A school in Nakhon Sawan is at the center of an online controversy, prompted by a viral video featuring two British women, who were mistaken as unqualified English teachers.

 

The video, shared extensively across social media platforms, particularly TikTok and Twitter, triggered a wave of criticism and instigated a broader discussion online, reported Sanook.

 

Principal Winyu Mektrirat has provided clarification, asserting that the two British women are not hired teachers but are, in fact, volunteers contributing to a cultural exchange program.

 

Their affiliation with the school is part of a formal agreement between the educational institution in Nakhon Sawan and a state agency in the United Kingdom.

 

The issue has attracted a variety of criticisms. The two foreign women featured in the controversial clip addressed the criticisms of their behaviour. They stated, “We work until we earn enough to cover our ticket expenses from London, approximately 45,000 baht, plus we receive free daily meals and are provided with decent accommodation.”

 

The viral clip, though authentic, was accompanied by misleading captions, leading to a widespread misunderstanding of the British volunteers' roles.

 

Both the school and the volunteers have expressed regret over the confusion and are keen on emphasizing their ongoing commitment to fostering educational and cultural ties between Thailand and the UK.

 

This bilateral initiative not only enriches the global perspective of the Thai students but also enhances their English language proficiency, thanks to the direct interaction with native English speakers from the UK.

 

The volunteers' stay at the Nakhon Sawan school is heralded as instrumental in elevating the students' linguistic capabilities and cultural awareness.

 

Picture: Sanook

 

-- ASEAN NOW 2023-09-29

 

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9 hours ago, webfact said:

This bilateral initiative not only enriches the global perspective of the Thai students but also enhances their English language proficiency, thanks to the direct interaction with native English speakers from the UK.

So why not give them a real teachers job?

"Principal Winyu Mektrirat has provided clarification, asserting that the two British women are not hired teachers but are, in fact, volunteers contributing to a cultural exchange program ..."

 

Do they have the required visa?

Sounds more like go on holiday and teach for free at a Thai school food and boarding supplied plus learn Thai culture as well 

57 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So why not give them a real teachers job?

If they did that they would have to pay them real salaries and they would need to get real temporary teaching permits... My guess is the school opted to take them on this way so they could save alot of money as well as paperwork.. I have seen schools hire foreigners and make them teach but in their contracts they are not hired as teachers but instead are volunteers. Makes a big difference with immigration until they are caught actually teaching a class. 

Well, the local alternative might be a touch of mishandling the kids by slapping, whipping, dashing, lashing or flogging.

Those semi-divine teachers, Khun Kroo, are - by all accounts - not native speakers of the language.

Explains the present disastrous level of foreign languages spoken by the 20 - 30 years old and much worse among the younger ones ???? 

The following entertaining clip wraps it up quite nicely on what might go on in Thai classrooms when English is being taught ???? 
https://youtu.be/Ep-l8B8nNb8?t=60 

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So why not give them a real teachers job?

Perhaps because the school would have to get mixed up in work permits (which they should already have even working as volunteers )

I think they should either kick them out or not kick them out.

On 9/29/2023 at 6:54 PM, Sydebolle said:

Well, the local alternative might be a touch of mishandling the kids by slapping, whipping, dashing, lashing or flogging.

Those semi-divine teachers, Khun Kroo, are - by all accounts - not native speakers of the language.

Explains the present disastrous level of foreign languages spoken by the 20 - 30 years old and much worse among the younger ones ???? 

The following entertaining clip wraps it up quite nicely on what might go on in Thai classrooms when English is being taught ???? 
https://youtu.be/Ep-l8B8nNb8?t=60 

Very funny. Just send it to my Thai partner who is a retired teacher of English. She was not impressed.

british english teachers will do more harm than good...????

On 9/29/2023 at 3:29 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

nope...this is a common scam.......school gets free labor and site get membership money

 

https://www.workaway.info/

 

now find the fine print about doing this without visa....as I did this in vietnam....slave labor

It's called building up international working experience, that can be helpful, when later on graduating, and starting career. But yeah, depends how you look at it, why would one apply anyway if it is not benefiting or nice. 

Did always surprise me how expensive it was, only due to cost, I had to turn it down myself in younger student years. But this was somewhere in africa.

 

And no, not as a teacher, just in IT.

8 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

british english teachers will do more harm than good...????

At least they can speak English not like the Yanks do

I can't remember when it was, about 10-15 years ago but there was a push to get rid of English teachers.

11 hours ago, still kicking said:

At least they can speak English not like the Yanks do

well, so many incomprehensible accents in england that they had to come up with received pronunciation or else you would have been doomed. BTW i aint a yank