PM Abhisit Says Students Come First In Thailand's Education Reform

[webfact]

Abhisit says students come first in education reform

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

To produce quality students in the second decade of Thailand's education reform, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday officially announced the road map for administrators and teachers under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) to improve their students' quality in the same direction.

The reform focuses on four main areas: quality of students, which aims at producing better citizens; quality of teachers, which targets improving their teaching styles and methods; updating schools and other learning resources to suit the modern world; and improving educational administration.

"Education reform focuses on quality of students. The adjusted percentage of academic content and educational and learning activities of 70 per cent and 30 per cent respectively is the key factor," Abhisit said at an event held to announce the road map at the Ambassador Hotel in Bangkok.

"Students will be able to learn many different things from the 30 per cent of student activities with help and participation from local communities, local administrative organisations, parents and educational service area offices to provide different activities to students."

Moreover, the prime minister said, students' English-language proficiency would be improved so that they would be able to have access to the world's biggest knowledge resource, the Internet.

"About 90 per cent of knowledge available on the Internet is in English," he said, adding that English would help prepare them as global citizens.

He said teachers would have to encourage students to be eager to learn in a fast-changing world, along with instilling them to feel they are part of their communities, so they would work to serve their communities after graduation.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said another focus of the road map was teaching students to think analytically. This should be implemented "concretely", he said, and people would see the change within three years.

To put the road map into practice, educational personnel at the event proposed expanding a "youth researcher" project to teach students to think and solve problems and have them study their communities. Also, they proposed adjusting curriculums to be more flexible, to suit students with different needs.

Of the four areas, the area of students' quality improvement was the first to be officially announced to the public.

-- The Nation 2010-10-23

[brahmburgers]

The PM wants educational improvement. It's certainly needed, and he's the one to spearhead it. However, there is a maze of political debris littering the road. The recent proposal for 'English as a 2nd language' was pooped upon (by some conservatives) but now the PM has re-worded and revitalized the sensible proposal.

If the PM says, "students come first" - then who/what does that hint at - as being of secondary importance? My guess is foot-dragging conservatives are secondary - basically those who don't want to change the system.

A few added notes, which may or may not be part of the current plan to improve Thailand's education system:

>>>> promote teachers on the basis of skills. Seniority can be a factor, but not the over-riding one. Test teachers periodically to see whether they're up to snuff. This is an issue in the US also, with inferior teachers getting promoted for the wrong reasons.

>>>> break the pattern of teachers paying for promotions/positions. One of the richest people in my area (judging from his ostentatious mansion along the river) is a dean of two Universities, who is likely a magnet for such money-for-promotion trends.

>>>> enable English-speaking farang to assist. Everyone agrees that Thais are generally lacking in English conversational skills. Suggest, a classroom-like setting with a farang volunteer facilitating conversations with two to five students. Volunteers would be screened to gauge whether they're doing assignments properly. No baby talk nor 'bar-girl speak.'

>>>> Make it easier for farang English teachers to teach in Thailand. Currently, there are too many restrictions and expenses in that regard.

Edited October 23, 2010 by brahmburgers

[Thailand]

The PM wants educational improvement. It's certainly needed, and he's the one to spearhead it. However, there is a maze of political debris littering the road. The recent proposal for 'English as a 2nd language' was pooped upon (by some conservatives) but now the PM has re-worded and revitalized the sensible proposal.

If the PM says, "students come first" - then who/what does that hint at - as being of secondary importance? My guess is foot-dragging conservatives are secondary - basically those who don't want to change the system.

A few added notes, which may or may not be part of the current plan to improve Thailand's education system:

>>>> promote teachers on the basis of skills. Seniority can be a factor, but not the over-riding one. Test teachers periodically to see whether they're up to snuff. This is an issue in the US also, with inferior teachers getting promoted for the wrong reasons.

>>>> break the pattern of teachers paying for promotions/positions. One of the richest people in my area (judging from his ostentatious mansion along the river) is a dean of two Universities, who is likely a magnet for such money-for-promotion trends.

