Why Thai education reform is a complete flop

[webfact]

 

By Jeerapa Boonyatus

 

The poor quality of Thai education has been a major national issue for decades. Many people in the education sector have attempted reform, by introducing a competency-based curriculum in the primary and secondary levels, instead of the 15-year-old, content-based curriculum.

 

In October 2021 the education ministry announced the timeline for the roll-out of the new system throughout the country, in the first semester of 2022 for elementary level in schools that were ready.

Everyone was hopeful and eager to try and test this new curriculum.

 

Dismay

 

Then, like a bolt from the blue, just 11 days before the first semester of 2022 was due to start, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told reporters that the government had decided to cancel the launch of a competency-based curriculum.

 

“We will continue to use the current curriculum. It is not the right time to change, as it will affect the publication of textbooks and will be a burden on teachers, parents and students during tough economic times like this. If it is changed, they will need to buy new textbooks, teachers also need new training, which will be an additional burden for them. Hence, there will be no curriculum changes”, said the deputy prime minister.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/why-thai-education-reform-is-a-complete-flop/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-05-08

 

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[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, webfact said:

Everyone was hopeful and eager to try and test this new curriculum.

I know we where hoping to see the new curriculum rolled out at the Wat School the stepdaughter goes to in BKK but as the article says it was not.  The Government Education Ministry program has had plenty of time to find new books and move forward.  My view is that they want to keep it as it is and not let the students truly learn what the world truly is about.  Students need to learn about world geography and world history, not just learn about the old Thailand and everything within the countries borders.  

 

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

[proton]

It is not universally poor, a few government schools are very good, as good as some private schools. But they charge large fees per term and they are very difficult to get into. eg Suankularb Wittayalai Thonburi a 'top tier innovative school' Excellent school, need to speak decent English to get in the door, and they don't take bribes to get your kid in!

Edited May 8, 2023 by proton

[bob smith]

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

“We will continue to use the current curriculum. It is not the right time to change, as it will affect the publication of textbooks and will be a burden on teachers, parents and students during tough economic times like this. If it is changed, they will need to buy new textbooks, teachers also need new training, which will be an additional burden for them. Hence, there will be no curriculum changes”, said the deputy prime minister.

herein lies the problem with this country.

 

with the dinosaurs in charge coming out with tripe like this I'm afraid to say there really is no hope for the average youth in Thailand.

 

So sad yet so predictable.

Edited May 8, 2023 by bogs smith

[connda]

It's a system that is founded on 'teaching' unquestioned compliance to authority and nationalism.
What any educational system needs to be founded on are the three R's:
Reading writing and arithmetic followed by STEM - Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. Those subjects require analytical skillsets that can't be learned via rote repetition with an emphasis on 'respect for your betters.'  Yet, that's pretty much what Thailand has.

[Adumbration]

47 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

No.  They will just beat her when she asks too many difficult questions.  You need to be ready for that.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

I know we where hoping to see the new curriculum rolled out at the Wat School the stepdaughter goes to in BKK but as the article says it was not.  The Government Education Ministry program has had plenty of time to find new books and move forward.  My view is that they want to keep it as it is and not let the students truly learn what the world truly is about.  Students need to learn about world geography and world history, not just learn about the old Thailand and everything within the countries borders.  

 

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

Encourage her to keep asking questions, and  challenging her teachers. They need to be challenged, as they are a big part of the problem. 

 

The biggest part of the problem is the government's desire NOT to improve education. Support the elite and keep labor prices low, by keeping the people poorly educated. 

[ikke1959]

There is no education reform...never was and will not come... books are the same as 25 years ago in same lettertype and pics..and questions in the class are not common, as in meetings for teachers they will not open their mouth, because it is not tradition, and kids have to keep traditions more than open their minds...Of course.. brainwash them at an early age to handle them when they are adults and they can still ruling the country as it always has been.. No progression... as they write themselves... changes are a burden

[Sydebolle]

Wissanu Krea-ngam and his cronies are the main reason, why nothing is supposed to happen. 

If you throw out all teachers and school books, revamp the entire education system to the late 20th or 21st century levels, it would take at least 1 to 1 ½ generations to kick in. By then all those beneficiaries of uneducated labour and uneducated electorate (unable to understand basic processes) will do everything possible to keep the status quo.

It is an absolute disgrace, that the filthy rich oligarchs and eliterian phooyays can literally do what they want while 90% (or even more) of the population remains conveniently unknowledgeable. 

Take languages; Thais love cartoons and weekends are cartoon sessions for the kids as the parents cannot be asred to spend some quality time with their kiddies. If those cartoons would be broadcasted in their original language (Japanese or English), literally all children would understand both languages perfectly well. The writing can follow later but would do away with Ajarn Somchai teaching English who has not the slightest clue about the language apart from what a braindead editor published in the first place. 

