Need A Teachers License

[Scott]

Thanks for the information. My information was only informal and occurred in a meeting a very long time ago. At that time, they planned to only give 3 waivers. I have never seen that in writing.

It took them almost the entire time of the first waiver to get the Thai Culture course up and running and available to a large number of teachers. .

[puchooay]

Looks like it is how they feel on the day.

Informally they agreed to only give 3 waivers. Some people are now saying they were refused their third one.

Now we have evidence that someone has a fourth waiver.

Its a little off putting. I am currently studying. When I have finished I should be OK. I am half way through my second waiver so have 15 months left. Not sure if I will make the time. If I knew that I was going to get a 3rd waiver then I could relax and maybe get better grades.

[aidenai]

I hope you are correct. I know a few years back, I had staff who went to the MOE to discuss the regulations and the impact on our school. At that time, they were told there would only be 3 waivers.

At that time, however, they seemed pretty unsure of anything.

Hi Scott,

I'm on my fourth waiver letter now, just received it from TCT last August and also a colleague received his fourth at the same time. I'm holding a BA, but not in education. But it could also be that our director's connection to the TCT made it happen...........

Thanks for this information.

I guess you've changed schools several times within the last four years.

[Ijustwannateach]

Strongly recommend that OP and others curious read the pinned thread about the TCT and its impact on legal working conditions for foreign teachers in Thailand. I hesitate to refer to their 'regulations' or 'requirements' because that would imply that such things exist in some kind of transparent or predictable fashion that schools or teachers understand. Even during administration of the blasted 'Culture course', which is nothing but a money spinner for the well-connected, the persons who were purporting to represent 'experts' on TCT policies had little concrete to say about these requirements. Essentially, they didn't know either.

From all reports regarding the tests, they are essentially a copy-and-paste job from various random not-terribly-up-to-date education course texts and manuals, assembled largely by non-native-speaking shills working for agencies. These are sprinkled liberally with copies of sometimes culturally untranslatable questions translated directly from Thai educational tests. They are not really coherent or passable, and are not intended to be such. I believe the original intention was probably to herd people into diploma mills so they would be required to shell out even more money for erstwhile 'qualifications' to be allowed to continue teaching. These institutions have largely not materialised, or when they have seemed to appear they did not eventually pan out. It has happened a couple of times that claims made by such courses to be qualifying for the TCT were not, in fact, true (Ramkhamhaeng University's version of this course, for instance).

However, there is a silver lining. Since the requirements still stand (though who knows when/if ever they will be fully enforced and not waived for further fees...), it has motivated the cautious to obtain more genuine qualifications abroad, which is what I continue to recommend that anyone interested in long term education do anyway.

[aidenai]

I believe the original intention was probably to herd people into diploma mills so they would be required to shell out even more money for erstwhile 'qualifications' to be allowed to continue teaching.

That's what I think is currently the case hence the start of a new by the TCT accredited Graduate Diploma in Teaching Profession Course. On the other hand, In England you need a PGCE or GTP to apply for a QTS. No other way to qualify. Having said that, I'm glad that the TCT gives the opportunity to do the tests. I don't see myself going to university every Saturday and Sunday for eight to twelve months.

Edited February 2, 2012 by aidenai

[aidenai]

However, there is a silver lining. Since the requirements still stand (though who knows when/if ever they will be fully enforced and not waived for further fees...), it has motivated the cautious to obtain more genuine qualifications abroad, which is what I continue to recommend that anyone interested in long term education do anyway.

Concur.

[gosompoi]

I believe the original intention was probably to herd people into diploma mills so they would be required to shell out even more money for erstwhile 'qualifications' to be allowed to continue teaching.

That's what I think is currently the case hence the start of a new by the TCT accredited Graduate Diploma in Teaching Profession Course. On the other hand, In England you need a PGCE or GTP to apply for a QTS. No other way to qualify. Having said that, I'm glad that the TCT gives the opportunity to do the tests. I don't see myself going to university every Saturday and Sunday for eight to twelve months.

I wouldn't mind going to University every weekend for 8 to 12 months but as I understand there isn't that option. There was one University with a course but it has been canceled. Being in Issan it would be difficult but not impossible task.

[aidenai]

thailandteaching.asia/teacher-licensing/3639-new-graduate-diploma-teaching-profession.html

[sirchai]

I hope you are correct. I know a few years back, I had staff who went to the MOE to discuss the regulations and the impact on our school. At that time, they were told there would only be 3 waivers.

At that time, however, they seemed pretty unsure of anything.

Hi Scott,

I'm on my fourth waiver letter now, just received it from TCT last August and also a colleague received his fourth at the same time. I'm holding a BA, but not in education. But it could also be that our director's connection to the TCT made it happen...........

Thanks for this information.

I guess you've changed schools several times within the last four years.

Nope, I'm at my third school now in seven years. I drove to the TCT in Bangkok to sort it out. The girl there promised me to send it to me within three weeks, but it never happened. ( As usual!)

I went to my director after two and a half months and he called his friend working there.Must have been a real good friend, because it took only four weekdays to receive the document by post.

Land of Smiles, Land of Whys........

Edited February 2, 2012 by sirchai

[aidenai]

Nope, I'm at my third school now in seven years. I drove to the TCT in Bangkok to sort it out. The girl there promised me to send it to me within three weeks, but it never happened. ( As usual!)

I went to my director after two and a half months and he called his friend working there.Must have been a real good friend, because it took only four weekdays to receive the document by post.

Land of Smiles, Land of Whys........

Allow me to rephrase myself. AFAIK, the first TCT provisional teaching permits were issued at the end of 2007 beginning 2008. Normally a provisional teaching permit is valid for two years. That didn't add up in your case. That's why I guessed that you changed schools several times since 2007/ 2008.