3 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

The Thai people I work with are way more skilled and knowledgeable than most people on this forum.

I cannot believe that there is a lack of educated people on this forum. Ill informed, yes and sometimes a little too well lubricated with a yawning gap between brain an mouth.

I have had quite a few conversations with Thai teachers and the common thread seems to be a fear of the little darlings when they raise their hand and ask "why".

Questions are not discouraged at all but teachers need to have their wits about them to give the correct answer.

Thai teachers are good but they are up against the rural lazy and occasionally missing parents who lack parental skills to encourage their kids to move forward in life. 

5 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

Thai teachers are good but they are up against the rural lazy and occasionally missing parents who lack parental skills to encourage their kids to move forward in life. 

This is true, but people like my sister-in-law desperately wanted her daughter to be educated here in Bangkok and it was stunningly awful. I talk to that girl and I know she's not dumb and she even has some sort of college degree, but she can barely read. Forget about having her read beyond two sentences - she just spaces out.

I think there's something that actively harms the students in the education system/culture here. Critical thinking and curiosity can't be taught because they are natural, but they can definitely be taken away and that seems to happen a lot.

This is neither new nor misunderstood... The educational system in this country has been broken for some time now. What's frustrating is that all we hear is talk, and hand wringing, without real change. Firstly... Make education compulsory and free through grade 12. Then look at the curriculum and everything else... New text books, better facilities (especially in Issan), better teachers, and most importantly, end the reliance on rote learning without the deep understanding of the underlying concepts. Then grade people rigorously (stop with this everyone passes mentality - where students are essentially passed regardless of their actual performance).

21 hours ago, blaze master said:

Those in power do not want an educated healthy population. They want more meat for grinder. 

 

General ignorance among own population, the biggest capital to the 0.1% of the kingdom.

46 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

I cannot believe that there is a lack of educated people on this forum. Ill informed, yes and sometimes a little too well lubricated with a yawning gap between brain an mouth.

I have had quite a few conversations with Thai teachers and the common thread seems to be a fear of the little darlings when they raise their hand and ask "why".

Questions are not discouraged at all but teachers need to have their wits about them to give the correct answer.

Thai teachers are good but they are up against the rural lazy and occasionally missing parents who lack parental skills to encourage their kids to move forward in life. 

One reason I joined AN (ThaiVisa) twenty some years ago was to learn about the ins and outs of the country.  At first I it was a very pleasant experience, but over the years it has become a free for all with many posters hurling insults with anyone that disagrees with them.  Now I have learned, albeit the hard way, who to avoid and when to stay out of the conversation.

6 hours ago, mogandave said:

The education my boy got/is getting from Thai schools is far superior to the education he’d have likely received in a California public school. 

 

 

Wow. I know nothing about the Californian education system, but that is shocking.

 

The Thai system is so rote oriented and Thai centric, I’m really surprised. I mean, the basic 3 R’s plus a bunch of stuff on Thai superstitions and scout groups and that’s about all I see in the Thai system. So California must be pretty bad.

 

Unless you are talking about some rough areas where gang related activities rule….we’ve all seen the movies.

 

My assumption is that California must be highly variable depending on where you live. Thailand is probably more uniform in its standards, but that standard is pretty low and myopic.

6 hours ago, carlf said:

Something that I've often noticed, and bemoaned, in several years in Thailand is that I rarely see any Thai person reading a book (paper or digital).  Almost everyone has their nose constantly in their telephone, with TicToc, FB or Instagram.  Rather sad.  Coming from France, I see the same thing amongst the youth in particular, but I do still see a reasonable amount of young French reading books.  Here in Thailand... virtually never.  A shame, and I fear that this is a symptom of this lack of education here.

I saw one yesterday, after 13 years of visiting and 2 years of permanently living in Thailand, reading a book on the MRT BL.

2 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

This is neither new nor misunderstood... The educational system in this country has been broken for some time now. What's frustrating is that all we hear is talk, and hand wringing, without real change. Firstly... Make education compulsory and free through grade 12. Then look at the curriculum and everything else... New text books, better facilities (especially in Issan), better teachers, and most importantly, end the reliance on rote learning without the deep understanding of the underlying concepts. Then grade people rigorously (stop with this everyone passes mentality - where students are essentially passed regardless of their actual performance).