Notepads have the 1x1s printed on the back cover; explains the fact, that Thailand must have the highest number of calculators per capita. Go figure ........ 

[1duckyboy]

Keep the young ignorant and they will grow up to be sheep.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Then, like a bolt from the blue, just 11 days before the first semester of 2022 was due to start, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told reporters that the government had decided to cancel the launch of a competency-based curriculum.

The education system is what it is as it serves the elites with indoctrinated robots, devoid of thought and a willingness to do what one is told without question.

The last thing Thailands elites want are free thinking educated questioning young people.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, connda said:

What any educational system needs to be founded on are the three R's:
Reading writing and arithmetic followed by STEM - Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. Those subjects require analytical skillsets that can't be learned via rote repetition with an emphasis on 'respect for your betters.'  Yet, that's pretty much what Thailand has.

That's what the elites and the government wants.

[Photoguy21]

2 hours ago, proton said:

It is not universally poor, a few government schools are very good, as good as some private schools. But they charge large fees per term and they are very difficult to get into. eg Suankularb Wittayalai Thonburi a 'top tier innovative school' Excellent school, need to speak decent English to get in the door, and they don't take bribes to get your kid in!

My daughter went to Wittayalai here in Bangkok. She had a good education there.

[dinsdale]

Corruption to a maximum, classrooms in most state and all tessaban and wat scools basically the same as they were mid 20thC where chalk, blackboards and fans are the highest level of technology, way to many students per class, not enough teachers, overworked teachers etc which is the complete opposite of the elite government schools, elite private schools and international schools. It is all about maintaining the status quo of the minority owning the majority. Reform in education is the same as getting rid of corruption. Those who can change will not because it's their power, wealth and status that will be affected.

[mrfill]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

If it is changed, they will need to buy new textbooks, teachers also need new training, which will be an additional burden for them.

Which means they don't want to spend any money and the teachers are too idle to learn a better method of teaching.

And that's the problem in a nutshell.

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Which means they don't want to spend any money and the teachers are too idle to learn a better method of teaching.

And that's the problem in a nutshell.

Succinct and on-point. Thank you for the concise post.

[HappyExpat57]

It doesn't matter what curriculum they put out, it doesn't matter how high quality teachers they hire, until they perform a cranial assendectomy on the whole system and remove that "All Pass" garbage, then all else is smoke, mirrors, and bullsh!t.

 

Students figure it out by the time they turn 10. When they see the drooling idiot sitting next to them in class get grades the same or just slightly lower than theirs, they realize there is no point in trying. By age 12, they check out mentally. I had one sumbitch student would literally put his feet up on his desk and daydream away. He knew he was going to work at the family business after he "graduated" and there wasn't one damned thing I could do about it. The Thai admins told me to ignore him.

[SunsetT]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I know we where hoping to see the new curriculum rolled out at the Wat School the stepdaughter goes to in BKK but as the article says it was not.  The Government Education Ministry program has had plenty of time to find new books and move forward.  My view is that they want to keep it as it is and not let the students truly learn what the world truly is about.  Students need to learn about world geography and world history, not just learn about the old Thailand and everything within the countries borders.  

 

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

Spot on. As with only lip service being paid to teaching English. They want to keep most of the Thai population blinkered and stupid...More easily controlled. More easily manipulated. More easily exploited for cheap labour.

 

I was previously excited about the internet opening their minds but sadly it is 99% Thai content + inane tic tok type garbage that they now imbibe through their drug, i.e.., their phones.

[Mavideol]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I know we where hoping to see the new curriculum rolled out at the Wat School the stepdaughter goes to in BKK but as the article says it was not.  The Government Education Ministry program has had plenty of time to find new books and move forward.  My view is that they want to keep it as it is and not let the students truly learn what the world truly is about.  Students need to learn about world geography and world history, not just learn about the old Thailand and everything within the countries borders.  

 

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

very similar to autocratic/dictatorship regimes around the world.... they don't like their citizens to learn much, knowledge it's considered a dangerous tool  (China, Russia, NK, Afghanistan, Myanmar just to mention a few) btw on a different thread/post there was somebody asking why his Thai GF didn't know any history

 

Does your Thai partner know much about history outside of Thailand?

[zzaa09]

4 hours ago, connda said:

It's a system that is founded on 'teaching' unquestioned compliance to authority and nationalism.
What any educational system needs to be founded on are the three R's:
Reading writing and arithmetic followed by STEM - Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. Those subjects require analytical skillsets that can't be learned via rote repetition with an emphasis on 'respect for your betters.'  Yet, that's pretty much what Thailand has.

From personal observation, the educational system[s] has been bogged down by indifference and callousness for generations. Seeking instead stumbling through the motions of perpetual meritocracy. Nothing of encouraging an independent or critical thought skill set, lesser about education and expanded open curiosity. 

 

Can't reform if there isn't a base for reformation. 

Your first sentence of the succinct above paragraph describes everything one needs to know. 

