Smoking Must Be Healthy

[HeijoshinCool]

Came to work this morning. Looked like a scene from Apocalypse now, or D-Day on Normandy Beach. Ten yards from the building, I still couldn't see it. It's three stories. Kids and staff running about like ants when the picnic table is smacked. All were choking, some were lying on the ground, hands over faces, or gripping throats..

The basketball court-sized concrete pad fronting my classroom had five fires, each maybe 5 meters square and the height of a grown man, composed of branches and twigs and leaves. Debris leftover from the trees they cut down last week. All very wet.

The staff had the older kids, meaning 10 year olds, throw more fuel on the fire, although there wasn't much fire, just dense smoke. Before long one kid puked, starting a chain reaction. I stared in awe at this scene as the director pulled in in his car, looked for a couple of beats, then backed up and left. At least I think it was him. Hard to see a grey car. Classes started.

Within an hour, I, along with most of the kids, had a raging headache. I figured, foolishly, that since school had started, the fires would be allowed to burn down. No. More fuel. A huge amount of sawdust--dumptruck loads-- leftover from the chainsaws. Wet sawdust. Really, now is one of those times I wish my phone did have a camera.

It's now been 4 hours. Kids have gone home sick. My head feels like a psychotic gorilla is squeezing it. I asked why they couldn't wait until the weekend, or at least until tonight. The head teacher told me.

"Cannot wait. School must be clean. Tomorrow the hospital comes to perform a health check."

[Rsquared]

Good Thai logic that.....all the kids that got sick with the smoke will stay home, so only healthy ones left to check.....result....clean bill of health for the school.

Or is the health check for the school's surroundings?

Sorry...couldn't help it.

[krisb]

I dont understand sorry.

Why didnt you just sit inside and close the doors and windows?

[HeijoshinCool]

I dont understand sorry.

Why didnt you just sit inside and close the doors and windows?

Well, because, unlike you, we are not in a place with glass windows, door seals, and a/c.

In fact, the school does not have windows that close.

[lovelaos]

As a responsible adult and teacher, shouldn't you have extinguished the fires?

[loong]

The head teacher told me.

"Cannot wait. School must be clean. Tomorrow the hospital comes to perform a health check."

Only in Amazing Thailand could a moron like this become HeadMaster!

[FritsSikkink]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

[HeijoshinCool]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

Surely you're not serious!

[MisterTee]

TIT

How long have you been here?

[HeijoshinCool]

TIT

How long have you been here?

Way longer than necessary not to have been at all surprised by what took place.

[loong]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

This is one of the issues that I have with government schools in Thailand. They will often have a half day without informing the parents. Children are sent home by the teachers and the teachers have no idea whether the parents are at work, so they do not know if there is anybody at home to take care of the children.

In a situation such as the OP's, It's a rock and a hard place.

The children should not be in the school when the environment is unhealthy, but if he sends the children home he cannot be sure that the parents will be there. What is the responsible teacher supposed to do?

[HeijoshinCool]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

This is one of the issues that I have with government schools in Thailand. They will often have a half day without informing the parents. Children are sent home by the teachers and the teachers have no idea whether the parents are at work, so they do not know if there is anybody at home to take care of the children.

In a situation such as the OP's, It's a rock and a hard place.

The children should not be in the school when the environment is unhealthy, but if he sends the children home he cannot be sure that the parents will be there. What is the responsible teacher supposed to do?

Me is English teacher. Me no have othority to send home studint.

The head teacher seemed baffeled by my concern, and since I have been here a looooooong time, I just smiled and went to work.

Now I'm headed to the pharmacy.

[kawaiimomo]

I wonder how the staff (which I understand some are teachers as well) can be so stupid. I also don't see the connection between branches and twigs and unhealthy. This #@$ common practice of burning everything...

[krisb]

I dont understand sorry.

Why didnt you just sit inside and close the doors and windows?

Well, because, unlike you, we are not in a place with glass windows, door seals, and a/c.

In fact, the school does not have windows that close.

Dont get offensive please.

I asked you a valid question, you didnt say anything about no windows etc in your op....I was just asking.

Sounds like your head is still aching,

[HeijoshinCool]

I wonder how the staff (which I understand some are teachers as well) can be so stupid. I also don't see the connection between branches and twigs and unhealthy. This #@$ common practice of burning everything...

Yeah, my first instinctual thought upon arrival was aren't schools supposed to teach what parents can't or won't? such as not burning everything and standing there inhaling it. But that thought whipped through my tiny cerebrum as soon as I remembered where I was, and was replaced with, talk about reinforcing bad behavior!

But it was the bizarre irony of the reason they were burning it! For a health inspection.

[HeijoshinCool]

I dont understand sorry.

Why didnt you just sit inside and close the doors and windows?

Well, because, unlike you, we are not in a place with glass windows, door seals, and a/c.

In fact, the school does not have windows that close.

Dont get offensive please.

I asked you a valid question, you didnt say anything about no windows etc in your op....I was just asking.

Sounds like your head is still aching,

Sorry, yes it is, after taking a handful of aspirin and ibuprofen. And my chest is what's burning now.

The school has metal "windows" over the typical metal grid. The "windows" rusted in the open position when I was still poopin' green.

[Rancid]

Well at least they weren't burning the books as well. Thai scdools...my son is in a private Islamic run school, they announced they are having a field trip up to the mountains by bus, only B480 that includes a T-shirt for some reason. I didn't give persmission as I don't want him on a Thai driven bus as I believe the drivers are incomptent. So now the school has told him his grades will be dropped if he doesn't go and that he still has to buy the shirt for B200 anyway. Plus he will be publically indentified at assembly amd will have to write some thesis for the principle.

I will go and have yet another chat with them tomorrow, we are heading home soon anyway so I couldn't care less about the idiot school or them falsifying his grades lower.