Agreed, the system must be changed so that some can fail.  This at IGCSE/A-level in Govt. schools, even those with integrated curriculums.  Students fail IGCSE, & A-level yet get a 50% in the Thai system & still get into Chula.   Thinking specifically about a girl who was a passed in our school, and got into Chula yet if we (farang teachers had been allowed) it is highly likely she would have got close to Zero in all subjects except Thai.  Her father is very important politically & rich.

If the system does not change Thailand will be further reduced to irrelevance in ASEAN & the world.

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Wouldn't argue with that.....but  parents are the key, the driving force required to lift standards.

 

Parental involvement, ambition, cajoling kids to learn...........with that missing....which it is from my experience.....going to school is just something you do because you have to.

 

Chinese kids in 'poor' schools are often staggeringly successful......same school, same teachers...different parents

I agree, having taught for 6 years in Chinese schools.  The whole system of education drives kids in China to be successful: competition between themselves, their parents, their grandparents, the schools.  Many will face one of the worst exams in the world  - the GAOKAO.

If you fail this exam, your life prospects as an adult in China go down dramatically.  Everything will become far far more difficult.

The basics education system in Thailand has been in the dark ages for decades, their is a total lack of political will to change anything.

 

But of course they aren't interested in the future only about how much money they can make now.

 

The absurd rote system of learning isn't fit for purpose in the 21C.

 

The people who qualify as teachers who have to pay money to get a job in a local village school shows up the entire corrupt system that exists in the country for any government related job..

8 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Quite simple really - less teaching about Buddha and royal history and more actual education. Oh, and teachers must be allowed to fail kids - what good is an exam if a pass is guaranteed?

 

Its much the same as all the major issues here - road accidents etc. Just do things correctly, enforce the existing laws and stop the 'mai bpen rai' attitude.  But do the people actually want change?  I used to think that it was natural that they do, now I think they are the same as their government - just talk about it.

 

I think that's true for most societies. Trump is only interested in trade issues and thinks education is a waste of time, so to hell with the universities. The classic-minded Eastern Europe and Russia are very interested in the classic studies, like Foreign Languages, Art, Latin, Engineering, chess, and Mathematics. Now that is turning into business, and trading, just like Trump's America.

 

My grandsons go to the International school in Hua Hin, and read some English books (and comics!), but their iPads are their center in life, plus mom and dad.

8 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

"As for soft skills, things like communication, time management, organization, responsibility and critical thinking skills are woefully neglected... " I agree and there's more. Including the high school years students are not allowed to ask questions and in many cases the teachers just read (total rote learning) and don't ask the students questons. Analytical skills and the skill, even at a low level to present a scenario and then ask a question don't exist.

 

I lectured at several Thai universities (in English) for many years. I regularly presented a lecture with lots of details, many times students complained. I responded "I want you to know the correct answer and I want you to know why it's correct".

 

At almost very lecture (2 hrs) I reserved 30 minutes at the end for a small group case study. Students had to discuss / analyse in their small group and then present a list of points relevant to the actual case study.

 

At first some refusal along with 'this is not why I come to university'.

 

Many classes had perhaps 4 to 10 international exchange students who thrived on the case study / analysis approach. A couple of times Thai students asked the international students 'how do you know the answers, does the professr sell you a book of answers? 

You raise a few good points... but one of the most significant points many teachers raise is that one of the biggest problems in classes is to get them to participate, and speaking in group or pair work and practice.

Yes, there is a difference between teaching and lecturing and it's all about class size... once you get over 25 students in a class, then it's no longer teaching, and many unis and high schools have classes of like 50+. That's a lecture, as you can't monitor students and spend time with each one individually to help them progress... it's listen up and understand it or not, unless you want to ask questions, and good luck with that for most of them.

9 hours ago, blazes said:

Thing is, the older we farang expats get the more likely we will have to depend in our old age on services provided by all these unqualified, clueless, educational vagrants.

 

Robots are coming and will replace 50% in some countries and in Thailand hopefully 100%.  The uneducated unqualified complainers can return to their mommies and keep suckling their teets. 

9 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I'm in the US now and before I left I spoke with two Thai people about leaving and said I would be gone 6 weeks. Both of them paused to think for a moment then responded by how many months I was going to be gone and they were totally wrong. That's just two people but they were both in their 50s and didn't know how many months 6 weeks are.

