Pay Thai Teachers Better For Smarter Kids, Advises UNESCO Director

[dumball]

That pay structure is truly 'Amazing Thailand' , my neighbour started recently at an international school here in Cambodia , her starting salary is $2,000.00(B60,000) per month , all credentials are in process of being verified , those who do not have them are slowly being let go We sent my SIL to one of these schools for 2 1/2 years part time , she writes beatifull English , reads it and is also profficient in conversational English , her command of comprehension needs some work

The basic need for education in any field is the worth of the teacher in a given subject , the result of education is difined by the interest of both the student and the parent , in my days of instructing mechanics , my pupils were told that I could teach them nothing , I could inform and assist , answering all and any questions , they themselves had the task of learning all that was offered , we had a 95% pass level of the majority of pupils . .

[landofthefree]

Well, that's pretty obvious. If you pay only 30,000 baht per month and have 50 students in a class, you can't expect much.

As the saying goes, if you pay peanuts . . .

Wait! That doesn't say much for the TEFL teaching pool here in Thailand, does it?

Thai teachers are paid quite well by Thai standards, the starting salary is low at about 8000 baht but goes up every year so a teacher with

20 odd years experience is often on 30,000 baht plus a guaranteed half salary pension index linked when they retire at 60.

One of the Thai teachers that I worked with was paid 60,000 baht per month. Added to this are a serious amount of paid holidays.

If you have worked in the schools as I have you would have noticed that most of them do very little work, dont allow the kids to think

for themselves and instead brainwash them with their view of Thai history and leadership of the country. I think the main purpose of

the Thai education system is to keep the elite rich and to keep the poor poor. The brainwashing continues with compulsory scouts

(Lord Baden Powell must be turning in his grave) and compulsory military service. This may be a tad radical for some of you but its my conclusion

after having worked for a total of 6 years in 4 different schools in Thailand both Government and private.

Your "if you have worked in the schools as I have ................" experience doesn't look like you'd know a lot about this country's educational institutions.

Thai teachers at many government schools do have a 3,000 baht pay rise each year. They'll have to come up with their educational upgrades to show a commission that their way of teaching had improved.

The MOE will look at their dossiers and whatever they'd done for and in the school.

Most of them are pretty much hard working, on special occasions or weekends. Being a Thai teacher means to be a part of the 'family', the whole staff.

I've got my experience from teaching five years at two schools, a primary and a secondary government school straight without a break.

I had many Thai colleagues who made more than 40,000 a month, with a full salary retirement at the age of 60, with a full pension, and not a guaranteed half salary.

Please consider this post as another opinion, your conclusion might work for you, but I disagree. Enjoy your stay in LOS, swim with the swarm or leave it. :jap:

I don't know much about this country's educational establishments!!!!! No! I've only worked at 4 of them so I guess I don't know anything!

You seem to agree with most of what I wrote but I didnt get the reference to swim with the swarm or leave it , I don't want to be lazy, test English via multiple choice because it's easier than marking...... that swarm isn't for me but I have left every school by choice and always for more money so I guess my swarm is

a better paying one sounds a good one to be in to me!

[sirchai]

Well, that's pretty obvious. If you pay only 30,000 baht per month and have 50 students in a class, you can't expect much.

As the saying goes, if you pay peanuts . . .

Wait! That doesn't say much for the TEFL teaching pool here in Thailand, does it?

Thai teachers are paid quite well by Thai standards, the starting salary is low at about 8000 baht but goes up every year so a teacher with

20 odd years experience is often on 30,000 baht plus a guaranteed half salary pension index linked when they retire at 60.

One of the Thai teachers that I worked with was paid 60,000 baht per month. Added to this are a serious amount of paid holidays.

If you have worked in the schools as I have you would have noticed that most of them do very little work, dont allow the kids to think

for themselves and instead brainwash them with their view of Thai history and leadership of the country. I think the main purpose of

the Thai education system is to keep the elite rich and to keep the poor poor. The brainwashing continues with compulsory scouts

(Lord Baden Powell must be turning in his grave) and compulsory military service. This may be a tad radical for some of you but its my conclusion

after having worked for a total of 6 years in 4 different schools in Thailand both Government and private.

Your "if you have worked in the schools as I have ................" experience doesn't look like you'd know a lot about this country's educational institutions.

Thai teachers at many government schools do have a 3,000 baht pay rise each year. They'll have to come up with their educational upgrades to show a commission that their way of teaching had improved.

The MOE will look at their dossiers and whatever they'd done for and in the school.

