New Directive ?

[Lawnmower]

Had a meeting at school today where they were saying that all teachers not possessing an education degree would not be granted new licenses from now on. A new govenment directive apparently. They said that those with a different degree need to accumulate 15 credits on a B Ed program out here. Anyone else heard anything about this ? Probably just another scheme that will die in a few months ?

[PeaceBlondie]

Had a meeting at school today where they were saying that all teachers not possessing an education degree would not be granted new licenses from now on. A new govenment directive apparently. They said that those with a different degree need to accumulate 15 credits on a B Ed program out here. Anyone else heard anything about this ? Probably just another scheme that will die in a few months ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This appears to be the "Lazarus decree" that gets resurrected from time to time, and by the third day, surely it stinketh. We went through one of these scares about a year ago, maybe earlier.

Nobody knows what '15 credits' means. Credit hours, semester hours, quarter hours, Neocyclidic hours, thingamabobbers, whatchamajiggies. We couldn't find a school in Thailand that was offering courses which count towards these 15 bobsajoobers. TEFL International said it might offer something during the long holidays, but I don't believe anything came of it.

Mai kojai. We don't know. We don't know who knows anybody who knows what 15 popsadiddlyjammers are.

I suggest you tell them you need to see it in writing, or a valid website IN F----ING ENGLISH. They need to provide you with the name, title, phone number, and email or snail mail address of the contact person at the MoE who can explain what 15 gadzengrabbers are.The explanation needs to be clear, definite, simple, finite, obvious, easy to understand, and unambiguous. Oh, and these 15 yabayabbobbers need to be earned within what period of time, in what country, by what method? Who needs to earn these 15 katzenjammers? How do you know, before you pays your money and takes your courses, that your money and time will in fact actually really count toward these 15 quazenours? Will your school pay for these 15 thaizenchais?

[Rhys]

That's the fact JACKs.. way to go PEACE BLONDIE.. you know it well..

[fiveyears]

Had a meeting at school today where they were saying that all teachers not possessing an education degree would not be granted new licenses from now on. A new govenment directive apparently. They said that those with a different degree need to accumulate 15 credits on a B Ed program out here. Anyone else heard anything about this ? Probably just another scheme that will die in a few months ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's exactly the reason why Bangkok Patana ditched almost 60% of its teaching staff last year. A Master's in Mathematics will not do as it doesn't say anything about teaching capabilities, you need a degree in teaching (a subject)

A good development, it will make the market more interesting for qualified teachers and send the riffraff elsewhere....

[mijan24]

Info only please add discount or enhance as you or your sources see fit.

Rajaphat were suposed to conduct the 15 credit ? last time it was aired, about 1 year ago as posted by PB.

Nothing eventuated except the airing in one of the english newspapers., it was about the same time "Geo" spoke of the Grad Dip Teach Edn avail @ Assumption costing about baht 150000 against Rajaphats est baht 30000 (?).

Bangkok Phil could not glean any further info from MoE after the airing.

"WHO KNOWS CERTAINLY NOT I" ????

[mijan24]

Oops forgot - "fiveyears" -

A good development, it will make the market more interesting for qualified teachers and send the riffraff elsewhere

You are obviously related to a prominent person in the LOS he also engages mouth before mind.

With the proposed shift away from the ROTE to a student centred (creative) approach you must be concerned about your tenure. no problems in the short term just keep blundering on so that you stand out from the riff-raff.

Fiveyears your comment/argument has not been historically supported so unless you have some brainsnapping inside information it is better not to make uninformed & unsubstansiated comments as they only add unwanted flys to the ointment.

Mijan24

[Ijustwannateach]

looks like a windup post; the only two supporting the rumor (without facts) are low post-count.

I had a friend who actually took some sort of credit-thingies; he got hired right around the last time someone made a stink about this. He's the only person I know who's had to do this for a job here (and that was 6 months ago).

They seem to go through cycles where they try to do this, then realize that the restriction is too much for what's already a teacher's market here. Doesn't mean that a few people haven't had to switch jobs over it- heard that a couple of years ago all of one company's agent teachers at Assumption had to quit because the Assumption place had decided to hire "only M.Eds"; after not finding any to hire, they're back to the usual suspects, though not before alienating and inconveniencing a whole crowd of teachers.

"Steven"

[Lawnmower]

Not a wind up post. Just trying to find out what is going on and if it's worth looking into doing these "credits". The only evidence i have is the Thai letter to our school.

Most people are saying ignore, so i will.

[kenkannif]

It only applies to certain schools (ain't it proper bilingual programs/schools?) and programs and depends on who and what you're teaching. But it is certainly being enforced at some schools (or so I've heard).