 

Another one is a woman from a tiny village so I don't blame her but she asked if it was going to be cold now in America. Maybe she was thinking all "farang countries" are Australia and winter and summer months are inverted.

 

Many more stories over the years I've forgotten but education is clearly lacking in my experience.

 

While having dinner with a Thai woman at an open air restaurant one time, she pointed up at the moon and asked, “Can you see that from your country?”

 

She is now a government school teacher.

11 hours ago, uptome1946 said:

In Thai the word for curiosity is "yaak roo yaak hen" (want know want see).  This has a strong negative connotation and is said about a child who doesn't listen to his elders.  

Exactly.

11 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

"As for soft skills, things like communication, time management, organization, responsibility and critical thinking skills are woefully neglected... " I agree and there's more. Including the high school years students are not allowed to ask questions and in many cases the teachers just read (total rote learning) and don't ask the students questons. Analytical skills and the skill, even at a low level to present a scenario and then ask a question don't exist.

 

I lectured at several Thai universities (in English) for many years. I regularly presented a lecture with lots of details, many times students complained. I responded "I want you to know the correct answer and I want you to know why it's correct".

 

At almost very lecture (2 hrs) I reserved 30 minutes at the end for a small group case study. Students had to discuss / analyse in their small group and then present a list of points relevant to the actual case study.

 

At first some refusal along with 'this is not why I come to university'.

 

Many classes had perhaps 4 to 10 international exchange students who thrived on the case study / analysis approach. A couple of times Thai students asked the international students 'how do you know the answers, does the professr sell you a book of answers? 

My Vietnamese exchange students were far more fluent in English than the top Thai English Major students.  And after 3 years at the U. were better Thai language readers.

3 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

You raise a few good points... but one of the most significant points many teachers raise is that one of the biggest problems in classes is to get them to participate, and speaking in group or pair work and practice.

Yes, there is a difference between teaching and lecturing and it's all about class size... once you get over 25 students in a class, then it's no longer teaching, and many unis and high schools have classes of like 50+. That's a lecture, as you can't monitor students and spend time with each one individually to help them progress... it's listen up and understand it or not, unless you want to ask questions, and good luck with that for most of them.

"...biggest problems in classes is to get them to participate..."

 

I agree a big poblem. Many students are quite frightened re participation, because they have been seriously indoctrinated for many years that asking questions in class is extremely rude and even a suggestion that the teachers has just given a bad explanation. 

 

Totally not allowed. 

 

My own Thai son comapleted most of high shool in SIngapore (from a very young age he was fluent in Thai and English). 

 

From day 1 in sinagpore he experienced sudent centered teaching and learning / two way communication. STudents were continuously encouraged to ask questions / ask for clarification and the teacher always listened and ensured the elearning point was very clear.

 

From his high school grades in Singapore he  would have been readily accepted into NUS (National University of Singapore) but the Thai gov't doesn't accept graduates from outside of Thailand for his subject, so he came back to Bangkok to start university.

 

On day one of his uni studies in Bkk he raised his hand and said (in Thai) 'excuse me teacher' ( a theorback of his experience in Singapore).. The dragon class teacher up to him quickly and said strongly / aggressively 'what's your name?'

 

As he responded she had found his name on the class list (his first name is very Thai, his family name is very western). teacher started to yell his family name many times but with deliberate very awkward pronunciation. She kept this up for 1 or 2 minutes then said 'farang names are very ugly, when you get a nice Thai name then I will teach you'.

 

Came morning break outside of the class room and the other students got very angry with my son for not respecting the professor. 

 

Came mid terms exams, all conducted / marked by the dragon teacher, she failed him in every subject. Same again at end of semester. 

 

He really wanted to graduate from this program, no other Thai uni had the program / the contenthe he wanted to study. 

 

Day 1 second semester dragon professor ordered him outside of the room and said 'if you seriously apologize for your rudeness, on the floor,  you can continue but for mid term you cannot get a grade over B'. He apologized. 

14 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

90% of farang teachers outside top tier int'l schools are complict. They offer zero education to students. Absolute waste of time for students

 

* Same number of other foreign teachers SA, Philippines, Africans...95%

 

Thailand needs them only due to the dearth of English teachers and lack of teachers in general

 

Lazy, hapless. 35-45 and failed at everything? Overwhelmed by debt? Petty criminal? You can *teach* in Thailand!!

