English Teacher Shortage In Bangkok

[VintageTQ]

Over the past couple of weeks I've been approached twice just while out and about by people asking me if i would be interested in Teaching jobs.

The first time was by a Gentleman who said he owned a Private Language School (cant remember the name) and then today whilst i has having a coffee in Big C by a Gentleman who said he was principal of a local School 15-17 yr olds.

I explained to them both that i wasn't really interested and that i had no teaching experience whatsoever, but they said it wasn't a problem.

The chap today was very nice and seemed genuine, and also seemed quite desperate for teachers if im honest, i could choose my own hours and times etc. Ive took his info which i will pass on to a few of my friends who may be interested, if not i will put it up on the forum.

But i wondered, is there really that much of a shortage in English teachers that they have to resort to recruiting random people in public?

[sirchai]

I'm pretty sure not just in Bangkok. Some schools that made the mistake to hire foreigners using an agency seem to be very angry with the "teachers" they had sent.

Not badmouthing agencies now, but where should they get their "experienced Native English teachers" from? It's just business and nobody seems to care.

Those with experience will only work for schools directly. I'd reckon to check if they can come up with a work permit and visa for your friends.

Just check www.ajarn.com and you'll see how many teachers are needed. Cheers---

Edited September 12, 2012 by sirchai

[TPI]

Even in the northern provinces there is a real lack of English conversation teachers. The local High Schools and Community Colleges are offering good money with accommodation and lunch thrown in!

[Scott]

Part of my job is interviewing and recruiting teachers. There seems to be a shortage of teachers. We get a great deal of applications, but when setting up interviews, there is an abnormally high number of 'no-shows', presumably because they have found work.

There has also been an abnormally high turnover of teachers (mostly non-native--Filipinos). Several have left very abruptly for other jobs, and I am assuming they must be getting higher pay because they were teachers who were pretty settled and no indication of them being unhappy. They also forgo the end-of-contract money.

[Tatsujin]

All due to the huge drop in salaries, bad attitudes and work overload over the last couple of years . . . the Thai's basically said they don't need foreign teachers, we'll use Filipinos or native-English speaking Thai's . . . and now everyone's gone to China where they earn 3 x times what they do here.

[puchooay]

Probably, also something to do with the TCT rules.

I still believe that it should be down to the schools to decide on their teachers. If the schools are happy then lets just carry on as we are. The longer time the same teacher stays at a school the more benefit the students will get.

[Tatsujin]

@puchooay - couldn't agree more, but for as long as "Thailand" makes it harder and harder to teach here, doesn't look after the Teachers very well, and pays them badly, no one's going to stay and work here very long. There will be (and already is) a huge turnover of staff I believe with people coming to Thailand, seeing the reality of living and working here, and moving on to easier and much better paid countries. The Thai's have got what they want now and it's biting them in the ass once again.

[culicine]

There's quite a significant shortage of qualified native speakers in Thailand at the moment. Schools are turning to non-native speakers and paying very low salaries, or 'gap year' agency teachers who up and leave when they see the workload involved. The gap between the established teachers (5+ years) and new teachers is widening - established teachers tend to be paid more and have adapted to the Thai way of doing things, and are on top of the paperwork. new teachers always do it tough. Then there is the TCT requirements - if some of our established teachers don't get their qualifications/pass the tests, they will need to move on as well. The only ones left are 'qualified' non-native speakers, and that will be the way of the future given the current state of the rules.

[aussiebebe]

A good friend of mine is South African and related how she had to take an English test despite English being her mother tongue! Some requirement now, apparently. She noted mistakes in the wording of the test, even. I think that explains a lot about shortages in Thailand - many teachers will simply work elsewhere.

[Scott]

I think there are a lot of people who are correct and not very many who are wrong. Over the years, I have seen a number of changes in the teaching landscape--I might ad that many of them are for the better. Years ago, there were far too many completely unqualified teachers in Thailand. It was not only the lack of qualifications, but the general lack of professionalism. Turnover, which is still high, was staggeringly high at that time.

In the past few years, there has been a general improvement in qualifications of teachers, including a lot more with degrees and lot more with a TEFL certificate and classroom experience. There seem to be more teachers with a degree in education as well (especially true among non-native speakers).

Wages still remain relatively poor and working conditions could use a great deal of improvement.