Tablet Computer Issue Has Nothing To Do With Real Education Reform: Thai Talk

[webfact]

THAI TALK

Tablet issue has nothing to do with real education reform

By Suthichai Yoon

The Nation

Don't get trapped into assuming that the new government's education policy concerns only one single issue: Will Grade 1 students get their promised free computer tablets from Education Minister Woravat Auapinyakul in the new academic year?

I suspect that the "tablet thing" is just a ploy to distract us from asking the real questions about the new education policy. And if that's the case, the new government has indeed succeeded. Even during the policy debate in Parliament last week, all that the opposition lawmakers were asking about was the tablet, and not the more urgent questions relating to improvement of the abysmal quality of education.

It won't take long before we finally realise that the popular tablet issue will just dissipate into thin air. It wasn't supposed to be of major significance in the first place.

Pheu Thai's election promise was incredibly simplistic. It was to be a sweeping plan to give every Pathom 1 (Grade 1) student throughout the country a free tablet PC. It wasn't supposed to be taken seriously. It was supposed to be part of the "populist package" that was to give the party the image of digital visionary. More important, it was to be a plank that would outdo the Democrats in all fields in terms of giving out freebies.

When asked where the money was coming from, some of the party's executives tried to justify it by saying that if you didn't have to print textbooks, the money could be used to buy tablets, to distribute to all students in their first year of education. They didn't say - and nobody asked - what kind of content would be downloaded into the tablets?

Of course, people were curious how the tablets would work where there is no Internet connection, and what would a Grade 1 student do with the gadget if even his or her teacher found it difficult to comprehend the new device. There was also the question of whether Grade 2 and Grade 3 students would also get the tablets.

To me, that is what Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobamrung would call an "electioneering technique". You lend credence to any such claims only at your own risk.

Now, Minister Woravat - who of course didn't know he would hold the education portfolio when his party was promoting the tablet policy - says he will first ask all schools throughout the country about their "readiness" to receive the tablets.

"They don't have to take the tablets if they are not ready," he declared. That practically suggested that the project was as good as aborted - because no school can claim to be ready to adopt the "tablet offensive".

Teachers aren't equipped or trained to teach using tablets. Nobody is sure who would write the content, or even what the content would be. The minister has said the tablets for Grade 1 students will not be of the high-tech type. It's going to be a simple design that's suitable for younger kids. "The tablets will be more or less like toys for them," he explained.

There are simply too many obstacles along this path - and sooner or later the project will be shelved, with the excuse that it needs to be studied in more detail. Everybody will heave a sigh of relief when that confession is finally announced. But it won't come soon. Politicians need to hang on to their "tangible assets" to woo voters even after the voters have come to the belated realisation that they have been hoodwinked.

In the end, the tablet issue has nothing to do with education reform in any meaningful way. We have yet to be told how the new government will go about taking the absolutely necessary steps to raise the standards of teachers, to bridge the gap between good and bad schools, and to end the rampant corruption related to all education activities.

Forget the tablet gobbledygook and start asking some real questions about this country's rapidly deteriorating education standards.

-- The Nation 2011-09-01

[thaicbr]

"Forget the tablet gobbledygook and start asking some real questions about this country's rapidly deteriorating education standards."

SOOOOOO TRUE. But not really to Phua Thai's advantage if people knew more or had the capability to ask questions.

[siampolee]

Let's start with the no fail policy. Explain please Mr. Minister for Education your departments, "no fail policy."

Explain to us please just how a child who actually achieved a grand overall score of 1 mark, yes 1 mark in their English exam has to be graded as a minimum pass mark of 11 marks out of 20 so as the government school and its Thai and foreign teaching staff do not lose face with the parents. This child does not come from a privileged background either.

The foreign teachers are amazed at the policy,

Basically it would seem as if Walter Mitty is indeed alive and well in the Thai Ministry of Education and certainly within the school admin sections nationwide as well.

[virtualtraveller]

That's what I thought, these are just a populist gimmick, what about focusing our critique on the real substance of education. Thaksin's ingenuity has never extended far enough to realise that the voters of Isarn are let down by their poor education. The ever practical Thai simply saves up to send their kids to one of the burgeoning choice of private schools which will put their kid a cut above the rest of the Thais, even if the schooling is still below international par. The poor of Isarn remain uncompetitive in the next generation which just perpetuates the cycle of rich and poor divided. Someone has to do all the factory jobs.

