1 minute ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Not just teachers, the whole population. 

Out of interest, do you have any Thai friends?

19 hours ago, nikmar said:

Exactly, Thailand fails it's children from the very start of their lives, this just highlights the fact.

This entrenches cumulative disadvantage across their lifespan , resulting in poverty, mental illness, and poor employment opportunities

You can't revamp the education system here, lest you uncover truths of the origins of their language, their history and their culture.

 

Thus, it can not be allowed to happen. 

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Out of interest, do you have any Thai friends?

Several, most of them educated abroad, funnily enough. Sort of proves my point. 

 

Are you suggesting their education system isn't failing the population? The evidence is overwhelming that it most certainly is. 

 

20 hours ago, webfact said:

..... is far more important than getting to the truth or understanding anything. 

It sounds like the teachers have been attending the "Prayut and Anutin School of Enforced Beliefs", lol.

Sad for the kids, but I can't see matters changing for the better in any important way in the foreseeable future.

19 hours ago, giddyup said:

Never forget when I was 12 asked the teacher what was the population of the world, and the whole class including him broke into uproarious laughter, like I'd asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. Bottom line was he didn't know so had to make me look like an idiot. At least I didn't get whacked for it.

I've always remembered at my school in London asking if the cables running in the underground railway tunnels contained phone wires. The teacher said she didn't know and would find out. She did, and they do. Imagine a teacher in Thailand saying 'I don't know'. Impossible.

 

And along those lines, my wife studied at uni to be a teacher of English, and she showed me a 10 page list of exam questions. I counted something like 60 errors, corrected them, my wife gave it to the professor - who just thew it in the bin. And what she was being taught to teach was completely useless. It was highly technical, and I as a professional writer couldn't understand most of it. I imagine it is what might be taught at uni in the UK, advanced English, but if kids were shown that they'd just give up. All they needed to know was the basics and how to spell and pronounce and put sentences together. What she was being told to teach did none of that.

19 hours ago, giddyup said:

No. Years before the internet, so maybe the answer wasn't readily available.

You think? Although, as an educator, I would have replied with stating an "approximate" billion number while explaining that the number is constantly changing. A teachable moment to ask students what sort of things influence population ... war, famine, disease, etc. Depends, of course, on the age of the students as to how much depth to explore. Get them thinking, questioning at whatever age.

19 hours ago, worgeordie said:

That's the BIG problem here 

regards Worgeordie

Yep, if they can't question the teacher it's hard to be sure they have understood the lesson and since most of them won't do homework that's set during the semester, preferring to wait until the week before the final exams to do it all, it's kinda hard to be sure they've actually learned anything. That being said, hitting the kid! Really? I grew up at a time where that was acceptable from teachers but that was long ago. Obviously no one taught the teacher to say "Sorry, I don't know, I learned this stuff the way you are so I don't have any more knowledge." Preferable to lashing out.

14 hours ago, Andycoops said:

And with most children having hardly been at school for the last 2 years a lost generation because of the complete incompetence of the government, teachers and it's pathetic curriculum.

It isn't incompetence. It's deliberate.

13 hours ago, Emdog said:

I was a teacher & one of my main goals was getting students to ask questions. Teachers here hate questions because they have no idea what the answer may be and are insecure in their ignorance.

My job was not to be "the answer man"... I might say "That is a darn good question. I don't know the answer. Hmmm. How can we figure out the answer?" Asking questions and finding answers on your own is what education is about, in large part.

But not here

Curiosity is the mother of invention. Kids should be encouraged to be curious as part of their intellectual health. Questioning teachers, politicians, police is mandatory in order to find truth. 5000 years of the history of civilization - its science, its art, it's literature and it's history van be found on any student's phone. Is this important facet being utilised in our schools or is the telephone making our children intellectually lazy and producing a nation of drones?

1 minute ago, Flink said:

Yep, if they can't question the teacher it's hard to be sure they have understood the lesson and since most of them won't do homework that's set during the semester, preferring to wait until the week before the final exams to do it all, it's kinda hard to be sure they've actually learned anything. That being said, hitting the kid! Really? I grew up at a time where that was acceptable from teachers but that was long ago. Obviously no one taught the teacher to say "Sorry, I don't know, I learned this stuff the way you are so I don't have any more knowledge." Preferable to lashing out.

he challenge is that most Thai teachers have been teaching the same class over and over for  umpteen years and are not so much teaching as regurgitating the same lessons.  This also happens in Canadian schools or schools where the teacher teaches the same lessons over an over again.

