New Volunteers Programme Viable?

[Sunbelt Asia]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Perspective/02Oct2005_pers03.php

New volunteers programme viable?

SONGPOL KAOPATUMTIP

Various strategies and programmes have been drawn up by the Education Ministry during the past decade to develop Thai students' English communication skills and improve the teaching efficiency of Thai teachers of English. Some foreign governments have provided financial assistance for Thai teachers' training abroad, and foreign volunteers have come to teach English to Thai students. But most of these programmes were short-term and public schools now have to recruit foreign teachers by themselves.

Under the education reform programme that began in 1999, the teaching of English in Thai public schools is divided into four levels _ from Grade 1 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 12 _ to enable Thai children to read, write and speak English step by step.

In 2000, the Education Ministry allowed public schools to hire native English speakers to teach English. Financial support, however, must come from parents. The English courses are set by the ministry, and are bi-lingual. Conversation is taught mostly by foreigners.

"The burden is on parents, and schools in poor and rural areas have been left behind," said an education official.

To fill the gap, the Education Ministry in May this year launched a "Volunteer English Teachers in Thailand Project" to enable students in remote areas to learn directly from native speakers.

Shelved since Mr Adisai Bhodaramik left the ministry in August, the project is being revived by his successor, Jaturon Chaisaeng, who discussed the matter with ministry officials recently.

Under the original plan, the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) will recruit 10,000 native English speakers to teach English in 10,000 small rural schools through the Thai embassies abroad and the British, American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand embassies as well as other organisations in Thailand.

"The volunteer must have at least a Bachelor's degree in any field, be able to live in a local Thai community, and willing to work and enjoy helping rural children," explained a ministry official.

The successful applicant will get a monthly salary of 8,000 baht, an allowance, a one-way air ticket, a one-year visa, free medical service at state-run hospitals, and free accommodation in a local community where the volunteer "can enjoy and appreciate the real Thai culture," said the official, who was briefly in charge of the project.

"Orientation for volunteers will be carried out by OBEC in cooperation with the International School Association," he added. "OBEC will also monitor and evaluate the performance of these volunteer teachers."

The official said this project, if successfully implemented, can be a model for other public schools to follow. "Everyone will gain from this endeavour. The students can learn from native English speakers, and the volunteers can gain a lot of experience because they can rotate to teach in different schools and in different regions every three or four months."

To contact OBEC, call (662) 281-1958 or (662) 280-5561. Fax: (662) 281-5216. Website: http://www.obec.go.th.

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[Ijustwannateach]

Finally! A way to legitimize fully the backpacker teacher hoardes decried in those OTHER Bangkok Post Perspectives, while paying them even less! I'm sure that 8000B a month will really motivate people to perform well when they are "evaluated!"

[TizMe]

The volunteer must have at least a Bachelor's degree in any field

Surely it would make more sense to require a TEFL or similar certificate than a Bachelor degree in any field.

[kenkannif]

^ Would seem to make more sense.....ahh but when has that ever mattered?

[Rumpole]

When are they going to get it through their thick heads that you get what you pay for? This perpetual obsession with doing things on the cheap is responsible for much of the malaise which afflicts the atrocious education system in the first place. Even supposing that they are able to attract 10,000 volunteers willing to do coolie labour for 45 hours per week in the a*se-end of Nahkon Nowhere for Bht 8,000 a month, just how effective do they think these people are actually going to be? Of course, they will attract very few. And most of those that are tempted will quickly flee in horror from the ghastly working conditions and the appalling treatment to which they will be subjected at the majority of Thai schools.

Never mind. This will provide yet another convenient farang whipping-boy for when next year’s national league tables of international examination results are published, and it is discovered that even Cambodian students are out-performing the Thais.

Edited October 3, 2005 by Rumpole

[richard10365]

I had better rush down to Khao Sahn road and pick up my bachelors degree in underwater basket weaving before the price of the degrees for back packers goes up. 8000 baht is hard to pass up. There sure will be a lot of poor farangs running around the country side. That article didn't say anything about a work permit. I wonder if thats included?

[Rhys]

This volunteer program bring to mind the GO (GOVT Service Organization).. However, the American, Brits, and Canadians have left long ago..

Back then.. the living expense was 6K and 1.5 for housing... And many had no problem, because the lived and worked with the problem..

IT is the KUM BA YA...THANG..

It was clearly a cultural exhange with a bit of technical know-how thrown it..