Peau Thai know full well, that a new generation of properly educated rural folk would probably not vote for them, nor need their handouts.

[GazR]

Truly, the 'Wannabe Emperor' has no clothes.

Without graded readers for remedial English content, the English language 'window to the world' will remain firmly closed and democracy will likely continue to advance at a very slow pace.

Hopefully the wheels fall of Thaksin's latest political bandwagon before he can do too much damage or it all turns ugly again.

[Deez]

"Forget the tablet gobbledygook and start asking some real questions about this country's rapidly deteriorating education standards."

SOOOOOO TRUE. But not really to Phua Thai's advantage if people knew more or had the capability to ask questions.

Sad but true.

[jonclark]

Not to sound cynical I'm glad the Thais have a useless Education system as it means they will always remain stuck in Thailand and will leave the rest of the world to better people. - Not being a troll or trying to raise peoples tempers but they deserve this as they fall for the same rubbish every election campaign.

[Pib]

In the end, the tablet issue has nothing to do with education reform in any meaningful way. We have yet to be told how the new government will go about taking the absolutely necessary steps to raise the standards of teachers, to bridge the gap between good and bad schools, and to end the rampant corruption related to all education activities.

The tablet idea is like using a stick to play with a dog...throw the stick and the dog will go chasing it, be so happy, and forgot about the world around him; but when he gets tired of playing with the stick absolutely nothing has changed.

[MrJohnson]

Real education reform is a long way off in Thailand. It is more to do with controlling the population than it has to do with pass/fail, levels of English, class sizes etc. , although these of course are symptoms of the problem. A pedagogy that is firmly embedded in the 'reproductive' mode of learning i.e. rote learning, will hold the learner back forever. Shifting from this mode of learning to the critically analytical will expose the government and powers that be to way too much scrutiny/questioning/criticism (overthrow). Add to this widespread censorship and you have what we see before us now in the current Thai education system. This is what is holding back education reform in this country. Pure and simple.

[Wavefloater]

I assure you that the last thing those in power want is an educated population in Thailand. Educated people tend to ask some questions that are out of the comfort range.

My understanding is that a lot of the time students spend in Thai schools is dedicated to repeating messages that indoctrinate young people to love king and country -- blindly and without ever questioning decisions made by those in charge. Basically, the main goal of Thai schools is teach children not to think about or analyze anything of substance.

[robsamui]

Let's start with the no fail policy. Explain please Mr. Minister for Education your departments, "no fail policy."

Explain to us please just how a child who actually achieved a grand overall score of 1 mark, yes 1 mark in their English exam has to be graded as a minimum pass mark of 11 marks out of 20 so as the government school and its Thai and foreign teaching staff do not lose face with the parents. This child does not come from a privileged background either.

The foreign teachers are amazed at the policy,

Basically it would seem as if Walter Mitty is indeed alive and well in the Thai Ministry of Education and certainly within the school admin sections nationwide as well.

Lying, dithering, panicking, cheating, becoming embarrassed , burning with shame - just like an bewildered and confused adolescent girl. This is the mental state of the Thai nation (either as individuals or en masse) - when they are forced to lose face. Teenagers are tolerated and suffered, as we know they will grow out of it. Tragically, it's rooted and fixed in the Thai gene pool. Thais would rather cut of their nose and ears than have to admit they were wrong or failed in some way.

Your example above applies also to the Thai universities. Which is yet one more reason that the nation wants to isolate itself from the world outside and try to pretend it doesn't really exist - nasty farangs! The only way they can continue to function is if the Thais only have themselves to hold a mirror against and don't have to compare themselves to the rest of the world - particularly when it comes to education and achievement.

I feel truly sorry for the new Minister of Education.

The election promise to provide a 'magic tablet' that nobody knows quite what it is or does but they've all seen on TV and all the farangs have them - to a teaching force who don't know how to use them and children who don't know what they are for - reminds me of Amazon natives hanging transistor radios around their necks like jewellery for much the same reason.

Thailand is a truly astonishing nation.

R

[hellodolly]

Truly, the 'Wannabe Emperor' has no clothes.

Without graded readers for remedial English content, the English language 'window to the world' will remain firmly closed and democracy will likely continue to advance at a very slow pace.

Hopefully the wheels fall of Thaksin's latest political bandwagon before he can do too much damage or it all turns ugly again.

