Trying To Stop The Rot In Thailand's Schools By Giving Out Tablet Computers

[cooked]

Living in the West, we are used to public schools at least striving to prepare students to advance in society and move on and up.

Last year I had a conversation with an expat who has lived here around 20 years and he explained to me that the Thai public education system is designed to first properly indoctrinate and then to educate the lower class only to level required to perform their part in Thai society as farmers, menial laborers, drivers, etc. It's part of the whole system to ensure the continued effective control and position of the higher-class "pu-yai" or "better people" in Thai society. He also said that any parent that cares about their child and has any kind of money sends their child to a private school.

I do not blindly accept what anybody tells me but I will add that I had many conversations with this person and many things that he has told me about Thai society and life here that I have been able to substantiate have all turned out to be pretty much right on the mark.

20 years? Sheesh I must be a genius, I worked that out, as well as where this stuff originates, in three months.

Edited June 19, 2012 by cooked

[kanderson]

I think tablets for students is a very good idea. It can also be educational to play some games and become familiar with technology. Educational resources online may be growing exponentially already.

[tingtong]

I'm a teacher at a university...the kids have all been given these tablets...Peronally, I think its a waste of time...Before the handout of tablets, the students had enough problems trying to stay awake and focused in the classroom...Now they have this new toy that keeps them further from where they need to be in regards to being attentive, alert and participative.....they are too busy playing their little games etc..It's just a joke....

have you try out conference call on skype/google talk to reach them?!

[mca]

I've edited your quote for the sake of not repeating it as it's quite long mate but i have to wholeheartedly agree with you. A British educated Thai doctor of my acquaintance ( and who many westerners in my area including myself swear by - even traveling 3 hours to see him ) left the supposedly "best" private hospital in town and set up his own surgery as he saw incidents of malpractise on a daily basis that, and to quote him, "Would have you reaching for your lawyers phone number back home"

Although it's a bit of a lottery here trying to sort out decent medical care as I needed emergency surgery last year and the local government hospital and specialist were nothing short of fantastic whereas a supposed cast iron reputation dermatologist diagnosed my allergic reaction to seafood the night before ( a point I kept trying to make to no avail ) as venereal disease. I swear on the Holy Bible that's the God's honest truth. Face be damned. I suppose I've lost it with a Thai a handful of times over the years but I simply said to my wife "This man's an idiot" and walked out. I was that incensed at how many people must have been given a dodgy diagnosis by a supposed professional and swallowed the bullshit he was spouting because he was "Khun Mor"

Edited June 19, 2012 by mca

[noitom]

Apart from the credibility of the Economist in general, this article was useless in addressing the true issues relating to Thai education and their system.

[luciferbkk]

Or as bad as yours.

Not if they're English is as bad as this report suggests.

[overherebc]

The Thai education system needs some real remedial work. and putting that 2B clown Suchart and his "tea money" ideas in charge will take it back to the stone age.

Still, with YouTube on the tablets the students will soon learn to paint in novel ways, sing songs about ears and listen to idiots like Jatuporn.

The good thing is that they can download the ThaiVisa app and listen to us lot!

Not if they're English is as bad as this report suggests.

They're over there in their car.

Does that help ?

[Keesters]

She needed to find out how much change to give from a 1000 baht note on a 480 baht bill...

I reckon that a lot of that is to do with self confidence. She and many Thais like her don't have the self confidence to do it themselves and resort to using tools. It is also something to blame if it is wrong. "It wasn't me it was the calculator".

[Keesters]

I swear this actually happened while trying to get a young Thai lad to recite to me his 7 times table. I've translated from Thai to English.

...

5 times 7 equals 35

6 times 7 equals 42

7 times 7 equals 49

9 times 7 equals

what happened to 8 times I asked

I didn't go to school that day he replied

I should perhaps add that I'm not a teacher.

[Baloo22]

Living in the West, we are used to public schools at least striving to prepare students to advance in society and move on and up.

Last year I had a conversation with an expat who has lived here around 20 years and he explained to me that the Thai public education system is designed to first properly indoctrinate and then to educate the lower class only to level required to perform their part in Thai society as farmers, menial laborers, drivers, etc. It's part of the whole system to ensure the continued effective control and position of the higher-class "pu-yai" or "better people" in Thai society. He also said that any parent that cares about their child and has any kind of money sends their child to a private school.

I do not blindly accept what anybody tells me but I will add that I had many conversations with this person and many things that he has told me about Thai society and life here that I have been able to substantiate have all turned out to be pretty much right on the mark.

20 years? Sheesh I must be a genius, I worked that out, as well as where this stuff originates, in three months.

I didn't say it took him 20 years to figure it out. Just that he has been living here for about 20 years. I take it your view of the Thai public school system is similar?

[LucidLucifer]

I think tablets for students is a very good idea. It can also be educational to play some games and become familiar with technology. Educational resources online may be growing exponentially already.

There are a huge amount of extremely high quality resources already online; the big problem is language. As English language skills are so minimal, the average Thai child (and teacher) cannot access them.

[hansgruber]

I'd like to see the preloaded software.

Wouldnt be surprised if they contain propaganda apps with Thaksins smiling dial as the home screen.

