous I have 2 daughters and I really don't want them learning that sort of bias. I'm not some mad SJW but we are living in a time where girls should be encouraged to achieve whatever they would like to achieve with a gender bias.

  I would love to post the lesson here as it was pages of absolute rubbish about boys do this and girls do that but unfortunately the well known private catholic school logo is on the headers and I would hate to risk defamation claims.

simply mask-out the heading and post, its not rocket science.

[Surasak]

Which is the only word in the English dictionary spelt incorrectly?

[fusion58]

On 9/18/2021 at 2:47 AM, trainman34014 said:

''Parents want Thailand to look at how things are done Abroad''     No chance as they have no desire to copy anything from Abroad as 'Thai's know best' about everything.  Sadly; that's why just about everything is in such a mess !

Ironic, isn't it? The "powers that be" would rather die than admit there's anything they could learn from the lowly farang, yet the hi-sos almost invariably send their children abroad for higher education.

Edited September 19, 2021 by fusion58

[siftasam]

from 'BobinBKK':

 

'With knowledge comes power, and that's the LAST THING ON EARTH "the powers that be" want. The objective here is to keep the peasants stupid therefore there will be no challenge. Can you imagine if the peasants could think for themselves and didn't "listen and obey"?'

 

I agree, Bob. 'Twas ever thus, in the short time that any significant education has been provided for the world's poor. It may forever stay the same. And not just for the underprivileged.

 

The leading philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky says: "Most education is training for Stupidity and Conformity".

 

It's true of all countries. Hear what Gore Vidal says scathingly on YouTube about American schooling.

 

Real education runs parallel to the school system until we are old enough to repudiate the rubbish elements that we were taught while continuing to educate ourselves for the rest of our life. For once, some political birdbrain who talked about 'lifelong learning' was correct, but not for reasons that he/she intended. Whether we think 'online/internet' learning can do this or is enough, is up to us. I personally think not. The Internet exists perhaps even more than the education system in schools to keep us 'in our place'.

 

Chomsky talks about the great contribution that a single teacher's example. intelligence, creative support and enthusiasm can make to a student. I was taught English to 'A' Level by a wonderful teacher who embraced all of these elements (that you are never going to find much - if at all - on the internet. I 'loved' and respected him and worked as hard as I could for him - and enjoyed his sense of humour and fun.

I am 100% sure that he would NEVER be employed in a British school today. He was 'too good'.

[starky]

3 hours ago, Artisi said:

simply mask-out the heading and post, its not rocket science.

Oh thank you almighty genius. You think the page structure, lesson format and year appropriate content might not also be obvious? 

[Sir Dude]

Remote online learning only really works for the intrinsically motivated... a quality often lacking in the modern day student.

[rickudon]

I have twice tried to help family members who went to government schools with their homework, in Biology and Geology. But the questions in the workbooks (in so called English) were at best obscure and sometimes just wrong and not referencing the text they related to. You had to read them about 3 times to decipher what they wanted, and sometimes you just had to guess . I have degrees in both subjects, so not as if i didn't know the subjects!

 

Unfortunately as a retiree international schools are out of the question financially for my Thai daughter. She goes to a church school which is one of the top schools in Udon, and does get better workbooks, but i still cannot help with anything in Thai. If in the UK i would be looking for a better school, but TiT.  One of my sister-in-laws is a Thai teacher to 11-12 year olds in a state school, and she gave my daughter (8 at the time) Maths lessons last year, but quickly stopped because she said my daughter was better than her own students - says it all really. 

 

Last year and early this year online schooling was just 2 hours a day, but now 6-7 hours, plus homework.

[Artisi]

12 hours ago, starky said:

Oh thank you almighty genius. You think the page structure, lesson format and year appropriate content might not also be obvious? 

Don't be a drama queen, who is going to be concerned about an anonymous poster on an obscure forum posting a class quiz from an unknown school?

[BangkokReady]

14 hours ago, fusion58 said:

Ironic, isn't it? The "powers that be" would rather die than admit there's anything they could learn from the lowly farang, yet the hi-sos almost invariably send their children abroad for higher education.

It's incredible that some Thai people actually seem resentful towards foreign teachers.  Working hard, caring about their children, making a positive difference in their future and the future of Thailand seems to not have much cache.

[Bert got kinky]

 

If Thai schools spent less time preaching their own perceived morality (which they fail to follow themselves) & force feeding the children antiquated witchcraft religion and spent more time on lessons relevant to the real world.........................................

 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

If Thai schools spent less time preaching their own perceived morality (which they fail to follow themselves) & force feeding the children antiquated witchcraft religion and spent more time on lessons relevant to the real world.........................................

 

..... the level of education of Thai students would greatly improve.

Thai kids have the brains for vastly improved teaching standards, but unfortunately they are dumbed down by the nonsense they  are forced to put up with. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Artisi

[Anant72]

On 9/18/2021 at 1:34 PM, fusion58 said:

It's almost like the powers that be don't want an educated citizenry or something.

But they don't! Can you imagine? Youngsters thinking by themselves and able to criticize? Horresco referens ! Besides, considering the political context with narrow-minded uniforms at the helm, you cannot expect anything to change. Change will have to come from those youngsters. 

[BBJ]

One thing I noticed with some bilingual schools is that they are more interested in visually impressing the parent rather than the result of the child.  Particularly in P1 level where the books used are often way too complicated for 90% of the kids learning who still require phonic skills.    It is not surpriing that learning online for these students - learning Thai or English, is not only detremental to the child's speed of learning and equally frustrating for the parents.  One thing I do have to ask though.  Other than the parent showing up at school during school meetings when it happened, have they actually taken an interest in their kids educational growth at home before now?

Edited September 22, 2021 by BBJ