Is English being taught in the Thai schools?

[fredwiggy]

Just now, EVENKEEL said:

Subjecting your kid to a gov school is on you. There's EP schools which are not crazy expensive where math and science is taught in English and Thai. Also health is now in English also. My only concern is wasting time with social and history as it's mainly about doing art projects. Here in M 4 they decide which route to take regarding the hard classes.

I agree that there might be better schools here that actually teach things they need, along with learning English which can give them a better lifestyle if they choose to move to the west, but in the end, no matter what you've learned and how much you make, you're still going to be living here, which isn't a good place for girls especially.

 

Look at what they end up with and how much they make even if they choose to go to university. Many end up going back to their village with a degree which isn't earning them anything, which does happen everywhere, and their jobs here will still only earn them a fraction of what they will make in the west. Then what is their choices of a partner in life? Someone who looks at women as second class already, is a lot more likely to leave after a child is born, and will more likely not help in the support of that child. A bad choice in the west at least has them mandatory paying child support. They have a much better chance of finding someone who will be a better partner than here. 

[KhunLA]

17 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

Congrats. Chula BBA is considered tops. I must have sent hundreds of students to Chula and another few hundred to Thammsat. After some years Chula fell out of my favor. I'd always appreciated Thammsats politics ... Students that I taught and schools worked wete decidedly focused on Chula.

 

She will do well with a business degree from the university as well as the solid English skills that she already prossess.

 

You done good pa'

On her 3rd job since graduating.   From ฿30-55 at first job, to ฿65k to now ~฿100k a month salary.   Wants to retire early w/RE investments ... a chip off the ol' block  

[KhaoHom]

29 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I agree that there might be better schools here that actually teach things they need, along with learning English which can give them a better lifestyle if they choose to move to the west, but in the end, no matter what you've learned and how much you make, you're still going to be living here, which isn't a good place for girls especially.

 

Look at what they end up with and how much they make even if they choose to go to university. Many end up going back to their village with a degree which isn't earning them anything, which does happen everywhere, and their jobs here will still only earn them a fraction of what they will make in the west. Then what is their choices of a partner in life? Someone who looks at women as second class already, is a lot more likely to leave after a child is born, and will more likely not help in the support of that child. A bad choice in the west at least has them mandatory paying child support. They have a much better chance of finding someone who will be a better partner than here. 

 

Unless the student is dual passport moving west isn't a realistic option unless they are of the absolute highest academic caliber. Even then it's only the King's Scholars and a few international scholarships that provide a full ride / four year university without strings attached. Some that excel at uni have a tiny window of additional scholarships open - but grabbing a visa in a western country and moving there is generally speaking not going to happen.

 

Women have a fairly good crack at success in Bangkok.

 

All young people end up in mediocre universities receiving additional four years of poor education. Yes, they graduate and are often jobless and penniless and subject to return to their homes of country with nothing in hand. This is the fault of the government almost entirely directly and indirectly.

 

It's all about math, science. To not study someone along these tracks ... To not be involved in technology, sciences is nothing short of suicide.

 

I would highly advise Ss not interested in math and science to study and become an expert sales person. Companies will always need successful salespeople. Not marketing blah blah...but selling.

[EVENKEEL]

22 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I agree that there might be better schools here that actually teach things they need, along with learning English which can give them a better lifestyle if they choose to move to the west, but in the end, no matter what you've learned and how much you make, you're still going to be living here, which isn't a good place for girls especially.

 

Look at what they end up with and how much they make even if they choose to go to university. Many end up going back to their village with a degree which isn't earning them anything, which does happen everywhere, and their jobs here will still only earn them a fraction of what they will make in the west. Then what is their choices of a partner in life? Someone who looks at women as second class already, is a lot more likely to leave after a child is born, and will more likely not help in the support of that child. A bad choice in the west at least has them mandatory paying child support. They have a much better chance of finding someone who will be a better partner than here. 

My kid goes to school with a healthy mixture of kid's economic backgrounds. You have seriously rich parents, successful hardworking parents. Much different from the parents of gov schools where the father is missing. My kid's world is made up mostly of associating with the upper class kids and parents.