Maybe if they would drop the English classes and focus on mathematics science social issues the standard of education would go up. Just at a guess I would say that the ability to communicate in English would effect less than 5% of the students. It could be that the ability to communicate in Chinese in the future would help them more. In ther mean time teach them some thing that they would need those abilities for. Makes no sense tto teach them English when you don't teach them some thing they would need it for.

[robsamui]

Real education reform is a long way off in Thailand. It is more to do with controlling the population than it has to do with pass/fail, levels of English, class sizes etc. , although these of course are symptoms of the problem. A pedagogy that is firmly embedded in the 'reproductive' mode of learning i.e. rote learning, will hold the learner back forever. Shifting from this mode of learning to the critically analytical will expose the government and powers that be to way too much scrutiny/questioning/criticism (overthrow). Add to this widespread censorship and you have what we see before us now in the current Thai education system. This is what is holding back education reform in this country. Pure and simple.

Totally spot on - and credit to you for keeping it concise. People have blathered a thousand words on this subject to say what you've said here in one paragraph.

R

[OzMick]

On many courses I have studied, examples will be worked through but come the exam the question will be given a twist. For example, you might be asked to calculate the power needed for a truck to haul a certain weight up a given slope, but in the exam question, it will be going downhill. The formula is the same, but throwing in a negative value tests that you have understood what you are supposed to be learning.

Not once in my children's schoolwork did I observe such a question.

[eddie61]

All this education nonsense is a complete waste of time for this country. Thais will always be appreciated around the world as long as they can grow rice, cook, and erm.... you know.... erm (not allowed to say that... ) erm make toyotas.

stick to the basics.

[GazR]

Not to sound cynical I'm glad the Thais have a useless Education system as it means they will always remain stuck in Thailand and will leave the rest of the world to better people. - Not being a troll or trying to raise peoples tempers but they deserve this as they fall for the same rubbish every election campaign.

Sounds to me a lot like you're blaming the victims here i.e. the ordinary people who have been cheated out of the modern education which is the key to finding a way out of this sad sorry mess.

[GazR]

All this education nonsense is a complete waste of time for this country. Thais will always be appreciated around the world as long as they can grow rice, cook, and erm.... you know.... erm (not allowed to say that... ) erm make toyotas.

stick to the basics.

And where would your country be today if it had done that?

[hellodolly]

Not to sound cynical I'm glad the Thais have a useless Education system as it means they will always remain stuck in Thailand and will leave the rest of the world to better people. - Not being a troll or trying to raise peoples tempers but they deserve this as they fall for the same rubbish every election campaign.

I disagree with you on your obvious feelings of superiority. Your feelings of being a superior person to Thai's due to your parents giving you a education is nothing but Thai bashing.

I did how ever notice that you are still here. Could be you feel at home in this environment.

[KKK]

But before you hand out these tablet computers to the students, the teachers need training first in how to use them. Thailand putting the cart before the horse again.....

[chmiroau]

I assure you that the last thing those in power want is an educated population in Thailand. Educated people tend to ask some questions that are out of the comfort range.

My understanding is that a lot of the time students spend in Thai schools is dedicated to repeating messages that indoctrinate young people to love king and country -- blindly and without ever questioning decisions made by those in charge. Basically, the main goal of Thai schools is teach children not to think about or analyze anything of substance.

I totally agree. Even after explaining the facts about the way that many of the Thai people drive their cars and treat each other, my wife still has the firm belief that you should just let the bad people do what they want so that they don't upset you. "Do what they want"; push around the traffic turning either left or right so that you can get in front of other people, even if you take up 3 lanes to do so, forgetting that the people that do this are likely the ones that are causing the traffic jam that they are stuck in,,,, ETC. Corruption is better than getting a 400B fine. And so on...

[quandow]

As a former teacher from the largest private school system in southeast Asia, I was once forced to attend a weekend training session where we were put to work handing out flyers advertising one of our new schools. Saturday evening, we had to provide training ideas to our peers. One teacher had a good idea, and our Director praised it. However, when I tried to apply this concept the following Monday, I was "rapped on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper " and told to continue having my students repeatedly chant their lessons, over and over and over . . . needless to say, all of my students ALWAYS passed their mid-term and final exams. It truly is dispiriting. After enough of this pretense, you either quit or "go with the flow." Here's my question: when you are lying on the operating table, don't you want to know that the surgeon who is about to open you up got their degree from somewhere other than Thailand?

[GazR]

Truly, the 'Wannabe Emperor' has no clothes.