You have experience I think

12 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Thai state schools are unable by design to teach English or critical thinking skills. 

It is not only English it is in all subjects

9 hours ago, J Branche said:

Many problems to resolve.

First is most of the teachers don't have the necessary education, skills, and\or teaching tools.

 

Next is adequate school funding.  As far as I know from personally paying for schooling everyone must pay to go to school.  I don't believe there is any government assistance for children to go to school.  This needs to be addressed.  

 

Lastly does the government actually want to improve the education system 

As mentioned above this would be a huge task that would take a great team to accomplish.

 

Unfortunately I believe unless your sending your child to a quality private school it will be the same when the next generation graduates

IT has nothing to do with teachers.. Many teachers are very good in their job.. but the overloaded classrooms of 50 kids for 50 minutes lesson or 60.. What can you teach a kid in 1 minute??? Secondly the always pass law must be abolished asap... Kids are made being lazy and they know that not have to work and fight for to go to the next grade..Even if they fail they have to come to school to do a restest and because they come to school they are passed already....This policy creates lazy people.

 

 

The Government is educated the same for years and they know as soon as they change the system and kids start to think and learn they will see what is wrong in Thailand and the elite and the army will loose their power, so the Government pretends to change and worry about it, but only in words not in actions.

 

And it must be said that some people not educated as teachers can be better thann the educated teacher, but that is for every job... and foreigns teachers have a very very difficult job to do as it is not accepted that foreign teachers punish kids in any way....Believe me I have experience for 20 years here.

57 minutes ago, scorecard said:

"...biggest problems in classes is to get them to participate..."

 

I agree a big poblem. Many students are quite frightened re participation, because they have been seriously indoctrinated for many years that asking questions in class is extremely rude and even a suggestion that the teachers has just given a bad explanation. 

 

Totally not allowed. 

 

My own Thai son comapleted most of high shool in SIngapore (from a very young age he was fluent in Thai and English). 

 

From day 1 in sinagpore he experienced sudent centered teaching and learning / two way communication. STudents were continuously encouraged to ask questions / ask for clarification and the teacher always listened and ensured the elearning point was very clear.

 

From his high school grades in Singapore he  would have been readily accepted into NUS (National University of Singapore) but the Thai gov't doesn't accept graduates from outside of Thailand for his subject, so he came back to Bangkok to start university.

 

On day one of his uni studies in Bkk he raised his hand and said (in Thai) 'excuse me teacher' ( a theorback of his experience in Singapore).. The dragon class teacher up to him quickly and said strongly / aggressively 'what's your name?'

 

As he responded she had found his name on the class list (his first name is very Thai, his family name is very western). teacher started to yell his family name many times but with deliberate very awkward pronunciation. She kept this up for 1 or 2 minutes then said 'farang names are very ugly, when you get a nice Thai name then I will teach you'.

 

Came morning break outside of the class room and the other students got very angry with my son for not respecting the professor. 

 

Came mid terms exams, all conducted / marked by the dragon teacher, she failed him in every subject. Same again at end of semester. 

 

He really wanted to graduate from this program, no other Thai uni had the program / the contenthe he wanted to study. 

 

Day 1 second semester dragon professor ordered him outside of the room and said 'if you seriously apologize for your rudeness, on the floor,  you can continue but for mid term you cannot get a grade over B'. He apologized. 

I believe that, as I came into a class ans on the blackboard there were fractions... and before I started to wipe the blackboard I asked the class some answers for sums, and many said to me that they did not understand the fractions. So I put away my lesson and I started to teach them fractions and at the end of my hour all the students were happy as they understood and in rest of the year they always asked me as a game to practice fractions...Students in Thailand are not allowed to ask questions as the Thai teacher will loose face, but I always told them they could ask me anything and one of the most funniest things was a discussion with a student grade 3 about that the tomato was in fact a fruit and not a vegetable.. and whole class enjoyed it as he kept on saying it is a vegetable and I explained in many ways that is was a fruit. It was another day that students learned more in 1 hour than with a Thai teacher.

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

"...biggest problems in classes is to get them to participate..."

 

I agree a big poblem. Many students are quite frightened re participation, because they have been seriously indoctrinated for many years that asking questions in class is extremely rude and even a suggestion that the teachers has just given a bad explanation. 

 

Totally not allowed. 