 

If asked a question that they have never been asked beofre they get flustered.

 

Also while I am ot saying it is alright to  hit a student I would like to know more about the student.  A teacher hitting a student because they asked A question does not feel right to me.

 

I think there is probably a whole lot more to the situation most Thai teachers I know just ignore the question>

 

2 hours ago, gunnerterry said:

Some schools in Thailand are changing, the school I help to run is a 'new concept school' in it's 3rd year of opening. We teach and explain the '7-habits of leadership' from Stephen Covey which encourages the students to be leaders, ask questions, set goals and take control of their learning. Education is changing in Thailand..........albeit very slowly!

It might be a 'new concept' in Thailand, but it's about 100 years old in the real world.

1 hour ago, flyingfox1 said:

there will be cctv in school classrooms 

post the teacher hitting the kid and post it online so it can be publicly seen then beleive me their won’t be any further problems at that school or any other for that matter for a long time 

it’s the teacher needs a lesson actually 

Problem is, a camera, or cameras, in the classrooms would also show the behaviour of the kids (which can leave a lot to be desired from the older students) and that might cause parents to lose face if people get to see just how lazy/badly behaved their little prince or princess is. And since the parents pay for the director's new Mercs that will severely limit any chance of that being implemented.

19 hours ago, giddyup said:

No. Years before the internet, so maybe the answer wasn't readily available.

A side point, the teacher could have said:

 

- 'That's a good question, it's todays social studies homework, answer to be handed in the morning after tomorrow.'

 

 

 

Is it true that teacher's must never grade a student below 50%? That is all pass their exams.

53 minutes ago, Guderian said:

It sounds like the teachers have been attending the "Prayut and Anutin School of Enforced Beliefs", lol.

Or a similar "centre of learning excellence" based in Moscow??

 

When my wife was a little girl she and her twin sister got their hands whacked every week for not having the right shoes on. The family was too poor to buy them. Looks like not much has changed. 

Sadly, todays school teachers were kept uneducated by their school teachers, who were kept uneducated by their school teachers, who were.........

Rote learning of incorrect educational pillars has been going on since Thailand began. Have you ever ever heard of a student failing to pass an exam?

It is a case of the blind leading the blind.

There is no outside world to the average Thai.

The aged military educated junta has simply exposed this even more by being scared of students and foreigners.

I see little change in the short or long tern.

3 hours ago, dogfish180 said:

I could imagine a lot of Thai teachers don't want questions, as they cannot provide answers! 

That reminds me of my schooling.   A private school for the sons of gentle folk.  The teachers were useless , the head master got respect and so did the PE teacher as he could wield a gym slipper across the rear.

Another teacher was queer , not PC these days I know. He said I was growing up to be a teddy boy like my brother. Another teacher said ' A sentence cannot begin with and '   And why is that sir I asked. Yep , a dreadful place , my school cap ended up on the White Hart pub sign a 100 yards from the school.  The place was pulled down in 1964 I think.

20 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Unfortunately, daring to ask questions to/of people in authority is one of the fundamental things that Thai schools aim to stamp out of Thai youth, sometimes quite literally as this story proves.

 

Think where that could lead. First teachers being questioned, then civil servants, then police, then politicians, where could it end??? 

 

It's not like the PM sets a good example of how to behave maturely when he is questioned.

 

Yes, unfortunately he is the leader here. If not for that, I would never suggest he be an example for the nation, as he is obviously cursed with highly stunted emotional growth. He is not an example to anyone, on any level. And he is not much of a PM, as he has no leadership skills.

 

If the people could raise their voice, question him, and criticize him to his face, they would likely say:

You continue with your daily lies, and you are at a stage where nobody in this nation, other than some of the generals and cabinet ministers take you seriously anymore. You have undermined your own credibility time and time again, with bad information, fake news, broken promises, and terrible leadership. Do you even know what the definition of leadership is? 

True leaders really are in the service of their people. True leaders act with integrity and in doing so they establish trust. True leaders genuinely value their people and in doing so they create loyalty. True leaders are in the business of assisting people to realize their full potential, and in doing so they inspire excellence. Nobody can demand respect, loyalty or trust, like you constantly do. These things have to be earned. There are no short cuts, no way to cheat the process. Great leaders have integrity and truly value their people. And you do not inspire confidence, as you have never had any follow up in your weak game, you are highly insincere, and grossly incompetent and under qualified for the job. One would think after 7 plus years you have had time to learn. That does not appear to be the case. Prayuth, you are a terrible leader. 