>>>> enable English-speaking farang to assist. Everyone agrees that Thais are generally lacking in English conversational skills. Suggest, a classroom-like setting with a farang volunteer facilitating conversations with two to five students. Volunteers would be screened to gauge whether they're doing assignments properly. No baby talk nor 'bar-girl speak.'

>>>> Make it easier for farang English teachers to teach in Thailand. Currently, there are too many restrictions and expenses in that regard.

100% Agree. The main problem is the paying for positions, prevents the cream from rising. It is endemic here in every profession. It is a way of life that is unlikely to change for may years.

Edited October 23, 2010 by Thailand

[CMX]

Sounds great - but beginner steps, long and far from being meaningful.

1. No mention of vastly improved teacher training for new teachers and regular re-training for those in place, or funding for it. My understanding is that teachers are as sophisticated here as was the West in the mid 18th century - shut up and memorize this with 50% more to do at home.

2. No mention of better pay for teachers in government schools to assure best people devoted to on-going improvements.

3. No suggestion to bring class sizes down from mobs to classes.

4. No quantification as to what a "better" student is. Good thing - even valid standardized tests, which are hard to create and take years to refine - would be worthless at this stage.

Don't mean to suggest that road maps are not worthwhile - they at least admit in public that there are urgent goals to attain (I give you the dead and buried road map of BKK fame earlier this year, glorious in its words).

5. I do not know what to make of the suggestion made on other threads that a great deal of money is lost in implementing the national education budget. Building and installing new equipment catches my eye as something to be done with care, transparency, and hope.

[brahmburgers]

How about a committee to adjust the Thai alphabet (?) - so it's not so confusing, redundant, difficult.

There are several 'dead letters' and too much redundancy. Does it still need a half dozen symbols each for the P and T sounds? The vowels (sela) are just as bad in the redundancy dept. Thailand's scholars could do what Japanese and Europeans have done - adjust their alphabet to be more sensible , and thereby spelling of some words to make them less archaic. Ok, won't happen, but just wanted to mention it.

I asked a little Thai boy, which was the more difficult class at his school, English or Thai. Right away he said Thai. Ok, it's just one kid's retort, and maybe he likes his English teacher better (or it's a more laid-back class), but it could be indicative of why Thai students spend a very large proportion of their study time trying to decipher their own language.

[cshort64]

This is an interesting read and one that will be debated often, the reform in Thai schools is much needed, we all agree. Teachers are paid badly this it true, I agree with all the other comments that have been posted before mine. One item I find missing and not addressed is the style of teaching, the old and outdated version of memorize everything, don't think for yourself or be creative. Students here are taught to memorize everything but not to think creatively or critically. As a father of 3 Thai son's I can see the difference in my boys school and education, for example. I have a 6 y/o and a 14 y/o in the same school, one is in the all English program taught by foreign teachers, there are no more than 24 students in the class. My 14 y/o is in a class of 40+ and is in the Thai program, this means he gets 4+ hrs of study per day in Thai and 2hrs in English. He is 8 years older than his little brother and he gets no homework, for the last semester he did not have homework more than 5 or 6 times all term, where my 6 y/o had it 4 days a week and at last 1 hr of work each time and he is in the first grade! My 6 y/o speaks better English than his older brothers, is happier and is better adjusted in many ways. I have been given regular feedback from the English teacher and NO feedback from the Thai teacher! I have written her in English email and she cannot read English, I speak fluent Thai but am an American, so I speak to her in Thai and it is clear that she is uncomfortable with the questions.

One more point, my 14 y/o son I pay 25,000 baht per term for and my 6 y/o I pay 58,000 baht for per term to attend the exact same school! I have decided naturally pull my older son out of the Thai program as it is a waist of his time and my small amount of money. I will put him in the English program and keep him back 1 year and hire an English tutor to help him get caught up. I am shocked and dismayed at the level of educational differences between two systems in the same school. (This school by the way is quite well known and is 'suppose' to be very challenging for Thai as well as English students) I am thrilled with the English only program, the Thai program is pathetic.

Thailand is a wonderful place, without better education, better teachers, more money in the hands of teachers instead of administrators pockets or garrages (*wink*) they will continue to struggle. We as parents must do what we can to push the schools, they must change HOW they teach, WHAT they teach, and not be afraid to tell children and parents that they are not working hard enough, nothing will change, the system is set up for the poor children to fail.

