Parents And Teachers Give O-Net Low Marks

[Lite Beer]

Parents, teachers give O-Net low marks

Saowanee Nimpanpayungwong

The Nation on Sunday

Chinnapat

BANGKOK:-- Parents and teachers are split over whether the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) should provide the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-Net) to grade 6, 9 and 12 students as a condition for their exit exam results - and as a qualification to enter new schools.

A representative of parents from Roong-Aroon School, Surapol Thamromdee, is one who disapproves.

"Instead of increasing stress on children, teachers should be more qualified than [their students]. If they have to do O-Net exams to complete their grades, they will [need to] register [for an] extra course- [meaning] I as a parent also have [extra] expenses for their tuition fees. So why does the government not try to improve teacher's performances?" Surapol said.

The president of the student committee at Suan Kularb Wittayalai School, Sira Simmee, believed the O-Net could set the standard for schools - but the test could not reveal if each student was a good person. And about arts, music and sports - the test could not tell how good or weak they were in these three subjects.

Sira added that students with no confidence in O-Net exams might be influenced to abandon their studies. Students from rural or poor areas might not be able to take extra courses outside school.

Dr Udomrak Kulsriroj, a representative of teachers from Kasetsart University's demonstration school, said only five subjects - not eight - should be used to evaluate students, because the other three subjects cannot prove students' ability just from exam papers.

Some schools will not approve of the inclusion of 50 per cent of O-Net scores with school traditional exams. Some also evaluated students not only from the tests but looked at a history of their activities as well.

Representatives from 10 top schools failed to agree on a desirable standard for O-Net exams, saying it was still being disputed. They believed the exams were not stable in terms of correctness and the scope of their study, and they weren't suitable for the evaluation of Thai students.

OBEC secretary-general Chinnapat Poomrat suggested that if students passed O-Net by more than a score of 20.01 - the lowest measure - they should be considered for school entry. Another plan was to use GPA, including O-Net scores, for a ratio target of 80:20. However there was no final agreement on this, he said.

Somwang Pitiyanuwat, director of the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment said: "National exams to evaluate the average of Thai students used to be organised in Thailand - but we cancelled this system in 1974. Since then we have managed our education system based on that of the Americans."

The education gap between urban and rural areas is still wide. Sonwang said the O-Net exams should push students to be more industrious, like Indonesia, where the national evaluation of schools aims for scores of 100.

Direk Pornsima, who chairs the Teachers' Council of Thailand, said "The O-Net system is effective but the problem is how we can manage it."

Direk gave the example of Singapore and Hong Kong where governments based their student estimates mainly on national tests for maths and language, that counted for up to 60-70 per cent. Arts, music and sports counted for 20 per cent, because these subjects could not be examined in tests.

"The truth is the O-Net results should be empowered to evaluate school administrators. To improve the education system, quality does not only depend on students but also on the schools themselves. So if the system was to help them, teachers would try harder to develop themselves and their students," Direk explained.

-- The Nation 2012-05-20

[Scott]

The O-net probably doesn't show if their handwriting is neat enough either.

[jerrysteve]

Parents and the Teachers should be tested to see how well they do. That is the group who should be tested followed by the students. Iter all comes down to Money and higher expenses as the representive of the parents remarked.

The only thing that cost more than an education, Ignorance!!!! and those proverbial chickens have already come back to rooste long ago in the land of smiles and poverty.

[sirchai]

"Instead of increasing stress on children, teachers should be more qualified than [their students]. "

"The education gap between urban and rural areas is still wide. Sonwang said the O-Net exams should push students to be more industrious, like Indonesia, where the national evaluation of schools aims for scores of 100."

The Majority of Thai English teachers wouldn't pass an O-net test for M.6. Wondering what their percentage would be.........

Edited May 20, 2012 by sirchai

[culicine]

Start by getting rid of multiple choice tests...oh they tried that - too many got 0%. I guess 25% from guessing looks much better:)

Start by giving students the grades they deserve in school - you sit there and do nothing on a final exam, you should get 0%, and not the 50% that schools are (almost) forced to do. I say forced, as we have managed to hold some students back a year if the school believes they are not capable of the next grade level. Often those students leave the school.

Start by not forcing m6 to learn to do dance, music, and art, when in fact they have no interest in these subjects. Give them more choice in m4-m6.

Start by developing an interesting an relevant curriculum and train the teacher to train the students how to use their brains. Reduce necessity for students to go to tutorial schools - this widens the gap between the rich and poor. many poor students are highly intelligent and miss out on a good education because they can't afford the extra classes.

Any more ideas?

[Scott]

If they can implement your ideas, it would be a good start.

[AussieTrent]

http://m.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

"a system based on the Americans"

It seems there are other better ideas out there than the Americans, Pasi Sahlburg may have a few good ideas if they cared to listen.

Maybe they need to set a few base goals first.

[hellodolly]

Personally I believe it dosen't matter what they do if they continue to insist on hiring unqualified teachers.

They can put in as many or as few classes as they want but the chances of the student learning any thing is directly related to the teachers ability to teach.

Along with good teachers giving honest grades and acting on them would be a huge help.

No incentive to try when they know they are going to be passed on to the next grade.

[Bagwan]

The O-net probably doesn't show if their handwriting is neat enough either.

Does the ability to write neatly have any great significance? Doctors are renowned for their scribbles and they are highly respected, high earning members of Thai society. Since anybody who comments, or daringly corrects, the standard of English here is promptly labelled as a grammar Nazi, would you care to set up a poll to determine what the membership would like to call those who write in a less than perfectly legible style?

[Dap]

The O-net probably doesn't show if their handwriting is neat enough either.

Does the ability to write neatly have any great significance? Doctors are renowned for their scribbles and they are highly respected, high earning members of Thai society. Since anybody who comments, or daringly corrects, the standard of English here is promptly labelled as a grammar Nazi, would you care to set up a poll to determine what the membership would like to call those who write in a less than perfectly legible style?

Bagwan, I don't think you understand the sarcasm of Scott's remark.