Classroom Punishment

[bhoydy]

Here's what i just saw,

Big fight in the classroom next door. Farang teacher i work with here who has been at the school a while, goes through splits it up. Then, brings the culprits through to his classroom and canes them in front of his students. About 8 students 3 times each. Fair enough i think, up to him but i would be worried about what the parents were saying about that. I think it's definetly not in any contract that you can do that and may be bordering on illegal....right or wrong? I did say to him be careful but it's his life. Any thoughts?

[mizzi39]

Here's what i just saw,

Big fight in the classroom next door. Farang teacher i work with here who has been at the school a while, goes through splits it up. Then, brings the culprits through to his classroom and canes them in front of his students. About 8 students 3 times each. Fair enough i think, up to him but i would be worried about what the parents were saying about that. I think it's definetly not in any contract that you can do that and may be bordering on illegal....right or wrong? I did say to him be careful but it's his life. Any thoughts?

dam_n right it's' illegal. Corporal punishment was outlawed in Thailand some 5 years ago. I know that some Thai teachers still do it and get away with it, but a farang???? Shame on him. This post almost seems unbelievable!

[Ijustwannateach]

Sounds highly unlikely, but if it happened then whatever happens to the foreigner, som nam nua....

[bhoydy]

Sounds highly unlikely, but if it happened then whatever happens to the foreigner, som nam nua....

I would have said the same until i saw it. I actually thought he was trying to scare them until he actually hit them. The director of the school knows about it, mai pen rai. This is smalltownsville, but even so i warned him and will warn him again. It only takes one well connected parent to find out and he'll be out the country

[PeaceBlondie]

Thai teachers know how to get away with it. Farang do not.

[garro]

This is physical abuse and the culprit should not be allowed anywhere near children again.

[imaneggspurt]

Sounds highly unlikely, but if it happened then whatever happens to the foreigner, som nam nua....

I would have said the same until i saw it. I actually thought he was trying to scare them until he actually hit them. The director of the school knows about it, mai pen rai. This is smalltownsville, but even so i warned him and will warn him again. It only takes one well connected parent to find out and he'll be out the country

Or if it was me out cold !

[MrSnrang]

Thai teachers know how to get away with it. Farang do not.

I heard from a Thai friend that if a teacher dares to touch a student in any way all it takes is a call to the police and they're fired. Assumption Sriracha.

[PeaceBlondie]

Your mileage varies. I get an email letter almost weekly from a Thai teacher who seems to say she beats her students.

[Hannahcopacabana]

I've always believed that the best way to show young people that violence is never the answer is to beat them with a big stick... (employ sardonic font)

Man one to man two: The pen is mightier than the sword.

Man two: Ah, but I can cut your pen into tiny pieces with my sword and then use them to choke you like this!

Edited November 24, 2008 by Hannahcopacabana

[Loaded]

Many Thai teachers in government schools have a stick or a piece of bamboo handy to threaten or hit students. It works. I think the farang will only have a problem if the parents of the student complain.

[culicine]

Many Thai teachers in government schools have a stick or a piece of bamboo handy to threaten or hit students. It works. I think the farang will only have a problem if the parents of the student complain.

Obviosuly the stick seem abhorrent to use, and it was done away in the West many years ago. However in most western countries, there are consequences for not studying hard - most students have to sit entrace exams which dictate entrance to university. Much the same as here, but here there are many more private universities who will take anyone with a bit of money. So for families with a bit of money it might not be worth the effort of studying hard and then missing out on Chula anyway. Also, there is a severe lack in the range and depth of courses on offer in high school here. For example, even the core maths (and associated O-net), is too difficult for the average student. There is nothing available to motivate lower achieving students. However, this seems irrelevant as noone can fail anyway. So do physics, fail (then be automatically passed)and look really smart! haha. Sorry for being a cynic, but the MoE has to shoulder a lot of the blame for the educational problems here (though they usually blame poor training and performance of their teachers). Reduce class sizes to 30 would be a good start.

[Loaded]

Many Thai teachers in government schools have a stick or a piece of bamboo handy to threaten or hit students. It works. I think the farang will only have a problem if the parents of the student complain.

Obviosuly the stick seem abhorrent to use, and it was done away in the West many years ago. However in most western countries, there are consequences for not studying hard - most students have to sit entrace exams which dictate entrance to university. Much the same as here, but here there are many more private universities who will take anyone with a bit of money. So for families with a bit of money it might not be worth the effort of studying hard and then missing out on Chula anyway. Also, there is a severe lack in the range and depth of courses on offer in high school here. For example, even the core maths (and associated O-net), is too difficult for the average student. There is nothing available to motivate lower achieving students. However, this seems irrelevant as noone can fail anyway. So do physics, fail (then be automatically passed)and look really smart! haha. Sorry for being a cynic, but the MoE has to shoulder a lot of the blame for the educational problems here (though they usually blame poor training and performance of their teachers). Reduce class sizes to 30 would be a good start.