My 2 cents.

Regards

C

[remobb]

As a foreign teacher in Thailand already I think I can make a comment on this.

When are they going to let a teacher teach? I am constantly told how and what to teach. I am not allowed to teach proficiently. I am told "It must look nice and they must complete the work. Let them copy from the board" These are my instructions and if a student cannot speak, read or write a sentence it does not matter, so long as you keep to the time table and students can copy the answers or sentences. They fail their test, but I must pass them by helping them (give them the points or the answers) Parents are mislead into thinking their child is doing well because they always pass their test and the school looks nice.

If I complain the students cannot do their work, I am the bad teacher. The people in charge are just interested in bums on seats (money) quantity not quality.

I have tried the Critical thinking / Student centered approaches, if they do not have the vocabulary they cannot complete the exercise. My point is, give teachers more flexability, let them teach to quality standards not quantity.

Stop blaming poor teachers, start blaming bad management practices. :jap:

[cshort64]

Remobb; I sympathize with you! This is a terrible situation you are in as a teacher, I find many western teachers to this because they are passionate and want to teach, they love the kids smiles when they learn something new, they like it when the light bulb goes off in the kids head and he/she brightens up and smiles with an air of confidence. You are 100% correct, the adminstrators want money to drive the schools, to ensure the school looks good on paper, but they do not care as much if the child in that seat can actually read. This actually goes up through universities in my opinion.

For all of you reading that are foreigners and work for multi-national companies, how many of your companies accept Thai University degrees? How highly are they regarded virsus those Thai students that attend university in Australia, US, UK or other countries like HK or Singapore? We hire almost 100 people graduating university in Thailand every year, we put the best of them through a 2 year training program just to make sure they can compete properly with their peers. When I hire a Thai student who has been trained overseas, I skip the 2 year program and they begin working as a standard new hire.

In the 'real' world this is the difference, this gap has to be closed.

Remobb, keep trying my friend, keep pushing the system, don't quite my friend our kids need good schools.

Regards

C

[garrfeild]

In 20 years time we will hear the same policies to improve the education system in Thailand. But they will be in the same situation then, as now.

A failed/floored system that benefits none of those it is supposed to help. You could even say that it is Thai culture to some extent that will always hold the country back from real globalisation. Compared to other Asian countries who's students learn English. Thailand is about 20 years behind.

You cannot have progress till you end corruption.

[Hitch22]

In 20 years time we will hear the same policies to improve the education system in Thailand. But they will be in the same situation then, as now.

A failed/floored system that benefits none of those it is supposed to help. You could even say that it is Thai culture to some extent that will always hold the country back from real globalisation. Compared to other Asian countries who's students learn English. Thailand is about 20 years behind.

You cannot have progress till you end corruption.

Some more blah,blah,blah from Markie .

[passon]

As a foreign teacher in Thailand already I think I can make a comment on this.

When are they going to let a teacher teach? I am constantly told how and what to teach. I am not allowed to teach proficiently. I am told "It must look nice and they must complete the work. Let them copy from the board" These are my instructions and if a student cannot speak, read or write a sentence it does not matter, so long as you keep to the time table and students can copy the answers or sentences. They fail their test, but I must pass them by helping them (give them the points or the answers) Parents are mislead into thinking their child is doing well because they always pass their test and the school looks nice.

If I complain the students cannot do their work, I am the bad teacher. The people in charge are just interested in bums on seats (money) quantity not quality.

I have tried the Critical thinking / Student centered approaches, if they do not have the vocabulary they cannot complete the exercise. My point is, give teachers more flexability, let them teach to quality standards not quantity.