Learning the ropes.. teaching English.. fresh out of Linguistics 101 and into the dirt floor class room.. that includes... the class dog too..allows the newbie to make the mistakes and learn..so when it really counts.. maybe at the upper levels.. the newbie.. has the experience..

So the change must come from the Thais themselves.. Dr :Drive ON

[Rumpole]

That article didn't say anything about a work permit. I wonder if thats included?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Would you like to have a little wager ........... ?

Edited October 3, 2005 by Rumpole

[sriracha john]

Particulars from the government's website:

Job Description

Urgently Required

Key responsibilities

-volunteer as English teachers in rural schools in Thailand

-teaching with emphasis on communication skill and comprehension in English

-give advice and guidance for school development

-rotate to teach in different schools and different regions (e.g. North, North-East, East, South) every 3-4 months

Qualifications

-native English speaker (e.g. Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, USA.)

-at least a Bachelor’s Degree in any field

-active men and women with self-motivation, preferably young people

-able to live in local community

-willing to work and enjoy helping rural children

Extra benefits

-an allowance which is reasonable for Thai living standard

-free one-way ticket

-one - year visa provided

-free medical insurance

-one year contract

-free accommodation with local community where volunteer can enjoy and appreciate the real Thai culture

Selection Process

-Interested applicants can fill in an application form and other necessary documents (e.g. academic records). The application form can be downloaded at the website http://pr.obec.go.th. Then apply through the Internet or embassy of your country.

-first come, first served basis Hurry! They're going fast!!

For further information, please contact Bureau of Educational Innovation

Development, Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education,

Thailand. Tel. (662) 281-1958 Fax. (662) 281-5216

It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy living and working in a beautiful tropical land of long history, rich culture, and friendly smiles.

Apply now through the Internet ,the embassy of your country or Thai embassy!!!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

That article didn't say anything about a work permit. I wonder if thats included?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Would you like to have a little wager ........... ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can I bet on NO ?

[richard10365]

Hey.....the article mentions 8000 baht and an allowance. What do they mean allowance.....is that something like a "farang cost of living allowance" (f-cola)

[sriracha john]

Hey.....the article mentions 8000 baht and an allowance. What do they mean allowance.....is that something like a "farang cost of living allowance" (f-cola)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, they actually mean "allowance" in the old-fashioned sense, like what we used to receive from our parents. I believe it's an extra dollar a week, but to receive that you'd have to wash Dad's car...errrrr... I mean the school principal's car.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

at 8 K a month you can bet your bum the ' volunteer ' won't have his own wheels

[awarrumbungle]

Solutions: What would it take to make this plan work?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Solutions:  What would it take to make this plan work?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A reasonable wage and exemption from work permit requirements.

[OlRedEyes]

The successful applicant will get a monthly salary of 8,000 baht, an allowance, a one-way air ticket, a one-year visa, free medical service at state-run hospitals, and free accommodation in a local community where the volunteer "can enjoy and appreciate the real Thai culture," said the official, who was briefly in charge of the project.

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<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When are they going to get it through their thick heads that you get what you pay for?  This perpetual obsession with doing things on the cheap is responsible for much of the malaise which afflicts the atrocious education system in the first place.

The thinking is they are doing everybody a favour in giving them a chance to experience this superior country. This attitude is detectable in everything they say and do, that is why the terms seem so illogical to an outsider, and why success eludes them in most projects.

A product of years of 'education', Thai is superior.

Sad.

[awarrumbungle]

Do you recieve a reasonable wage? What is a reasonable wage? (Remembering the exhange rates and comparative wealth of the coutry).

In my opinion if they dropped the Degree requirement you might get some more takers.

[kenkannif]

I don't think they mentioned a wage other than the 8K, and an allowance. I know they tried something like this before with 'proper' teachers but they paid them around 30K....they didn't hang around long when they saw the class sizes etc.

And you're right, letting people without a degree do it, would make far, far, far more sense and they'd got a lot more people willing to do it for the long haul.

Funny how they only get you a one way ticket though Thanks for helping us....now make your own way home please!

[sriracha john]

I guess you're expected to save enough from that lucrative 8K a month to pay for the return ticket.

I agree also that to make it workable to drop the degree requirement.

I would also add that the every 3 months transfers be listed as optional, rather than compulsory. Not everyone wants to visit all areas of Thailand right now, particularly the South for some reason. It also erodes any chance for consistency in the education of the students.

Lastly, make it a year long extension on a non-B visa with work permit provided.