[SuneeTH]

I think tablets for students is a very good idea. It can also be educational to play some games and become familiar with technology. Educational resources online may be growing exponentially already.

I disagree.

Thai kids will turn it into a porn access gadget or a betting machine. Wanna bet?

Example:

During our time, we have to gather money, go to the back of the bookshop (in front of our school) to buy overpriced, old, smelly, sticky, second (I am sure more than second) hand blue magazines. Now, just click at porn sites.

We have to buy illegal lottery in the dark corner of the wet market. Now, just click at casino sites.

I am sure, in no time, kids can order cigar / alcohol / drug and have it delivery to the bicycle shed behind school, just by clicking (or rather touching) the new free machine.

[Gimbo]

Kids at grade three have to learn history, but can't even read and write their own language properly.

Many of them first have to learn "their own language", as Thai is their second or even 3rd language....

[hansnl]

Not if they're English is as bad as this report suggests.

... or this sentence?

Not every poster seems to be proficient in the English language, but is trying to be.

Several of the posters are able to speak another language or languages besides (bad?) English.

What about you?

[LucidLucifer]

I think tablets for students is a very good idea. It can also be educational to play some games and become familiar with technology. Educational resources online may be growing exponentially already.

I disagree.

Thai kids will turn it into a porn access gadget or a betting machine. Wanna bet?

Example:

During our time, we have to gather money, go to the back of the bookshop (in front of our school) to buy overpriced, old, smelly, sticky, second (I am sure more than second) hand blue magazines. Now, just click at porn sites.

We have to buy illegal lottery in the dark corner of the wet market. Now, just click at casino sites.

I am sure, in no time, kids can order cigar / alcohol / drug and have it delivery to the bicycle shed behind school, just by clicking (or rather touching) the new free machine.

Of course there are possible downsides, but you talk as if the kids don't already have access to the internet. They do, at internet cafes.

Can you explain how a school age child is going to access casino sites without a credit card? Last time I looked they didn't accept 20baht snack money as collateral....

I imagine you will say, 'steal their parents credit cards,' of course most Thais don't have these, and that scenario is far fetched. It could/will happen, but only in extremely rare cases, so it's not a valid reason.

As for accessing porn, simple filters on the search engines can be block any content like that.

What you are failing to see is the educational benefits tablets are capabale of bringing if used properly (and I do say if, but the potential is there).

I do find it puzzling that most of the naysayers about tablets have probably never worked in an educational environment, and have certainly never used tablets in one. The same reasons are quoted time and again; they'll use them to play games; they'll be a distraction; we didn't have them in my day and I can write and add up....etc, etc.

Yes the scheme is ill-conceived here, I won't argue with that. There has been no forward preparation and thought given to how they will be introduced and used.

What should not be questioned is their effectiveness, and the benefits they can bring.

[theajarn]

The chief problem is that children’s educational attainments are falling, even as more money is being lavished on the schools. Thailand now spends about 20% of the national budget on education, more than it devotes to any other sector. The budget has doubled over a decade. Yet results are getting worse, both in absolute terms and relative to other countries in South-East Asia.

I disagree. They are quite well-aware of this but they "accept it" as part of every day normal life. The problem is tolerance toward this system and the attitude of government.

The government designed the education system for a particular reason. There have been Thais who have written reports about this.

No, the chief problem is that no one in this country is aware of this, at all. The majority in this country is so dedicated to patting itself on the back and chanting mantras about the intrinsic superiority of the Kingdom, that they are not only not capable of intellectually recognizing the state of education but they are too thin-skinned to emotionally survive the realization that they are, in many cases, non-functional economic actors. As technology improves, those jobs handing out change to people on the BTS will disappear like so many other of the menial jobs that keep government employment figures looking good. Another article posted here today announced that Thais should not focus on "competing" with other countries, but rather "cooperating". It must be nice to be so disconnected from reality, on many levels. Perhaps I'm just jealous.

Thailand will always choose to ignore and push their problems under the rug rather than acknowledge and face them head on. Generally, people seem to believe that that is the morally preferable way of handling things, as the rude aggression and frankness of Europeans and Americans is a major turn-off.

[haroldc]

Has anyone seen the e-learning content that is installed on these tablets?

[David006]

I'm a teacher at a university...the kids have all been given these tablets...Peronally, I think its a waste of time...Before the handout of tablets, the students had enough problems trying to stay awake and focused in the classroom...Now they have this new toy that keeps them further from where they need to be in regards to being attentive, alert and participative.....they are too busy playing their little games etc..It's just a joke....

Thank you for an astute observation from someone in the frontline. That might not say it all . . . but it certainly says a lot!

I am confused here...what exactly are these tablets to be used for..what software is on them "MS office" or something similar.. if so a fricking ton of memory space? Do they have USB/firewire ports??

Step daughter in tech school supposedly studying computer course...not enough computers in the school, had her homework/projects stolen and erased from communal machines several times.( you would think the bloody teacher(s) would have taught password protection..bought her a USB thumb drive."sorry cannot work" "did you ask your computer teacher??" "she not know..says it is broken". sigh......gonna get her a laptop now..lets hope IT don't get stolen.....have a nephew studying IT in UNI ...he is teaching her more than she learns at school methinks.....