Need Advice For Education Of Thais

[jasonc]

I've been paying for 2 of my wife's sisters to complete higher education. I understand they completed their "first half" of High school in Kanchanaburi when they were in their early teens. Now they are in their early 20s. The school they picked in Bangkok is called "Dusit Commercial College". I was under the assumption that completion of this college earned them the equivalent of an "associates degree" however I've also heard that this "Commercial College" is really a continuing of a general High School program i.e . the "second half".

My goal in pushing these girls through a better education is to get good jobs and thus support future kids in the family through a similar path. They understand and share the same drive.

The older sister just completed 3 years at Dusit Commercial College. She graduates this month. I'm proud of her and am pushing her to continue her studies. She has a few schools picked out but they are schools that I am unfamiliar with called "Rachamongkhon Technology University" or "Siam Technology Institute" for a program that can be completed in only 2 years. I asked her why not go to Tammasat, Mahadol, or Chula and she said she can not because she does NOT have some score called "oNet (something like that in Thai)". I asked her to to go take the test to get that score (thinking it was an entrance SAT, GMAT type of score system). She said she can not because she went to a commercial college and the oNet score was for typical Thai students who take that score in a regular high school. At this point I am totally confused and I was struck with the realization that I may have been sending these girls, at a high cost over 3 years, to a crap school that was not preparing them for a better life. She also said once she entered in to the better schools that she would have 4 more years vs. two years at these technical institutes, so I believe she is drawn to the lesser schools.

I do not understand this Thai system and I want to be sure I send these girls to the best education they can qualify for. I am not interested in sending them to unaccredited schools that are not going to gain them better paying jobs.

I'm not sure if the communication problem exists within my lack of knowledge of the Thai system or in the lack of knowledge/research of my sisters. I know they are impressionable and if a school recruiter visits their current school to tell them that these "institutes" are the best, they will generally believe and tell me they are the best.

What I need is an educational consultant or advice from fellow teachers on how best to educate these girls and prepare them for good paying jobs with potential for international demand. I'll willing to invest for years into their futures, they are good students. I just don't know the best path to lead them down.

P.S. the second sister is half way through her 3 years at Dusit. I talked to her and recommend going to a better school like Assumption but she told me should would have to start the 3 year program all over as credits would not transfer. It's all very frustrating

[Ijustwannateach]

It's a little like the British system used to be- it seems that your friends got caught in the "technical/vocational" school stream. To be prepared for the O-Net (which is similar to the old British "O" levels which if I am not mistaken preceded the current GCSE system) she would need to go through a true Matthayom (public high school) system or its equivalent. Since her age probably prevents her from entering high school again, she could enter one of the equivalency programs- however, it may take a year or two. At that point, she would be eligible to take the entrance exams to various universities (assuming they don't have age limits- I don't know about that); however, you should realise she will be competing against the entire nation and the public uni's you've mentioned are among the most difficult and competitive.

It might be better considering her age and the need to start some sort of work to let her finish whatever vocational track she's on and get a job; then she can do the equivalency on the weekends if she wants.

[culicine]

It's a shamre really. In Australia, it's quite possible to do continuing courses at an older age and get accepted to university. But that seems not to be the case here. Nevermind, your money hasn;t been wasted. Some education is better than none at all!

Anyway, how are the English skills of these young ladies? Perhaps its better to have them do some english courses to try and improve their english. This would certainly give them more career opportunities, such as in the hotel/tourism industry.

Good luck to them!