Without graded readers for remedial English content, the English language 'window to the world' will remain firmly closed and democracy will likely continue to advance at a very slow pace.

Hopefully the wheels fall of Thaksin's latest political bandwagon before he can do too much damage or it all turns ugly again.

Maybe if they would drop the English classes and focus on mathematics science social issues the standard of education would go up. Just at a guess I would say that the ability to communicate in English would effect less than 5% of the students. It could be that the ability to communicate in Chinese in the future would help them more. In ther mean time teach them some thing that they would need those abilities for. Makes no sense tto teach them English when you don't teach them some thing they would need it for.

Well, one reason they need it is so they can make comparisons for themselves and draw their own conclusion as to how well they are being served by the government compared to governments of the more 'advanced' liberal democracies. Chinese would be of little use in this regard, because (with the possible exception of Taiwan) Chinese the world over simply don't do democracy.

BTW do universities teach people what to write about before teaching them how to write? No they don't - you seem to be just another armchair expert.

Edited September 2, 2011 by GazR

[Just1Voice]

I can't even count the number of people I've met who hold Bachelor or Master degrees in English, and are English teachers now themselves, who can't even hold a conversation in the language, or write a simple paragraph. The blind leading the blind. Until Thailand gets over the xenophobia and starts bringing in native speaking English teachers, this situation will not improve.

Minister of Education last year made the comment that teaching English as a second language might make people think Thailand was once a "colony". Aside from the abject stupidity of the comment itself, both Singapore and Hong Kong were former "colonies", and they're doing a hell of a lot better than Thailand in every category. Even in the "lowly Philippines" everyone learns English as a second language. If Thailand wants to compete on the international level, then they better learn the "international language", or will forever be playing catch up to everyone else.

The "no fail" policy has GOT to be abolished. What motivation does a student have to actually do anything when they know they'll be passed on, regardless?

Want to bring in the "loss of face" issue? Fine, send letters to the parents of every student and tell them that if their child does not perform well and actually learn, they will be failed, and the loss of face will rest squarely on the shoulders of the parents.

Retrain teachers who can be, and for those who can't, fire them and bring in good ones. Teach the teachers HOW to teach. If you don't, som nom na.

[SICHONSTEVE]

That's what I thought, these are just a populist gimmick, what about focusing our critique on the real substance of education. Thaksin's ingenuity has never extended far enough to realise that the voters of Isarn are let down by their poor education. The ever practical Thai simply saves up to send their kids to one of the burgeoning choice of private schools which will put their kid a cut above the rest of the Thais, even if the schooling is still below international par. The poor of Isarn remain uncompetitive in the next generation which just perpetuates the cycle of rich and poor divided. Someone has to do all the factory jobs.

Peau Thai know full well, that a new generation of properly educated rural folk would probably not vote for them, nor need their handouts.

"Peau Thai know full well, that a new generation of properly educated rural folk would probably not vote for them, nor need their handouts".

What, you mean like the tactics used by Pohl Pot and the southern Thai Islamic insurgents as well as many of the third world dictatorships in Africa and other continents.

Sounds about right to me!!!! People will begin to understand (hopefully) that they are nothing but worthless ideas devised, as the author of this piece implies - "to out do the Democrats in order to hoodwink the people into voting them into power"!!! Well they achieved that alright - now for the gigantic let down when they don't/can't deliver on their false and immoral promises!!

[cup-O-coffee]

Interesting article. It seems that it addresses only one of the many issues that make up this tangles web of confusion.

There are simply too many issues involved here to even begin poking a stick at. The comments on Rote being negative are half true. There are instances where rote does have benefits, but only when it is properly corralled and used for its intended effectiveness: music, multiplication tables, vocabulary, etc. This, however should not be the end all. Rote is a good way to begin gathering the basic concepts that can then be furthered with critical thinking and semantic satiation. Wikipedia has some interesting comments on rote learning. It would appear that it is possible that countries who use rote perhaps (PERHAPS) use it as a tool to "appear" to be raising the education level in their countries in order to show up better on the world ranking system. I wouldn't put it past these countries to allow politics and "face" to let this method be the mainstay in their education systems in order to glean votes.

But, on the other hand, how do you break the cycle of children being illiterate and ignorant when you have such a low common denominator in the parent and family sector? I mean the less financially well-off families who conduct their daily lives through blind indoctrination from religion, nationalism, cultural peer pressure, and flat out ignorance of being unawares of what resources are out there available to them, and not knowing an educational resource from a hole in the ground.

