Phuket teacher crisis appeal sparks flood of applicants

Phuket Gazette

More English teachers are needed at Phuket schools.

PHUKET: -- The Director of the Phuket Primary Educational Office has called for all people wanting to apply for positions as English teachers at government schools in Phuket Town to contact the schools directly.

Dr Jian Thongnoon announced the news in the wake of the Phuket Gazette posting online its story about the shortage of English teachers at Phuket schools reaching what local officials are calling “crisis level”.

Since posting the story online, the Gazette has received a constant stream of requests for contact information about where to apply.

“I would like to inform all foreigners who are interested and qualified to be a teacher to personally go to any primary school to apply for the position,” Dr Jian told the Gazette.

“The Phuket Primary Educational Service Office does not have a database of the positions vacant at each primary school. But we have been providing extra grants for all schools in Phuket since the beginning of the new semester [late October] so schools can hire more English teachers,” he said.

Dr Jian urged applicants to give government schools priority in applying.

“I would like them to focus on government schools. Private schools and international schools have enough foreign teachers, but we still need a lot more at government schools,” he said.

Dr Jian urged anyone interested in applying for teaching positions at the government schools to visit the Phuket Primary Educational Service Office website here:

http://www.pkt.obec.go.th/data/phuket/nameschool.html

He advised that for those who cannot read Thai, applicants should use the contact information in the top two categories on the web page.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2011/article11454.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-11-17

Hardly surprising in view of all the negative publicity the place gets, and the additional costs of living there, whether they are legitimate costs or not.

Well.......at least the "balloon chasers" hopes will be raised........