 

My own Thai son comapleted most of high shool in SIngapore (from a very young age he was fluent in Thai and English). 

 

From day 1 in sinagpore he experienced sudent centered teaching and learning / two way communication. STudents were continuously encouraged to ask questions / ask for clarification and the teacher always listened and ensured the elearning point was very clear.

 

From his high school grades in Singapore he  would have been readily accepted into NUS (National University of Singapore) but the Thai gov't doesn't accept graduates from outside of Thailand for his subject, so he came back to Bangkok to start university.

 

On day one of his uni studies in Bkk he raised his hand and said (in Thai) 'excuse me teacher' ( a theorback of his experience in Singapore).. The dragon class teacher up to him quickly and said strongly / aggressively 'what's your name?'

 

As he responded she had found his name on the class list (his first name is very Thai, his family name is very western). teacher started to yell his family name many times but with deliberate very awkward pronunciation. She kept this up for 1 or 2 minutes then said 'farang names are very ugly, when you get a nice Thai name then I will teach you'.

 

Came morning break outside of the class room and the other students got very angry with my son for not respecting the professor. 

 

Came mid terms exams, all conducted / marked by the dragon teacher, she failed him in every subject. Same again at end of semester. 

 

He really wanted to graduate from this program, no other Thai uni had the program / the contenthe he wanted to study. 

 

Day 1 second semester dragon professor ordered him outside of the room and said 'if you seriously apologize for your rudeness, on the floor,  you can continue but for mid term you cannot get a grade over B'. He apologized. 

Pity it is impossible to sue the university.   That is so wrong on so many levels.

5 hours ago, Tord said:

I think that's true for most societies. Trump is only interested in trade issues and thinks education is a waste of time, so to hell with the universities. The classic-minded Eastern Europe and Russia are very interested in the classic studies, like Foreign Languages, Art, Latin, Engineering, chess, and Mathematics. Now that is turning into business, and trading, just like Trump's America.

 

My grandsons go to the International school in Hua Hin, and read some English books (and comics!), but their iPads are their center in life, plus mom and dad.

Trying to get Thai kids to read a book is really difficult.

13 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

The director at my school and I have spoken at length about this. With AI making a huge impact on jobs, we really don't know how many of these kids will ever get skilled enough at ANYTHING to be able to feed themselves. Disgustingly, several reputable sources are claiming YouTubers, TikToker, influencers, streamers, and online merchants are viable choices for future employment.

 

The world we live in . . .

The job market is always changing, whether those who are older appreciate it is usually not relevant.

36 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

The job market is always changing, whether those who are older appreciate it is usually not relevant.

 

Might also find that the skilled trade jobs don't disappear in Thailand and elsewhere, while educated white collar jobs do.

 

I get there are problems but I'd assume there has been progress over 20 years.   Let Thai's be Thai while navigating their own educational and cultural path.  Feels a little colonial this thread, although I get everyone's heart is in the right place and some may be trying to raise their own kids here.

 

Kids in western cultures ain't doing so hot either now days, educated or not.  

12 hours ago, Muhendis said:

I cannot believe that there is a lack of educated people on this forum. Ill informed, yes and sometimes a little too well lubricated with a yawning gap between brain an mouth.

I have had quite a few conversations with Thai teachers and the common thread seems to be a fear of the little darlings when they raise their hand and ask "why".

Questions are not discouraged at all but teachers need to have their wits about them to give the correct answer.

Thai teachers are good but they are up against the rural lazy and occasionally missing parents who lack parental skills to encourage their kids to move forward in life. 

They may well be “good” but I’m not so keen on the ones that physically assault the kids. Plenty of instances of THAT happening. And I never read about the teachers being sent to jail for it.

4 hours ago, scorecard said:

"...biggest problems in classes is to get them to participate..."

 

I agree a big poblem. Many students are quite frightened re participation, because they have been seriously indoctrinated for many years that asking questions in class is extremely rude and even a suggestion that the teachers has just given a bad explanation. 

 

Totally not allowed. 

 

My own Thai son comapleted most of high shool in SIngapore (from a very young age he was fluent in Thai and English). 

 

From day 1 in sinagpore he experienced sudent centered teaching and learning / two way communication. STudents were continuously encouraged to ask questions / ask for clarification and the teacher always listened and ensured the elearning point was very clear.

