Is Thailand in reverse?

[peter zwart]

I live in Thailand, I am married to a Thai woman and we live together with her two daughters aged 13 and 15. Now we decided 2 years ago to place the children in a better school with the expectation that they will receive a good education. What describes my surprise, after 7 months of sitting at home because of C19 and with every now and then a little bit of online schoolwork, they are now going back to school full time. What do you expect after 7 months of standstill...... That an attempt is made to catch up. None of that. Homework 1 to 2 times a week. Tests are canceled in connection with school activities (cooking for a school meeting). If Thailand wants to move forward, it will have to drastically improve education. I wonder if the surrounding countries are making progress in education and general development. If that's the case, things look bleak for Thailand's future.

[AndyFoxy]

Sounds like you need to pay for a better school.

[peter zwart]

13 minutes ago, AndyFoxy said:

Sounds like you need to pay for a better school.

Not much choice. This one is already the best in the neighborhood 

[metisdead]

A post with a link to the Bangkok Post has been removed:

 

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on ASEANNOW.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.

[zzaa09]

50 minutes ago, AndyFoxy said:

Sounds like you need to pay for a better school.

Or even more beneficial, educate and create knowledge for the little ones yourself. 

Not out of the realms of possibility - for anyone. 

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, peter zwart said:

Not much choice. This one is already the best in the neighborhood 

Then move to a place where your kids can get a better education, I did.

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, peter zwart said:

If Thailand wants to move forward, it will have to drastically improve education. I wonder if the surrounding countries are making progress in education and general development. If that's the case, things look bleak for Thailand's future.

I don't think you can judge future progress by one school. My niece is learning online and seems to be kept busy with it most days...

 

Where I lived in USA education was atrocious. Rural kids barely had any knowledge of anything especially things like geography... even attendance was barely a requirement. One employee at mid day told me she would have no idea where her 15 yr old son might be now... 

[mtls2005]

There have been 21 education ministers in the last 18 years.

 

The previous education minister is a convicted felon currently out on bail. He was educated in the U.S.

 

The MoE "spends" a massive amount per student. With declining results. I think the 2020 budget was close to 480 BILLION baht. Probably fewer than 15 satang of each baht reaches students.

 

Thai teachers are extended an endless supply of loans and are massively in debt (as a group). They need to get bailed out about as often as farmers.

 

So many "Thai-style" functions, from government to democracy to education to flag carrier, are merely meant to look good, and provide for graft and corruption on an epic scale.

 

Thai education is not in reverse. It's already rolled backwards, off a cliff, lays in flames at the bottom of the ravine, while the driver has done a runner after claiming "brake failure".

 

 

The goal of education here is to instill fear, respect and subservience. The last thing they want is an educated populace, who then start asking pesky questions. Been there, done that. The PtB have co-opted the social system, including education which is beyond repair, as was their goal.

 

 In theory they should have resumed formal education where they left off, but that will NEVER happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DavisH]

Not all schools are the same - I now at least one that is running a full 8 period schedule for primary students online (my school is doing 5 classes a day). Plus lots of homework to do. But it seems a number of students are not actually doing the work - the parents or tutors are doing it.

[SidJames]

8 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

There have been 21 education ministers in the last 18 years.

 

The previous education minister is a convicted felon currently out on bail. He was educated in the U.S.

 

The MoE "spends" a massive amount per student. With declining results. I think the 2020 budget was close to 480 BILLION baht. Probably fewer than 15 satang of each baht reaches students.

 

Thai teachers are extended an endless supply of loans and are massively in debt (as a group). They need to get bailed out about as often as farmers.

 

So many "Thai-style" functions, from government to democracy to education to flag carrier, are merely meant to look good, and provide for graft and corruption on an epic scale.

 

Thai education is not in reverse. It's already rolled backwards, off a cliff, lays in flames at the bottom of the ravine, while the driver has done a runner after claiming "brake failure".

 

 

The goal of education here is to instill fear, respect and subservience. The last thing they want is an educated populace, who then start asking pesky questions. Been there, done that. The PtB have co-opted the social system, including education which is beyond repair, as was their goal.

 

 In theory they should have resumed formal education where they left off, but that will NEVER happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well said sir!

I have no idea what they will do with hoards of farm workers when farm work becomes completely mechanised or the hoards of factory workers when robots & AI take over that industry.