This leads to the point of educating the parents before educating the kids. If you cannot convince the parents that a train is coming and certain death is imminent, then you will be the one pulling the crying child from the railroad tracks, with no support from the parents, and moreover, being subject to the parents disapproval and complaining.

No! I think this situation is a lot more complex than any one human or one PM and cabinet can solve in one term, or ten terms; even if all the incumbents were to totally agree with their successors for ten generations. There are too many deep rooted religious, nationalistic, xenophobic and altruistic beliefs crammed into these people to ever allow them to engage in critical thinking, free association, semantics, logic, elementary deduction, and so forth. There are too many taboo cultural issues that one cannot speak of, or even begin to conceptualize, due to the knee-jerk mental jolt that afflicts these people when they tap into their brain power (like a smoker getting the thought to light up and the electrical shock treatments kicking in).

Anyone on this thread have young children here? I am interested in your resolve and views on how you will overcome the time when your child or children enter the available education system of your choice. What are you doing, personally, to prepare you child for that day? And, how is that different from what the majority of low scoring children's parents have done and fail to do?

[SICHONSTEVE]

Interesting article. It seems that it addresses only one of the many issues that make up this tangles web of confusion.

There are simply too many issues involved here to even begin poking a stick at. The comments on Rote being negative are half true. There are instances where rote does have benefits, but only when it is properly corralled and used for its intended effectiveness: music, multiplication tables, vocabulary, etc. This, however should not be the end all. Rote is a good way to begin gathering the basic concepts that can then be furthered with critical thinking and semantic satiation. Wikipedia has some interesting comments on rote learning. It would appear that it is possible that countries who use rote perhaps (PERHAPS) use it as a tool to "appear" to be raising the education level in their countries in order to show up better on the world ranking system. I wouldn't put it past these countries to allow politics and "face" to let this method be the mainstay in their education systems in order to glean votes.

But, on the other hand, how do you break the cycle of children being illiterate and ignorant when you have such a low common denominator in the parent and family sector? I mean the less financially well-off families who conduct their daily lives through blind indoctrination from religion, nationalism, cultural peer pressure, and flat out ignorance of being unawares of what resources are out there available to them, and not knowing an educational resource from a hole in the ground.

This leads to the point of educating the parents before educating the kids. If you cannot convince the parents that a train is coming and certain death is imminent, then you will be the one pulling the crying child from the railroad tracks, with no support from the parents, and moreover, being subject to the parents disapproval and complaining.

No! I think this situation is a lot more complex than any one human or one PM and cabinet can solve in one term, or ten terms; even if all the incumbents were to totally agree with their successors for ten generations. There are too many deep rooted religious, nationalistic, xenophobic and altruistic beliefs crammed into these people to ever allow them to engage in critical thinking, free association, semantics, logic, elementary deduction, and so forth. There are too many taboo cultural issues that one cannot speak of, or even begin to conceptualize, due to the knee-jerk mental jolt that afflicts these people when they tap into their brain power (like a smoker getting the thought to light up and the electrical shock treatments kicking in).

Anyone on this thread have young children here? I am interested in your resolve and views on how you will overcome the time when your child or children enter the available education system of your choice. What are you doing, personally, to prepare you child for that day? And, how is that different from what the majority of low scoring children's parents have done and fail to do?

In your last paragraph you refer to farang parents living in Thailand and what they intend to do with their childrens education. This thread is concerned with Thai parents (particularly the poor ones with a substandard education) only. They do not understand what is available to them and a large number cannot afford pivate school education. I must declare an interest here as my wife and I are owners of quite a large private kindergarten school in Sichon, Nakhonsithammarat.

There is no question that private education is superior to government funded free education but the parents don't always realise this as being the case and I suppose that not all private schools are up to an acceptable standard.

It is inexcusable to waste so much money on a gimmick to get them (Pheu Thai) elected when it is generally accepted as being an expensive waste of time and money which will pull money out of the education budget and away from more worthy and practical causes. This thread is not concerned so much with rote learning it is to do with tablets and the unnecessary expense of introducing "a white elephant" of giant proportions!!!. The biggest shame is that the PTP were prepared to use this as a sweetener for election purposes to make them look like they are giving the children something that will be beneficial for their children's education when this is clearly not the case at all!!!

[daiwill60]

Most definitely. YEP!!!