 

When she visits her Isaan roots, she is very aware of her privileged life. Had I not moved she would only know the Isaan life and what she sees on TV. Her only choice for a husband would be.....well you know...exactly what you described. 

[KhaoHom]

37 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

s. I must have sent hundreds of students to Chula and another few hundred to Thammsat

 

I would like to correct myself. Probably a total of 250 Under 200 to CU and the balance to Thammsat. Additional students to other professional programs and arts facilities.

[EVENKEEL]

36 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

I disagree. Some of the best schools and most competitive schools in the nation are in fact public schools.

 

Mor plai is standard for students to sort themselves out into various tracks. The basics of which are math/ science versus arts. They may also be shifted into classes by ability ( /1, /2 ...)

 

A huge issue that I had with many teachers was them incorporating art into their lessons. Thai students and all students love little art projects and they will waste unless amounts of time with it. Drawing a pretty picture or assembling some sort of project... How does one evaluate the English skills involved in that? Usually it has nothing to do with English.

 

Most likely Health is now being taught in English not to expand use of English, but because there are just so few teachers available to teach subjects in Thailand.

 

I believe that one of the reasons that there are so many foreign English teachers is that they simply do not have enough teachers with ANY English ability to teach the subject.

 

To your point I see a number of jobs and vacancies advertised for health and art teachers in English

You're correct in some elite gov schools for secondary students. 

 

My kid spends countless hours on stupid art projects for science and health. 

[fredwiggy]

14 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

Unless the student is dual passport moving west isn't a realistic option unless they are of the absolute highest academic caliber. Even then it's only the King's Scholars and a few international scholarships that provide a full ride / four year university without strings attached. Some that excel at uni have a tiny window of additional scholarships open - but grabbing a visa in a western country and moving there is generally speaking not going to happen.

 

Women have a fairly good crack at success in Bangkok.

 

All young people end up in mediocre universities receiving additional four years of poor education. Yes, they graduate and are often jobless and penniless and subject to return to their homes of country with nothing in hand. This is the fault of the government almost entirely directly and indirectly.

 

It's all about math, science. To not study someone along these tracks ... To not be involved in technology, sciences is nothing short of suicide.

 

I would highly advise Ss not interested in math and science to study and become an expert sales person. Companies will always need successful salespeople. Not marketing blah blah...but selling.

I was more referring to children who are half Thai and half another, which is a lot of the children here , especially those with foreign dads. They automatically are citizens of the foreign country so can go easily. You go to a school in the west your chances of finding a good job that pays many times more than here is great.

[fredwiggy]

12 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

My kid goes to school with a healthy mixture of kid's economic backgrounds. You have seriously rich parents, successful hardworking parents. Much different from the parents of gov schools where the father is missing. My kid's world is made up mostly of associating with the upper class kids and parents.

 

When she visits her Isaan roots, she is very aware of her privileged life. Had I not moved she would only know the Isaan life and what she sees on TV. Her only choice for a husband would be.....well you know...exactly what you described. 

That's another good reason I will move back. There are no guarantees that living in the west will get you a decent husband, as my own daughters had a few dickheads before they found a decent one, but the chances of finding one here is minute at best. 

[FolkGuitar]

I've been a teacher in Asia for half my life (but not teaching in Thai schools.) I have seen companies and schools hire people to teach English who;

... were not Native English Speakers.
... had serious speech impediments (stuttering, strong accents, etc.)

... had zero experience or training to be an educator.

... were taking the job just to stay in the country with a valid visa.

... had the 'idea' that they could communicate well, but in fact, didn't.

... nice 'kids,' but no idea how to reach people of a different culture.
Even as a university professor, I watched other lecturers show daily movies in French (to an English class,) another who just gave the students a 5-page writing assignment as their entire semester's work, and another who only wrote on the whiteboard, but never spoke in class... and this was university level!

 

That said, I've also met some of the finest ESL teachers! People who take their craft (yes, teaching is a craft) seriously, continually working to refine their skills. Educators, not job-fillers.

People who are in it for the outcome, not the income. Certainly not for the income. Not in Academia. 

The problem is universal, not just Thailand, although Thailand does take it to another level.