I think the stick is being used as a tool to discipline the students and control their behaviour rather than motivation to encourage academic achievement.

Corporal punishment was removed from western classrooms and the authority of the teacher was destroyed. My school days were 30 years ago and I remember a lack of discipline in many classes because nobody feared the teacher. Children are like sheep in a sense and reason cannot be used to discipline them. Sometimes a stick does the job though. Hitting a naughty kid across the palm of his/her hand is not the same as assaulting someone. Assault is an unreasoned physical attack. Disciplne with the stick is reasoned and is not an attack.

[Ijustwannateach]

Additionally, most Western schools have instituted other disciplinary systems which are vaguely functional- detentions, suspensions, expulsions. None of this has been brought in to Thai schools to replace the stick.

[dingdongrb]

I do know personally in the village schools of Surin providence that the Thai teachers whack the students upside the head (with bare hand) when the student does so little as read slowly.... I would hate to see what happens when the students do something that is totally out of line.

[twschw]

Additionally, most Western schools have instituted other disciplinary systems which are vaguely functional- detentions, suspensions, expulsions. None of this has been brought in to Thai schools to replace the stick.

We have all of the above in my school and nobody hits the kids. Yet, the students are unruly and unproductive particularly in upper Primary and Matyom.

[Cerriowen]

What about stress positions? Are those used? In Korea they use kneeling w/ hands in the air, squatting w/ arms out front, or doing squats while holding ones ears.

Is that allowed?

[samsara]

^no wonder koreans are so f'ed up lol

[Daffy D]

When our 4 year old girl was due to start school she had long hair as we had never cut it. The wife said if we didn't cut it to reasonable length the teacher would do it in front of the whole class.

I thought this was absolutely unbelievable, fortunately never had to put it to the test as we decided to cut her hair anyway as it was getting a bit unmanageable.

[twschw]

^I have seen this done in government schools but never in a private school.

[dingdongrb]

What about stress positions? Are those used? In Korea they use kneeling w/ hands in the air, squatting w/ arms out front, or doing squats while holding ones ears.

Is that allowed?

Reminds me when I was going to a small Jr High school back in the USA (late 60s, early 70s). When getting into trouble in a couple of the classrooms we had two teachers who loved to paddle the kids. They actually had a contest as to who provided the most 'whacks' throughout the school year.

Anyway they both had their own little games they provided to see if a kid deserved a paddling. I remember that if you were caught talking in class one teacher would make you stand in the front of the classroom and hold an encyclopedia in each hand, then stretch your hands as high as you could holding the heavy encyclopedia up. If your arm lowered where your elbow was at your shoulder height you got a paddling. the other teacher made you squat in front of the room (duck squat) and on the tip of your toes. He would then place a paddle under your heels. If your heels touched the paddle then he would use the paddle on you.

These days it would be reasons for hiring a lawyer and owning half the school district...

[lonexpat]

This is physical abuse and the culprit should not be allowed anywhere near children again.

Not a mention of the little brats beating each other black and blue that is perfectly decent? Child abuse. Please. Good on him. It's plain for all to see in the west where the 'new methods' have got us as societies. A total collapse of morals and respect. Murders, rapes, muggings and anything else of the charts.

I know plenty of people who were subjected to the cane at school and most if not all support it being reintroduced along with some sort of social or military service.

Although being illegal in Thailand it is actually possible for a majority of parents to sign a waiver at a school for them to be hit with a ruler etc. One for the do gooders to rant about no doubt.

[MyphuketLife]

^no wonder koreans are so f'ed up lol

no wonder their kids just tested #2 for math (the f'ed koreans), they study and don't f around in school.

I don't believe in beating a kid, but look at the punks in America, then look at the same age group here. Seams to me that kids need to be hit sometimes..... I wish the US would go back to the old ways, maybe we would produce better adults

Edited December 16, 2008 by MyphuketLife

[kurtdhis]

"Spare the rod, and spoil the child" - It's no wonder that the kids of today are growing up to be such brats. Caning was the only way that got me back on the right track, and stayed that way because of it.

[edwardandtubs]

The cane is very widely used in Thai schools. Where did this idea of it being banned come from? I find that highly unlikely. Maybe someone is getting confused between the rules of an individual school and the general laws of Thailand.

Any reasonable person can see that a little whack of a few unruly students is better than a whole class growing up with a lack of education and respect.

[zzdocxx]

This is a bit off topic, but there's an interesting article about teaching in the Dec. 15 New Yorker Magazine.

Most Likely to Succeed

How do we hire when we can’t tell who’s right for the job?

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/12...a_fact_gladwell

[G54]

^I have seen this done in government schools but never in a private school.

Recently the salon of a friend was doing very good business after the school ordered all the female students to have their har cut to a reasonable length - akin to a 'bob-cut'

As far as I am aware these are state schools.

Wonder what would have happened to the students if they failed to get the 'regulation' hair cut