They can't and won't enforce it to all teachers it would pretty much empty most schools if they did.

[mijan24]

Lawnmower

Accepting that your post is genuine I took the time to go over some old posts and here is one from 1/1/2004

An article appeared in the "Nation" recently regarding the Ministry of Education's requirement for all potential teachers who hold a non teaching degree to attent a "teaching creditation (8 month Baht 28000) course at the Rajabhat Institute.

The article did mention that the MoE do not strictly enforce the requirement.

Nothing ever eventuated which supports my previous post which was dragged from the memory bank and also supports PB,ijustwanateach & Kenkannif.

Once again it's now 2005 "who knows"???

[haltes]

Lawnmower

Accepting that your post is genuine I took the time to go over some old posts and here is one from 1/1/2004

An article appeared in the "Nation" recently regarding the Ministry of Education's requirement for all potential teachers who hold a non teaching degree to attent a "teaching creditation (8 month Baht 28000) course at the Rajabhat Institute.

The article did mention that the MoE do not strictly enforce the requirement.

Nothing ever eventuated which supports my previous post which was dragged from the memory bank and also supports PB,ijustwanateach & Kenkannif.

Once again it's now 2005  "who knows"???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nobody at the MOE will know for sure....

[geo]

While this educational requirement is confusing I do know this fact. Accrediated international schools will not accept any applications without a teaching certificate. I believe it is not so much the MOE but the schools themselves with this requirement.

[kenkannif]

But what kind of teaching certificate?

[geo]

^Let's say that you want to teach high school science in America. You have to get a BS degree in conjunction with a teaching certification. In other words you have to supplement your degree with additional educational courses. The UK has the same basic outline.

Thailand also has the same basic requirements. What the MOE is saying (IMHO) is that a teacher basically needs 15 university credit hours in addition to the original degree.

The international schools that I am familiar with are now requiring this for continued or possible employment.

I have NO idea how this ruling will effect government, bilingual or the ESL field; if in fact it even does.

[Ijustwannateach]

Yes, yes, the "real" international schools are more picky than the others here... that's old news. Basically, they want to see the same papers (plus experience in the home country, preferably) that you would need to teach in your home country to employ you here.

Since many schools even in our home countries are having trouble staffing their schools with teachers with those qualifications, I do not foresee them crowding out the less qualified group in the "lesser" schools any time soon. Furthermore, I happen to know of some people in those less qualified circles actually getting hired at some of the fancy-schmancy schools, because even they have trouble staffing certain subjects (math, science) if they get too picky. The package they offer to locals is less, but they do occasionally hire.

However, college degrees are plentiful, and I could see a time not *too* long in the future when at least Bangkok will be closed to anyone without a degree. In the provinces, there won't be enough competition in that sense for decades.

"Steven"

[suegha]

"This appears to be the "Lazarus decree" that gets resurrected from time to time, and by the third day, surely it stinketh."

I hate to nit-pick, however, it's four days "Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."

Suegha

เสือ

[PeaceBlondie]

"This appears to be the "Lazarus decree" that gets resurrected from time to time, and by the third day, surely it stinketh."

I hate to nit-pick, however, it's four days "Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."

Suegha

เสือ

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My error. I stand corrected. Actually, I'm sitting. And I consider the nit to have been picked. Thanks, Suegha.

[Ajarn]

While this educational requirement is confusing I do know this fact. Accrediated international schools will not accept any applications without a teaching certificate. I believe it is not so much the MOE but the schools themselves with this requirement.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's likely to insure their accreditation isn't compromised in any way. With lower standards, like hiring 'non-certificated' teachers, student's credits might not be accepted by other schools where the student may later want to attend, like a university in a western country...

And, losing accreditation hurts their marketing considerably, obviously hurting the bottom-line...

[PeaceBlondie]

While this educational requirement is confusing I do know this fact. Accrediated international schools will not accept any applications without a teaching certificate. I believe it is not so much the MOE but the schools themselves with this requirement.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's likely to insure their accreditation isn't compromised in any way. With lower standards, like hiring 'non-certificated' teachers, student's credits might not be accepted by other schools where the student may later want to attend, like a university in a western country...

And, losing accreditation hurts their marketing considerably, obviously hurting the bottom-line...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. The kind of 'certification' that a true international school would require is something equivalent to 15 semester hours in the School of Education at a university that regularly offers similar courses to those seeking B.Ed.'s or their equivalent. But what the MoE in Thailand is asking for is unsure, uncertain, unknown, and unknowable.