 

From his high school grades in Singapore he  would have been readily accepted into NUS (National University of Singapore) but the Thai gov't doesn't accept graduates from outside of Thailand for his subject, so he came back to Bangkok to start university.

 

On day one of his uni studies in Bkk he raised his hand and said (in Thai) 'excuse me teacher' ( a theorback of his experience in Singapore).. The dragon class teacher up to him quickly and said strongly / aggressively 'what's your name?'

 

As he responded she had found his name on the class list (his first name is very Thai, his family name is very western). teacher started to yell his family name many times but with deliberate very awkward pronunciation. She kept this up for 1 or 2 minutes then said 'farang names are very ugly, when you get a nice Thai name then I will teach you'.

 

Came morning break outside of the class room and the other students got very angry with my son for not respecting the professor. 

 

Came mid terms exams, all conducted / marked by the dragon teacher, she failed him in every subject. Same again at end of semester. 

 

He really wanted to graduate from this program, no other Thai uni had the program / the contenthe he wanted to study. 

 

Day 1 second semester dragon professor ordered him outside of the room and said 'if you seriously apologize for your rudeness, on the floor,  you can continue but for mid term you cannot get a grade over B'. He apologized. 

I told my daughter she could pick where she went to university, but not USA and not Thailand. She picked a European country.

On 7/31/2025 at 10:08 AM, Sir Dude said:

Well, not a huge surprise as Thailand's education system is still stuck in the past regarding student development and methodology, and all the rest. It all goes wrong in high school as it's just 6 years of brainwashing nonsense and conditioning... and by the time they reach university, it's generally too late for most, but not all.

In today's modern world, you need both hard skills and soft skills, but the focus here is always on hard skills. However, in the incoming AI influenced future, many are not being skilled properly for the oncoming change. As for soft skills, things like communication, time management, organization, responsibility and critical thinking skills are woefully neglected... and that just makes many of the graduates not fit for purpose.

If you want a successful society and business environment, then you have to encourage free-thinking and innovation... not traditional dogma and conditioning so that it serves the elite. You have to make a choice and we all know which one is chosen here... you reap what you sow.

I was employed a few years in a large Thai business, where many of my Thai colleagues were issued from affluent middle or even upper classes and had supposedly the best education, including often years abroad (UK, USA and so on). I noticed that most could not "think out of the box". Also, struggled when having to consider uncertainties and multiple scenarios, mapping out decision trees.

 

I have lived close to 20 years in a village up country. What I noticed is that most people around tend to take things at face value and have very little sense of abstraction.

 

My wife's elder son, from a previous marriage, was said to be an excellent student. When he prepared for exams to access higher education, he asked me to help. He had a long list of logics and general knowledge questions. With a question such as "We have an elephant, a gas cooker, a tomato and a river : which one is a fruit?", he hesitated. I showed him how to proceed by elimination, which in this case leaves the tomato as the only possible choice, even if one always thought it was a vegetable. (I just made up the question, I cannot remember the actual ones). He had never heard of that approach!

 

Basically, Thai education lacks badly in one aspect : students do not learn how to learn.

1 hour ago, gejohesch said:

I was employed a few years in a large Thai business, where many of my Thai colleagues were issued from affluent middle or even upper classes and had supposedly the best education, including often years abroad (UK, USA and so on). I noticed that most could not "think out of the box". Also, struggled when having to consider uncertainties and multiple scenarios, mapping out decision trees.

 

I have lived close to 20 years in a village up country. What I noticed is that most people around tend to take things at face value and have very little sense of abstraction.

 

My wife's elder son, from a previous marriage, was said to be an excellent student. When he prepared for exams to access higher education, he asked me to help. He had a long list of logics and general knowledge questions. With a question such as "We have an elephant, a gas cooker, a tomato and a river : which one is a fruit?", he hesitated. I showed him how to proceed by elimination, which in this case leaves the tomato as the only possible choice, even if one always thought it was a vegetable. (I just made up the question, I cannot remember the actual ones). He had never heard of that approach!

 

Basically, Thai education lacks badly in one aspect : students do not learn how to learn.

I believe it is called "process of elimination."  

On 8/1/2025 at 8:16 AM, mogandave said:

The education my boy got/is getting from Thai schools is far superior to the education he’d have likely received in a California public school. 

 

Wow! That is a surprise.