Stop blaming poor teachers, start blaming bad management practices. :jap:

This is the proverbial tail wagging the dog syndrome. Foreign teachers are a necessary evil to achieve a monetary need. I never experienced administrative support over student discipline issues and students are well aware of who runs the school; they do! I was always told to 'entertain" my students. I never saw students being entertained by their Thai teachers, but I did see a few students on the business side of a long stick being guided by a Thai teacher, which perhaps was their form of classroom entrainment. Forced submission or games is not the answer to providing education, but the integration of English into a comprehensive, mufti faceted program that promotes competition, multimedia (journalism, broadcasting, marketing, drama) and other areas of interest could be used to reward achievement and provide access to national competitions, satellite classrooms that allow students the opportunity to exchange language with English speaking students in foreign countries and could serve to inspire student potential. Any government can talk about change, but the real money needed to institute these changes gets displaced into other projects that have no impact on the ability of future generations to compete in a global economy that speaks the universal language of English. The proposition that improvements in the education system can be instituted over three years is misguided and unrealistic when you measure it against the lack of progress in the current system. And we can at least agree that there is a lack of progress, simply because the problem is being addressed to some degree. It also has little chance of success when the opposing point of view relies on nationalism as an opportunity to impede progress. I stopped teaching here several years ago, simply because I walk into a classroom to teach, and to help my students achieve the goals of learning, and I was prevented from doing both. I view modern day education as an HMO that has but one priority, to minimize services in order to maximize profit; that ties the hands of the people who are dedicated to their profession and only want to improve the life of the people they are there to help. Progress is measured by actions, and so talk is always cheap if there is no action.

[sirchai]

How about a committee to adjust the Thai alphabet (?) - so it's not so confusing, redundant, difficult.

There are several 'dead letters' and too much redundancy. Does it still need a half dozen symbols each for the P and T sounds? The vowels (sela) are just as bad in the redundancy dept. Thailand's scholars could do what Japanese and Europeans have done - adjust their alphabet to be more sensible , and thereby spelling of some words to make them less archaic. Ok, won't happen, but just wanted to mention it.

I asked a little Thai boy, which was the more difficult class at his school, English or Thai. Right away he said Thai. Ok, it's just one kid's retort, and maybe he likes his English teacher better (or it's a more laid-back class), but it could be indicative of why Thai students spend a very large proportion of their study time trying to decipher their own language.

What about the new curriculum? Existing already a few years, but every school director can make whatever he/she wants.

It clearly says smaller classes, less hours of learning a day, but they’re still doing their old styled bamboo hit you, and be careful, teaching.

Teacher at a school in the lower north-east have to pay 200- 300,000 baht to come in, doesn’t matter how good they are in English. Why can’t they take those who are good?

It’s the same situation with the students. Those from a poor background can’t afford it, most of them come from a small village, and parents rice farmers.

Not to mention the nobody is failing policy, with all its incredible lies.

It seems to be a dream that Thais and foreigners are planning together what and how to teach English.

Could foreigners share their knowledge with Thais and would Thais accept foreigners, the students would have a much better chance to start to ask questions to the teacher.

It’s time to understand that you can’t ‘teach’ 50 students in a very hot classroom, especially late afternoon, where most of them are already burned out.

All foreigners should have their own classroom and not running from one to another every hour, in some schools even the students have to change classrooms….

Wouldn’t it be the best to listen to those we’re talking about, the students? :jap:

[sibeymai]

"To produce quality students in the second decade of Thailand's education reform,...."

Second decade of reform ? When is the first decade going to begin ?

I can't recall any meaningful reforms in the last 10 years. It's statements like these which unfortunately tend to prove Abhisit is no better than the rest of the politicians and public servants in Thailand, or most countries for that matter, who seem to think that just saying something makes it happen.

With Thailand's education system so obviously broken how hard can it be to make some positive impact? Even a small improvement would have a big effect. That nothing happens even under someone with Abhisit's educational credentials is damning evidence and speaks volumes about the true motives of those in power with regard to the poor and disadvantaged of Thailand.

Edited October 23, 2010 by sibeymai

[sibeymai]

How about a committee to adjust the Thai alphabet (?) - so it's not so confusing, redundant, difficult.

There are several 'dead letters' and too much redundancy. Does it still need a half dozen symbols each for the P and T sounds? The vowels (sela) are just as bad in the redundancy dept. Thailand's scholars could do what Japanese and Europeans have done - adjust their alphabet to be more sensible , and thereby spelling of some words to make them less archaic. Ok, won't happen, but just wanted to mention it.