Most of them are pretty much hard working, on special occasions or weekends. Being a Thai teacher means to be a part of the 'family', the whole staff.

I've got my experience from teaching five years at two schools, a primary and a secondary government school straight without a break.

I had many Thai colleagues who made more than 40,000 a month, with a full salary retirement at the age of 60, with a full pension, and not a guaranteed half salary.

Please consider this post as another opinion, your conclusion might work for you, but I disagree. Enjoy your stay in LOS, swim with the swarm or leave it. :jap:

I don't know much about this country's educational establishments!!!!! No! I've only worked at 4 of them so I guess I don't know anything!

You seem to agree with most of what I wrote but I didnt get the reference to swim with the swarm or leave it , I don't want to be lazy, test English via multiple choice because it's easier than marking...... that swarm isn't for me but I have left every school by choice and always for more money so I guess my swarm is

a better paying one sounds a good one to be in to me!

Sorry,my point was that Thai teachers do work much more than any foreigners and we can’t change the system as it was and still is.

It wasn’t in my interest to hurt you in any way, and I’ve made the experience that changing the school just for the reason to make more money isn’t really always satisfying..

I should have stayed at my former school with a lower salary, being already a member of this so called ‘family’with a pretty nice social environment.It shows you how the kids grow up and you’ll have your own way to deal with the ‘multiple choice’ problem and the love these kids will have for you being fair to them is really nice.

I do prefer to make less money in the beginning, but staying at one school for a long period of time and being more satisfied with the people around me than always changing schools and colleagues together with the personal circumstances.

What I meant with ‘to swim with the swarm’ was more that it’s nice to be a member in their community. At school and wherever you’d chosen to live.

Chock dee na and Cheers. :jap:

[sirchai]

That pay structure is truly 'Amazing Thailand' , my neighbour started recently at an international school here in Cambodia , her starting salary is $2,000.00(B60,000) per month , all credentials are in process of being verified , those who do not have them are slowly being let go We sent my SIL to one of these schools for 2 1/2 years part time , she writes beatifull English , reads it and is also profficient in conversational English , her command of comprehension needs some work

The basic need for education in any field is the worth of the teacher in a given subject , the result of education is difined by the interest of both the student and the parent , in my days of instructing mechanics , my pupils were told that I could teach them nothing , I could inform and assist , answering all and any questions , they themselves had the task of learning all that was offered , we had a 95% pass level of the majority of pupils . .

I'm neither the brain, nor the Grammar police, but your post put a smile on my face regarding your neighbors’ good command in the English language.

Guess you guys should sit down for a beer and a lady drink to talk about letters that shouldn't be in someone’s text. Or probably some is missing ones.

Aeeh sorry, but isn't comprehension the most important part in any language, the ability to understand what it's all about??

You take care. Cheers. :jap:

..

Edited October 14, 2010 by sirchai

[selftaopath]

It seems like a rational thought if individuals really love children they want the best for them. They want them to learn, explore, expand the horizon of their imagination, be creative, and learn the value of giving back to a community vie some type of service. Are these things being taught? If all who profess being "teachers" really love children they will do whatever is necessary to insure each child can learn as much as they are intellectually capable of learning. I have met many Thai people who appear very intelligent, but their education is SQUAT and some can not even read. So where's the LOVE?

[Spee]

Teacher pay is one factor in a multi-variable discussion. The US has thrown billions at a failing public education system, including massive growth in teacher pay and benefits, and the situation has steadily deteriorated in inverse proportion. If delinquency, drop-out and lack of home study discipline are the norm, or a significant percentage of the overall, then all the pay in the world isn't going to change anything. The US has 40 years of evidence.

The will or desire to be educated usually starts in the home and community, and some times comes from deep within the individual. There is another thread running about the subsistence economy. One could reasonably speculate that a good education is at odds with the concept of a subsistence economy. One could also reasonably speculate that teacher pay is low because of the relative value of the skill set as determined by the society.

[dumball]

Sirchai , you are correct , comprehension is the most important factor in communication , but that takes time in the usage , the odd misspelt word has little relevence in the long run , at my age I do sometimes make a slip , but then again , so what ?

My wife , on the other hand , could not work within the system to aquire communication skills , she learnt them from myself within her own capabilities , she does not read or write , but her comprehension is amazing , barely misses a spoken word , she can add and do money exchange in her head , this and many other things make her a pleasure to be with , could not even dream of being like some men , almost a total lack of understanding of the wife , they just laugh about her inadiquecies .