 

 

3 hours ago, dogfish180 said:

I could imagine a lot of Thai teachers don't want questions, as they cannot provide answers! 

I remember about a decade ago math teachers were given the same test they give their students, as an experiment. 86% failed their own test! This kind of thing not only boggles the mind, but it demonstrates what terrible hands the students are in. The vast majority of teachers here are total incompetents. No wonder they do not want to be questioned. However, how can a society grow, mature, develop, and expect dynamic young kids, with a policy like this?

 

Are they planning a dark future? Or do they want to maintain control of the nation, in the hands of the few who can afford private school? A deliberately diabolical, sick, twisted, heinous, sadistic plan indeed. 

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It isn't incompetence. It's deliberate.

Exactly!  There is no possibility of change because EVERYONE at the top of the tree has a vested interest in keeping the roots down in the dirt, and the lower limbs well pruned. An educated population is the very last thing they need or want, it is also why advice is never accepted from foreigners, unless there is no other choice, lest the plebs learn something they shouldn't.

 

It is blatantly obvious that most teachers are so ignorant, they don't realize how ignorant they are, and in Thai culture, the loss of face resulting from a demonstration of that is quite unacceptable. Hence, hit the child.

 

It is no irony that roadsigns are marked "Trough" instead of "Through"!

22 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

That’s why the rich send their kids OS

And perhaps the best option is any school in Singapore where the education pedgagy, all schools, is continuous 2 way interaction. 

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

Or a similar "centre of learning excellence" based in Moscow??

 

Thai Education Minister: Thai education resembles North Korea

 

The Education Minister and the North Korean Ambassador to Thailand mutually agreed that the education systems of both countries are rather similar and plan to develop ties by educational exchanges.
 
According to the  Office of the Minister Newsline, Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, the Thai Education Minister, his Deputy Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, and Permanent Secretary Suthasri Wongsamarn met with Mun Song Mo, the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea on Friday at Government House. 
 
The two agreed that the educational systems of both countries are similar. The similar elements include free 12-year basic education. Moreover, a few students from North Korea come to Thailand to study. 

 

https://prachatai.com/english/node/4495

23 hours ago, giddyup said:

Never forget when I was 12 asked the teacher what was the population of the world, and the whole class including him broke into uproarious laughter, like I'd asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. Bottom line was he didn't know so had to make me look like an idiot. At least I didn't get whacked for it.

Lucky you ... don't know when you were at school, but where I was sticks and slippers, and beatings till skin broke were fairly common. So was violence against teachers (wonder why?). That was back in the late 60s early 70s in the north east of England. Even I pushed a teacher backwards over a stool, but that was in self-defense as he kept trying to clout me across the face (he was an ex-boxer but I managed to keep blocking him). Then again I was at war with the system. Another story.

And that was a good school - Grammar-Tech.

23 hours ago, giddyup said:

Never forget when I was 12 asked the teacher what was the population of the world, and the whole class including him broke into uproarious laughter, like I'd asked the most ridiculous thing in the world. Bottom line was he didn't know so had to make me look like an idiot. At least I didn't get whacked for it.

In 1968 i remember reading at school the population of the world stood at 2,5 billion 

Now the world population  is around 7,5 billion 

We were told at school that there would be mass starvation due to over population . 

That has not happened . We were fed false news thankfully 

Technology has made the educators look fools 

What is the next on the list i wonder 

Very obvious how bad the education system is in Thailand when talking to people.....no knowledge of the outside world, no understanding of basic science and mechanics, and worst of all.....no curiosity about anything.

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Several, most of them educated abroad, funnily enough. Sort of proves my point. 

 

Are you suggesting their education system isn't failing the population? The evidence is overwhelming that it most certainly is. 

I worked in Thai institutions for 25 years it is failing in many areas.

 

My point was that you said all the Thai population(not just teachers) was " insecure in their ignorance". I take offence to that nd I'm sure your Thai friends/relatives would to. 

17 hours ago, Emdog said:

I was a teacher & one of my main goals was getting students to ask questions. Teachers here hate questions because they have no idea what the answer may be and are insecure in their ignorance.

My job was not to be "the answer man"... I might say "That is a darn good question. I don't know the answer. Hmmm. How can we figure out the answer?" Asking questions and finding answers on your own is what education is about, in large part.

But not here

Also "Face" is such an important thing in Thai culture. You can't have a teacher losing face because he / she does not know the answer to the questions.