Children's Day

[Ian Curtis]

As you all know, last Friday was Children's Day here in Thailand.

I know that the King spoke good words expressining his concern about educating the Thai Youth and even Mr Thaksin concurred with him.

On the day in question, I was a guest at my local Thai school and spent the whole time in the company of the Headmaster and many other officials including the Head Man in the village. I was considered a worthy guest as a retired schoolmaster from the UK.

During the day the children were clearly very happy and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

At lunchtime, we walked and observed the volunteers giving out the free food; all of which was graciously received by the pupils and the; it was our time to 'dine'.

We, the staff and guests eat in a private area and would you believe, the staff proceded to consume copious quantities of beer and whisky. Okay, one aspect of this made me smile but the other side of the coin suggested (to me) that nobody had heard any messages about teaching good ways to Thai children.

The afternoon's entertainment was sports oriented, sack races, tug-of-war etc and it wasn't long before I found myself sitting alone because the alchohol was taking it's sleepy toll on the staff. The Sports Master on one occasion was addressing the children; cigarette in hand...

As I've just said; one part makes me smile but the other part is sad. What message are the schoolchildren getting?

And then there is the noise pollution; during a normal school day at lunchtimes the tannoy system blasts out nonesense such as "Chun Ruk Ter" and the rest of the village is subjected to this pollution. Again, what message are the youth learning here apart from the selfish notion that they they can throw a party with electronic sound aids and pulverise the eardrums of the rest of the villagers.

I was clearly wrong in believing that the words of wisdom uttered by the King would be taken seriously.

Finally, no I'm not a bloody sententious fool

Ian curtis

[aaaaaa]

well, unfortunately in many places in the world wisdom is considered as something as old fashioned - not only here in Thailand.

same with other things.

but at least - there are no hungry kids begging on the streets of Bangkok and big cities as elsewhere in Asia ....

yeah - mostly they are in internet cafes playing LAN games, although alot of talks going on to forbid these on-line games - adn I heard on TV that government is realy gonna do it so. as if forbiding will automatically solve all problems ....

it is same old habit : substituting more serious and complex issues by smaller ones...

at least here they teach kids to do "wai" to those who are elders - in the west if someone would make wai it would be considered very strange and may be even sign of slavery or may be even non-democratic ....