I asked a little Thai boy, which was the more difficult class at his school, English or Thai. Right away he said Thai. Ok, it's just one kid's retort, and maybe he likes his English teacher better (or it's a more laid-back class), but it could be indicative of why Thai students spend a very large proportion of their study time trying to decipher their own language.

Absolutely agree. And try using spaces between words for further simplification.

If two Thais speaking together fail to understand each other (a common occurrence in my experience) then it would appear that there could also be a a problem with the language as well as the alphabet.

Unfortunately, any such moves regarding the alphabet or language will be stopped dead by conservatives crying out for the need to conserve the cultural heritage and purity of Thailand. With such thinking by those in control Thailand is destined to become a backwater with a stagnant culture. Surely it is obvious that culture and language in particular is in a forever dynamic and evolving state and to try to preserve it at any given time is futile.

[SergeiY]

How about a committee to adjust the Thai alphabet (?) - so it's not so confusing, redundant, difficult.

There are several 'dead letters' and too much redundancy. Does it still need a half dozen symbols each for the P and T sounds? The vowels (sela) are just as bad in the redundancy dept. Thailand's scholars could do what Japanese and Europeans have done - adjust their alphabet to be more sensible , and thereby spelling of some words to make them less archaic. Ok, won't happen, but just wanted to mention it.

I asked a little Thai boy, which was the more difficult class at his school, English or Thai. Right away he said Thai. Ok, it's just one kid's retort, and maybe he likes his English teacher better (or it's a more laid-back class), but it could be indicative of why Thai students spend a very large proportion of their study time trying to decipher their own language.

Absolutely agree. And try using spaces between words for further simplification.

If two Thais speaking together fail to understand each other (a common occurrence in my experience) then it would appear that there could also be a a problem with the language as well as the alphabet.

Unfortunately, any such moves regarding the alphabet or language will be stopped dead by conservatives crying out for the need to conserve the cultural heritage and purity of Thailand. With such thinking by those in control Thailand is destined to become a backwater with a stagnant culture. Surely it is obvious that culture and language in particular is in a forever dynamic and evolving state and to try to preserve it at any given time is futile.

What a nonsense.

[sibeymai]

What a nonsense.

I suppose the forum readers must assume that the reason(s) for your above statement are either unimportant or non-existant, otherwise you would have been generous enough to share them with us.

At least you managed to increase your post count so your post wasn't a complete waste of your time.

[Phatcharanan]

Jeeez!

One third of the posters can't spell and one third have no clue what a paragraph is. Yet here you are bitc*ing about the Thai education system.

Thailand can't be doing all that bad compared to many so-called 'western nations' that are seriously in debt.

Makes you wonder.

[SergeiY]

Jeeez!

One third of the posters can't spell and one third have no clue what a paragraph is. Yet here you are bitc*ing about the Thai education system.

Thailand can't be doing all that bad compared to many so-called 'western nations' that are seriously in debt.

Makes you wonder.

true words.

[animatic]

What a nonsense.

I suppose the forum readers must assume that the reason(s) for your above statement are either unimportant or non-existant, otherwise you would have been generous enough to share them with us.

At least you managed to increase your post count so your post wasn't a complete waste of your time.

Oh, please,

no encouragement to expand the viewpoint....

[hayden5650]

They should also stop forcing left handed students to write with their right hands. This further stunts their development.

The 12 year old daughter of the couple who run the minimart near where I stayed was sitting at the same table as me doing her homework one day, and she'd be colouring and using her rubber with her left hand, but when it came time to write she would slowly use her right hand.

I cannot read or write Thai, but I did spend some time copying sentences in Thai from some Engish-Thai books for a laugh, and I have to say by my third or fourth attempt, my Thai writing was far more neat than hers, after 6 or 7 years in the Thai education system.

Personally I think the first step in advancing Thailand would be to commission an official Anglicisation of the language, so their is just one way to write each word using the English alphabet, not the 3 or 4 or more versions of each word as their currently is.

This may have already been done, but if it has been, I'd venture to say it has been done poorly. If Suvaranaphumi airport is pronounced Suwanaphumi, then spell it Suwanaphumi.

I don't know who the hel_l taught them to pronounce Vs as Ws, but it is bloody annoying.