Thai Language And Culture Courses

[Turok]

To all:

I attended the Thai Language and Culture Courses teacher training worskhop in Chiang Mai last week through ISAT. This qualifies me as a trainer to teach other foreign teachers in Thailand.

Total modules = 9

Hours = 20

Who must take these courses?

Foreign nationals registered to teach in Thailand after 2003 are required to complete the 20 hour course in order to continue teaching in Thailand. Teachers have 3 years to complete all 9 modules.

If you began working in Thailand in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 you must complete the courses by July 2009

For those teachers who started teaching in Thailand in 2007 you have until July 2010 to complete it.

And obviously each new year you will have 3 years to complete these courses.

If you are planning to never work again in Thailand after July 2009 or July 2010 then you don't need to take any courses.

Frankly speaking the course itself was interesting. The things that teachers will have to complete to show comptency were not difficult.

Schools will have to make arrangements for the trainers to teach these courses. I am qualified to teach all the courses. Could be a nice part time thing once a month to offer a course or two.

This is the latest info. It applies to the International schools and bilingual schools and foregners working in the Thai schools.

Turok

[alaina]

There are some exceptions in these new regulations, not all foreign teachers need to take all the courses, and some do not have to take any. I was told by my school that only a few of us would need to take the classes and that they had the information directly from the MOE. On the big teachers in Thailand message board I found this, which is what I was told as well:

Translation

The Teachers’ Council Thailand

Standards, Methods of Testing and Knowledge Evaluation of Foreigners Applying for Teacher Permits 2006

Clause 1: In this announcement, ‘permit applicant’ means foreigners who are applying for a teacher permit. ‘Foreigners’ means people not of Thai nationality.

Clause 2: Requirements in the testing and knowledge evaluation of foreign applicants for a teacher permit consist of the following:

2.1. Language and Thai culture.

2.2 Professional Ethics

2.3 Pedagogical Knowledge

(Translators note: ‘pedagogical knowledge’ is defined in another official document elsewhere and is omitted here for brevity and sanity)

Clause 3: Permit applicants who have at least one year of teaching experience must pass only 2.1 and 2.2 in the testing and knowledge evaluation requirements listed above and hold one of the qualifications that follow:

3.1 A degree related to Education, or;

3.2 A degree from another field and teacher registration from the applicant’s respective country or;

3.3 A degree from any other field and certification related to Education which took at least one year to complete.

Clause 4: In cases where the permit applicant holds a degree in a field other than Education and has at least one year of teaching experience, but does not have teacher’s registration from his/her respective country nor a certificate in the field of Education- which took at least one year to complete- the permit applicant must pass 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 in the testing and evaluation requirements listed above and here for convenience:

2.1. Language and Thai culture.

2.2 Professional Ethics

2.3 Pedagogical Knowledge

(Translators note: pedagogical knowledge is defined in another document elsewhere and is omitted here for brevity and sanity)

Clause 5: Upon the successful completion of the evaluation requirements listed in clauses 3 or 4, the permit applicant has within three years to lodge the application for a teacher permit. The application must be lodged with copies of the following documents…

Edited December 25, 2007 by alaina

[Turok]

Alaina:

You are correct on some points. Those teachers who do not have the educational background as teachers may take these courses to be licensed by the teachers council and receive a license as a teacher.

The course that I took is for licensed teachers. All the big schools and some of the smaller ones all sent representatives to undertake the teacher trainer course. Pattana, ISB, NIST, CMIS, St Stephens etc... The small language schools had no representatives. So perhaps you are correct in your statement. ISAT ran the program with reps from the MOE.

However, I have to say that this is a large undertaking for them with lots of paperwork. I can't see them really following this through to a T. I even questioned them about the dates of completition. And since most foreign teachers at the big schools don't stay longer than 2 years on 2 year contracts they do not need to take any courses!

The 5 days in Chiang Mai was nice though. I didn't mind mixing it up a bit on the schools dime.

We'll see how they enforce all of this. As we know, things in this country change daily.

Turok

Edited December 25, 2007 by Turok

[mopenyang]

Some categories of "teachers" in Thailand are specifically excepted from this requirement. The underlining is mine. :

"Section 43 The Profession of Teachers, Educational Institution Administrators and Education Administrators shall be a licensed Profession under this Act. Other licensed Professions shall be as stipulated in ministerial regulations.

No one shall practice a licensed Profession without a License under this Act, except in any of the following cases:

(1) Those occasionally providing knowledge to learners in any Educational Institution as guest educational lecturers;

(2) Those whose primary Profession does not relate to the teaching and learning process, but has the occasional duty to teach;

(3) Students, trainees or those with a practical training license apprenticing or training under the supervision of Professional Educators, subject to the criteria, procedures and conditions set forth by the Teachers Council of Thailand Board;

(4) Those arbitrarily offering educational courses;

(5) Those teaching in any learning center under the law governing national education or learning establishments arbitrarily operated by nonformal educational agencies, individuals, families, communities, community organizations, local administrative organizations, private organizations, Professional organizations, religious institutions, business establishments, hospitals, medical institutions, charitable shelters and other social institutions;

(6) Public and private instructors, Educational Institution Administrators and Education Administrators at the higher education level;

(7) Education Administrators of a level higher than educational districts;

(8) Other persons as designated by the Teachers Council of Thailand Board."

[wangsuda]

What about people who hold teaching certificates from other countries? Specifically, the PGCE from England or the teaching credential from America? Both require graduate work in education. Is this Thai thing on top of another country's teaching certificate?

[Turok]

wangsuda:

This is on top of your teachers license. All the big schools are ready for this and all sent reps. Just because you have a degree in education and a license from your home country does not discount you from the culture classes. You must take them. These courses have nothing to do with getting a thai teachers license which some people think. The courses are as follows:

Society and wisdom, Thai style government, Learning Thai as a second language, language and wisdom, Learning Thai customs and etiquette, Art drama music, Religion and beliefs, Educational Act 2546, Professional Standards

None of these course have to do with education, curriculum, and pedagogy.

Once again, this is a big undertaking and we will see how this plays out. The more informed and real schools will get their teachers in the courses.

What Aliana presented is for teachers who desire a teacher's license but who have never taken education courses or taught. The culture courses are something different.

I am just transmitting information from ISAT which is doing the courses.

Turok

[Ijustwannateach]

Yet another person/institution getting ready to cash in on "culture courses" ( :D ) , and yet another tacit offer of a "course" and a "training qualification" which doesn't actually come from a government source acknowledging that this *particular* "course" will genuinely satisfy the requirements for ALL, for ALL TIME. ISAT is not a government source. I wouldn't trust any secondary source on government policy, except as government policy applied to that one secondary source. Your mileage may vary.

[wangsuda]

Society and wisdom, Thai style government, Learning Thai as a second language, language and wisdom, Learning Thai customs and etiquette, Art drama music, Religion and beliefs, Educational Act 2546, Professional Standards

I believe the Ministry of Culture already handled this; they printed a booklet on how foreigners should act when in Thailand. The publication is free to download (http://www.m-culture.go.th/culture01/culture01-uploads/libs/document/b0773f58d1.pdf). Can't just read the book instead of paying you money?

None of these course have to do with education, curriculum, and pedagogy.

Which is a shame, because that is what's truly needed.