As a former teacher from the largest private school system in southeast Asia, I was once forced to attend a weekend training session where we were put to work handing out flyers advertising one of our new schools. Saturday evening, we had to provide training ideas to our peers. One teacher had a good idea, and our Director praised it. However, when I tried to apply this concept the following Monday, I was "rapped on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper " and told to continue having my students repeatedly chant their lessons, over and over and over . . . needless to say, all of my students ALWAYS passed their mid-term and final exams. It truly is dispiriting. After enough of this pretense, you either quit or "go with the flow." Here's my question: when you are lying on the operating table, don't you want to know that the surgeon who is about to open you up got their degree from somewhere other than Thailand?

[daiwill60]

Hellodolly.

Ahem! your grammar, spelling and punctuation? Is this an indication of your attendance at a school similar to those found in Thailand, or even perhaps, one in Thailand?

'' Maybe if they would drop the English classes and focus on mathematics, science and social issues, the standard of education would go up. Just at a guess, I would say that the ability to communicate in English would affect less than 5% of the students. It could be that the ability to communicate in Chinese in the future would help them more. In the mean time, teach them some thing that they would need those abilities for. It makes no sense to teach them English, when you don't teach them some thing they would need it for.

Aha! I have noticed a vast improvement in your subsequent post on this matter. Always knew the boy could do better if he tried harder.

Sorry to be a bit pedantic but whilst wholeheartedly agreeing with the sentiment of your posted response, it is somewhat ironic to be commenting on the state of education, when you obviously haven't checked your own work before commenting.

Might I further add that, although I make mistakes in my written English, I do try to be as correct as I can with my grammar and spelling etc.

Nothing personal.

Truly, the 'Wannabe Emperor' has no clothes.

Without graded readers for remedial English content, the English language 'window to the world' will remain firmly closed and democracy will likely continue to advance at a very slow pace.

Hopefully the wheels fall of Thaksin's latest political bandwagon before he can do too much damage or it all turns ugly again.

Maybe if they would drop the English classes and focus on mathematics science social issues the standard of education would go up. Just at a guess I would say that the ability to communicate in English would effect less than 5% of the students. It could be that the ability to communicate in Chinese in the future would help them more. In ther mean time teach them some thing that they would need those abilities for. Makes no sense tto teach them English when you don't teach them some thing they would need it for.

Edited September 3, 2011 by daiwill60

[hellodolly]

Truly, the 'Wannabe Emperor' has no clothes.

Without graded readers for remedial English content, the English language 'window to the world' will remain firmly closed and democracy will likely continue to advance at a very slow pace.

Hopefully the wheels fall of Thaksin's latest political bandwagon before he can do too much damage or it all turns ugly again.

Maybe if they would drop the English classes and focus on mathematics science social issues the standard of education would go up. Just at a guess I would say that the ability to communicate in English would effect less than 5% of the students. It could be that the ability to communicate in Chinese in the future would help them more. In ther mean time teach them some thing that they would need those abilities for. Makes no sense tto teach them English when you don't teach them some thing they would need it for.

Well, one reason they need it is so they can make comparisons for themselves and draw their own conclusion as to how well they are being served by the government compared to governments of the more 'advanced' liberal democracies. Chinese would be of little use in this regard, because (with the possible exception of Taiwan) Chinese the world over simply don't do democracy.

BTW do universities teach people what to write about before teaching them how to write? No they don't - you seem to be just another armchair expert.

Good one I needed a laugh today.

Yes comparing how there government is doing compared to advanced liberal democracies is the number one topic in the rice fields.

And for sure teach them a language you can speak so you can tell them which countries are the advanced liberal democracies.

I hear it is the number one topic around the water coolers in office buildings

One can hardley walk down the street with out some one trying to discuss the Thai government against a advanced liberal democracy with them .::

[gregb]

Anyone on this thread have young children here? I am interested in your resolve and views on how you will overcome the time when your child or children enter the available education system of your choice. What are you doing, personally, to prepare you child for that day? And, how is that different from what the majority of low scoring children's parents have done and fail to do?

I am going to home school. I have heard all the arguments against it, but in my opinion the advantages are far greater. They'll have friends to play with in the neighborhood.

All I have to do is earn enough money in the next few years so that I can afford to take the time off to teach them properly.

If I was an Issan farmer I'd have a good amount of spare time during portions of the year. Sadly, few farmers are educated themselves so home schooling isn't really an option for them. They honestly need the government to help out their children, but instead they get tablet computers. I guess it is hard to collect a corruption payment on teaching a child to think.