[Scott]

As I understand it, this thread has to do with the pay level of teachers. The pay has to do with being able to retain good teachers, who might otherwise seek a more lucrative career. Increasing the pay level also allows schools to more easily weed out the less effective teachers. Overall, there is then an increase in professionalism among teachers.

I know several inept teachers who really do LOVE their students. The main reason they stay is because they really couldn't do much else.

Currently, a fair number of teachers live a fairly austere life-style. They get up early and take 1,2 or maybe 3 buses to get to the school. They have to be their early and they have to stay late. More than a few are pretty well exhausted by the time classes actually start.

The standard of English is not the be-all of the education system and it doesn't tell us much. English is simply a required course. It's the overall level of achievement in a variety of subjects that tells the story of the education system.

Continuing education or professional development? Not an option on their salary.

I know a few schools who have a turnover rate that is close to the same as the food service industry.

[cloudhopper]

Teacher pay is one factor in a multi-variable discussion. The US has thrown billions at a failing public education system, including massive growth in teacher pay and benefits, and the situation has steadily deteriorated in inverse proportion. If delinquency, drop-out and lack of home study discipline are the norm, or a significant percentage of the overall, then all the pay in the world isn't going to change anything. The US has 40 years of evidence.

The will or desire to be educated usually starts in the home and community, and some times comes from deep within the individual. There is another thread running about the subsistence economy. One could reasonably speculate that a good education is at odds with the concept of a subsistence economy. One could also reasonably speculate that teacher pay is low because of the relative value of the skill set as determined by the society.

Very insightful post.

[spiderleghead]

30,000 baht? try 8,000 baht - that is the starting salary of a junior teacher, even those in profitable private schools get no more than 10,000 - some assigned to some Mattayom classes.

When I was teaching 8 years ago the highest salary in the private school was 15,000 baht, yet the mercs would roll up in the morning to drop off their kids, says it all really.

You and your co-workers were being scammed. The rate of pay in a government school for Thai teachers is about 17,000 baht.

it really isn't. minimum is 8000, a guy in my office is only getting 9000 baht. where did you get your information about salary from? when the teacher has been a government teacher for many years their salary can creap up to thi level sure, but at the start the get as little as 8k

[atyclb]

Teacher pay is one factor in a multi-variable discussion. The US has thrown billions at a failing public education system, including massive growth in teacher pay and benefits, and the situation has steadily deteriorated in inverse proportion. If delinquency, drop-out and lack of home study discipline are the norm, or a significant percentage of the overall, then all the pay in the world isn't going to change anything. The US has 40 years of evidence.

The will or desire to be educated usually starts in the home and community, and some times comes from deep within the individual. There is another thread running about the subsistence economy. One could reasonably speculate that a good education is at odds with the concept of a subsistence economy. One could also reasonably speculate that teacher pay is low because of the relative value of the skill set as determined by the society.

Very insightful post.

Agree. Motivation and aptitude are also important. Even if u raise the teacher salaries and get smart people to teach they will still be hindered by "what the student puts into it"

Many salaries are dreadfully low. A buddy of mine was earning 2,000 bat /month as a neurosurgery resident. He had to sign a contract with a private hospital agreeing to work at in the future in order to supplement monthly salary. Other resident friends often must moonlight at private hospitals just to make ends meet. These are very smart people by any country standards yet salaries are quite low, but their motivation and willpower is quite high. (mahidol/chula)

[canuck1941]

Perhaps what the Thais have to do is to train a new generation of teachers on student-centered learning, that's where the student(s) is the most important person in the classroom, and school, and not the teacher. With that new teaching certificate, they get more money. Many people would enjoy teaching children but if you have a family, or want one, you gotta go where the money is. After five years or so after implimentation, all old teaching licences become invalid. Easier said than done.

[Kilgore Trout]

Perhaps what the Thais have to do is to train a new generation of teachers on student-centered learning, that's where the student(s) is the most important person in the classroom, and school, and not the teacher. With that new teaching certificate, they get more money. Many people would enjoy teaching children but if you have a family, or want one, you gotta go where the money is. After five years or so after implimentation, all old teaching licences become invalid. Easier said than done.

Student centered learning is the direction education is heading. The Thai system of education is really not that bad; all the structures and rules are in place for a decent system. The problem is (this can also be applied to the rule of law in the country as well) is that the system of patronage (unwritten societal and cultural factors)make these structures null and void.

It does not matter how good the system and rules are; if the Thais don't follow it properly it will never work.