Reformers' First Priority Is Better Teaching Standards In Thailand : Tongthong

[webfact]

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Reformers' first priority is better teaching standards : Tongthong

By Chularat Saengpassa,

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Education reform is underway, Tongthong Chandransu, secretary-general of the Education Council, says in defence against public criticisms of the total lack of visible signs of life.

It's a time-consuming process, he told The Nation. For next year, 10 priority areas for improvement have been selected as part of the eventual goals to enhance educational quality and meet international standards. Here are some excerpts from the interview

Q : What is the progress in education reform?

T : After the Cabinet approved the proposal for a framework to push education reform on August 18 of last year, two committees were set up - the education reform policy committee and working committee - to plan and put the plans into practice.

There are seven subcommittees with specific responsibilities appointed under the policy committee: for education standard and quality, increasing access to education, educational participation promotion, teacher education, good citizenship creation, vocational education development and budget planning.

The policy committee chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has had seven meetings so far and has been able to determine the four goals and 20 key performance indicators for the reform platform. The goals are that Thais and education have quality and meet international standards; they practise self-learning, love reading and are always seeking knowledge; they have morals, a conscience, a voluntary aesthetic and public-service mind and democratic culture; and they possess good thinking skills and problem-solving ability.

The subcommittees have held meetings to find out how to improve Thai citizens to meet the goals. The latest move is that each of them has already handed in its proposals to the policy committee.

Q : What have the committees planned to do next year?

T : We found that some proposals of the subcommittees overlap so we have to consider and cut the duplicate proposals. Then, we will be prioritising 10 main issues for urgent improvement. For this, a meeting will be held from January 22-23. The budget to be spent on the 10 priorities in the 2012 fiscal year will be set. I expect we will be able to reveal the 10 priorities and the budget by February.

Some projects were kicked off this year, such as the underprivileged children survey and education coupons. More projects will be able to proceed next year and other projects will be fully operational in 2012 when the budget is available.

Q : Which issues are the priorities for urgent improvement?

T : Teacher education and quality should be developed. We should initiate effective screening to select proper teachers and provide them with job guarantees and scholarships. Education faculties should work together with other faculties and universities to upgrade their instruction.

Educational technology is also important. We should use distance learning media to train teachers. Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat agrees with me to seek software produced by Thais to hand out to teachers, as software produced by foreigners probably does not suit teachers here. We may set up a centre for gathering software suitable for our teachers.

Small schools should also be managed. There are 30,000 schools under the Basic Education Commission, with 15,000 of those small schools.

We found that 7,000 of the small schools have quality and resource management problems, most of them primary schools.

Many with too few students and a lack of teachers and resources would be assisted to attain effective resource management and better quality. But, if they could not improve despite the assistance, they will have to close permanently. Their students would be assisted in moving to other nearby schools.

However, we can't let those located in remote areas or in the mountains close because students there can't study at other schools due to inconvenient transportation, but we'll try to keep developing their quality.

Students' communication skills will probably be considered as an urgent issue.

Not only is their English language communication weak, but also our mother tongue. They should be able to communicate in another foreign languages - Chinese or Japanese. Languages of Asean countries should be taught as well.

English communication is a challenge, especially when Thailand officially becomes a part of the Asean Economic Community.

To prepare our students, more Thai and foreign teachers with English proficiency should be recruited and there should be more instructional media in English. We invited researchers to discuss how to provide English teaching on December 23 to find effective methods.

Apart from students in formal education, underprivileged students who cannot gain access to such a system should have a good choice. So, alternative education will be strengthened to give them knowledge.

Q : What are the obstructions or difficulties challenging the working reform teams?

T : Time is a big challenge. We want to explain to the public that education reform can't happen overnight. It takes time. However, it doesn't mean there won't be any progress. We'll keep going on. I believe education will be better in five to eight years.

Q : Does unstable politics stop the reform process short?

T : Reform will move ahead unceasingly regardless of the administration in power, as the public pays a lot of attention to it.

People are keeping an eye on the government's educational policies. Many of them consider some policies as something politicians may use to promote themselves or to get votes. What do you think?

It's not such a big problem if their policies can help us reach the goals of the reform, don't cause bad effects on the education system and are not illegal.

-- The Nation 2010-12-27

[Scott]

Thanks, Webfact, for posting this informative thread in the teaching forum.

The education system has a long way to go, but even the smallest step forward, is a step in the right direction.

My biggest concern is it seems to very much a top-down approach rather than something that includes academics, politicians and people well versed in education and learning.

In particular, I am wondering how this will impact English teaching and teachers.