Unfortunately, that deeply instilled patronage aspect isn't gonna change. 

[bamnutsak]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

told reporters that the government had decided to cancel the launch of a competency-based curriculum.

So it's back to the Incompetency-based curriculum.

 

The absolute last thing Thai society, and the regime which oversees Thailand, wants is an educated population.

 

I'm amazed they teach them to read and write.

 

 

 

 

[Nsp64]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I know we where hoping to see the new curriculum rolled out at the Wat School the stepdaughter goes to in BKK but as the article says it was not.  The Government Education Ministry program has had plenty of time to find new books and move forward.  My view is that they want to keep it as it is and not let the students truly learn what the world truly is about.  Students need to learn about world geography and world history, not just learn about the old Thailand and everything within the countries borders.  

 

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

I feel your pain.

I'm in a similar situation. 

The Teachers are the problem in all thai schools.

They like the self-importance and power they feel they have 

Keep the kids dumb and sumissive.

[proton]

18 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

very similar to autocratic/dictatorship regimes around the world.... they don't like their citizens to learn much, knowledge it's considered a dangerous tool  (China, Russia, NK, Afghanistan, Myanmar just to mention a few) btw on a different thread/post there was somebody asking why his Thai GF didn't know any history

 

Does your Thai partner know much about history outside of Thailand?

They teach world history at Suankularb Wittayalai with European text books, in English. All schools need to be brought up to the best levels, with a lot of present nonsense just cut out, too many games, marching about and dressing up in various uniforms etc.

[newnative]

Just no will to make the major changes needed.  Thailand is falling behind all of the other Asian countries--it gets worse each year.  Gross incompetence.  I still remember the cave rescue.  The only player who could speak English was a non-Thai.  So embarrassing for Thailand--or it should have been if they could be embarrassed.  

[Thingamabob]

Sadly millions of talented Thais over many generations have been denied the chance to realise their potential. I fear this will not change any time soon.

[kickstart]

The problem as I see it kids are not taught to think for them self's some years ago one Minsters of Education stood up and said we will teach the kid to think for them self's 6 weeks later he changed his mind, we will stick to the old curriculum, as a English teacher friend of mine said , thinking has been postponed.

Just like the op said this Competency- Based curriculum now been postponed.

My example as 20 years ago now how many other ideas have been talked about but never brought into the curriculum, thing will not change for a long while.

[dinsdale]

4 hours ago, mrfill said:

Which means they don't want to spend any money and the teachers are too idle to learn a better method of teaching.

And that's the problem in a nutshell.

By new, sorry "better" method of teaching you obviously mean 21st Century teaching. Try doing that in a mid 20th Century classroom with 40 odd kids, a blackboard and some chalk. Sadly there are always people who blame the teachers but have no idea what the teachers have to do and have to put up with. As for money being spent education has the highest budget. Sadly a great deal of it ends up in pockets filtering down from the top. Education is a business here. School Directors buy their positions. 

[Srikcir]

Education appears not to have been fully appreciated by the Prayut regime as (macrotrends.net) a percentage of total general government expenditures on all sectors ( healthcare, education, social services, etc.).

2021 was about 14.5% compared to about 18.4% in 2017. 

This suggests a "Take from Peter to pay Paul" budget shift to other sectors like healthcare that the government promised to better fund. But without any increase to total government funding. 

[BusyB]

9 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I know we where hoping to see the new curriculum rolled out at the Wat School the stepdaughter goes to in BKK but as the article says it was not.  The Government Education Ministry program has had plenty of time to find new books and move forward.  My view is that they want to keep it as it is and not let the students truly learn what the world truly is about.  Students need to learn about world geography and world history, not just learn about the old Thailand and everything within the countries borders.  

 

The internet has opened up the step-daughters eyes and she readily asked questions and watches stories about the different countries.  Happy she will be starting class next week finally as she will keep her teachers on there toes with questions, or maybe they will try and close her eyes and ears and tell her what she has seen is all fake.

Indeed - teach them the 3Rs, English and how to use the Internet effectively. Then they can ignore the 'education' BS. Just like I did all those years ago ????

(Having said that I did excel in the 3Rs, picked up a lot on the side even though I was basically a refusenik disruptor who left at 15, and got a degree at 52 - which was the right time for me.)

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Encourage her to keep asking questions, and  challenging her teachers.

Challenge her teachers, if and when they ever show up to class. Biggest prob at the schools I taught at was that the Thai teachers were hardly there.

 

They might write as assignment on the board, or drop off some worksheets, then take off to leave the kids to their own devices in the classroom all day, which is why they develop such behavioral problems. The teachers then hang out in the office, play on FB, browse through online shopping, take off to run errands, or are occupied by silly school chores like planning the decor for some event.

 

Of course the farang teachers aren't allowed to do that, they're some of the only teachers left to provide real classes, which is quite difficult when all the other teachers have given them free time.