[otherstuff1957]

Particulars from the government's website:

Job Description

Urgently Required

Qualifications

-native English speaker  (e.g. Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, USA.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, people from Scotland, Wales, & Ireland need not apply?

[Rumpole]

Funny how they only get you a one way ticket though Thanks for helping us....now make your own way home please!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's so that the "volunteers" cannot escape so easily when they realize what a heap of dog dodo the whole thing is. Perhaps the Thais have learned SOMETHING.

Edited October 4, 2005 by Rumpole

[Rumpole]

...

Edited October 4, 2005 by Rumpole

[Guest George Bush]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Perspective/02Oct2005_pers03.php

The successful applicant will get a monthly salary of 8,000 baht, an allowance, a one-way air ticket, a one-year visa, free medical service at state-run hospitals, and free accommodation in a local community where the volunteer "can enjoy and appreciate the real Thai culture," said the official, who was briefly in charge of the project.

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<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not so sure sucessful is the fight discriptor here. 8,000 baht could only attract moderately skilled philippinos.

The Philippinos are a great match for Thailand as The Philippines people are much better educated than Thais and speak perfect English yet is a poorer country.

If Thais can admit The Philippinos are better educated, maybe they can import 10,000 pinays to teach English, etc.

[kenkannif]

^ Better educated in some ways, but their English is often dismal and they're far, far, far too anal about grammar.

And to me at least they don't really speak 'modern' 'proper' English like what we native speakers does.

Filipinos for men, and Filipinas for women.

Edited October 4, 2005 by kenkannif

[richard10365]

Maybe they should stop trying to teach English and just jump straight into Chinese.

China is probably going to be the next economic super power in about 20 years anyway.

I bet there are plenty of Chinese who would work for 8000 baht a month.

They can't do anyworse in getting the Thailand to talk Chinese than the English teachers are doing trying to get Thai people talking English.

[Ijustwannateach]

Chinese presents several problems as a "world language" that English doesn't have, including a nearly illegible alphabet (even among its native speakers) which requires years of pictographic study and a very difficult tonal system. English has its spelling and pronunciation quirks, but they're all accomplished in 26 characters which are shared by a number of other widespread languages. As with the Japanese, I'd see the Chinese learning English before Chinese becomes a world language.

[Rumpole]

I bet there are plenty of Chinese who would work for 8000 baht a month.

Not educated Chinese. Teachers at our place start at about RMB2000 or Bht10000 a month - more if they have a master's and/or experience, and they also get free accommodation and all kinds of other benefits. This is one of the poorest provinces, too. An arts graduate with one year of work experience can easily earn RMB3500 (Bht17500) a month working for private companies in Beijing, Shanghai or the developed coastal cities. Most Chinese graduates would give a derisive sniff at working in Thailand for Bht8000 a month. And quite rightly so.

I suppose they might be able to attract peasant farmers from the rural areas - which is about all the Thais deserve.

Edited October 4, 2005 by Rumpole

[richard10365]

I bet there are plenty of Chinese who would work for 8000 baht a month.

I suppose they might be able to attract peasant farmers from the rural areas - which is about all the Thais deserve.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do you think the poor people in rural areas only deserve sub-standard teachers? Thats not a nice thing to say. You don't seem to like Thailand very much.

[Guest George Bush]

^ Better educated in some ways, but their English is often dismal and they're far, far, far too anal about grammar.

And to me at least they don't really speak 'modern' 'proper' English like what we native speakers does.

Filipinos for men, and Filipinas for women.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Still a deal at 8000 baht / month

Gracias on the nicknames.

[Rumpole]

I bet there are plenty of Chinese who would work for 8000 baht a month.

I suppose they might be able to attract peasant farmers from the rural areas - which is about all the Thais deserve.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do you think the poor people in rural areas only deserve sub-standard teachers? Thats not a nice thing to say. You don't seem to like Thailand very much.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I meant that the only native-speaker Mandarin "teachers" the Thais are likely to attract for Bht8000 a month would be uneducated people from the rural hinterland of China - not so very dissimilar to the calibre of some of the candidates they employ to "teach" English.

You are right. My love affair with Thailand ended quite a long time ago. I despise their attitude to education, the disingenuous pleas of poverty and the contempt in which Westerners are so often held by the majority of the population. If I had any inclinitation to volunteer my labour for a pittance, I could think of a lot more deserving cases than the Thais.

Edited October 5, 2005 by Rumpole