[lovelaos]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

This is one of the issues that I have with government schools in Thailand. They will often have a half day without informing the parents. Children are sent home by the teachers and the teachers have no idea whether the parents are at work, so they do not know if there is anybody at home to take care of the children.

In a situation such as the OP's, It's a rock and a hard place.

The children should not be in the school when the environment is unhealthy, but if he sends the children home he cannot be sure that the parents will be there. What is the responsible teacher supposed to do?

Extinguish the fire???

[loong]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

This is one of the issues that I have with government schools in Thailand. They will often have a half day without informing the parents. Children are sent home by the teachers and the teachers have no idea whether the parents are at work, so they do not know if there is anybody at home to take care of the children.

In a situation such as the OP's, It's a rock and a hard place.

The children should not be in the school when the environment is unhealthy, but if he sends the children home he cannot be sure that the parents will be there. What is the responsible teacher supposed to do?

Extinguish the fire???

Yes, of course the Teacher can extinguish the fire - after the head teacher has made it clear his moronic support for the burning.

If the teacher did this, he would lose his job. The fire would be re-lit and nothing would be achieved

[Humbugged]

You could have gone out and bought some marshmallows and some ham.

[lovelaos]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

This is one of the issues that I have with government schools in Thailand. They will often have a half day without informing the parents. Children are sent home by the teachers and the teachers have no idea whether the parents are at work, so they do not know if there is anybody at home to take care of the children.

In a situation such as the OP's, It's a rock and a hard place.

The children should not be in the school when the environment is unhealthy, but if he sends the children home he cannot be sure that the parents will be there. What is the responsible teacher supposed to do?

Extinguish the fire???

Yes, of course the Teacher can extinguish the fire - after the head teacher has made it clear his moronic support for the burning.

If the teacher did this, he would lose his job. The fire would be re-lit and nothing would be achieved

Of course something would be achieved, it would teach the children that starting fires in a playground is not the correct thing to do.

If that resulted in losing the job then so be it. Plenty of teacher jobs out there.

Sounds like a tinpot school anyway. Who would want to work at such an institution.

[kawaiimomo]

^^^ either you have a strange sense of humor or ...

I don't have teacher vocation but sure it makes you feel great making something good with your life. There are way too many schools in Thailand which look like barracks and it is a very good thing those kids can have access to a foreign teacher. Although he can not change these kind of habits, he is making a difference by being there and teaching the young kids.

So many foreigners complain about the number of Thais not being able to speak english, but then this school is a 'tinpot' not good enough to have a foreign teacher according to your standards.

[Dancealot]

It is not strange... It is humour if you are referring to humbugged and lovelaos

[kawaiimomo]

I was referring to lovelaos but glad to know it was a joke. I was scared for a moment someone would really think like that

[lovelaos]

^^^ either you have a strange sense of humor or ...

I don't have teacher vocation but sure it makes you feel great making something good with your life. There are way too many schools in Thailand which look like barracks and it is a very good thing those kids can have access to a foreign teacher. Although he can not change these kind of habits, he is making a difference by being there and teaching the young kids.

So many foreigners complain about the number of Thais not being able to speak english, but then this school is a 'tinpot' not good enough to have a foreign teacher according to your standards.

What good is having a 'foreign teacher' if the said 'teacher' is not actually 'teaching' the children right from wrong?

Unless, of course the said 'teacher' isn't a 'teacher' but a white face on the staff list to make the school look good.

Where did I say the school is not good enough to have a foreign 'teacher'?

[kawaiimomo]

^^^ either you have a strange sense of humor or ...

I don't have teacher vocation but sure it makes you feel great making something good with your life. There are way too many schools in Thailand which look like barracks and it is a very good thing those kids can have access to a foreign teacher. Although he can not change these kind of habits, he is making a difference by being there and teaching the young kids.

So many foreigners complain about the number of Thais not being able to speak english, but then this school is a 'tinpot' not good enough to have a foreign teacher according to your standards.

What good is having a 'foreign teacher' if the said 'teacher' is not actually 'teaching' the children right from wrong?

Unless, of course the said 'teacher' isn't a 'teacher' but a white face on the staff list to make the school look good.

Where did I say the school is not good enough to have a foreign 'teacher'?

I understood "Who would want to work at such an institution." as the school not being good enough for you, wasn't that the meaning?

I guess you know pretty well there are so many wrong things here impossible for us to change, but I also agree that they won't change for sure if we don't even try. Personally, I've lost the count on how many times I tried to explain something to grown up Thais, mostly related to environmental issues but also many other areas, and most just don't want to listen and I can see a "<deleted> the farang is talking about" expression in their faces (or maybe "who the hell this farang thinks he is trying to teach me something").

Actually, I agree with your point that the teacher should educate the kids. In this case he should tell them how bad for health is to inhale that nasty smoke and teach them debris is natural and good for the forest. But I also understand his position because he probably tried to fight against those kind of habits before without any success. On the other hand it is also contradicting for the kids to see their local teachers burning the stuff and then the foreigner one telling them that is not good. The best option should be trying to educate the teachers, not the kids (but I think we all would agree on how difficult is that).

[HeijoshinCool]

You could have gone out and bought some marshmallows and some ham.

There was a point where I was trying to remember with what side dishes, in Mexico, they served roast kid.

[HeijoshinCool]

Well at least they weren't burning the books as well. Thai scdools...my son is in a private Islamic run school, they announced they are having a field trip up to the mountains by bus, only B480 that includes a T-shirt for some reason. I didn't give persmission as I don't want him on a Thai driven bus as I believe the drivers are incomptent. So now the school has told him his grades will be dropped if he doesn't go and that he still has to buy the shirt for B200 anyway. Plus he will be publically indentified at assembly amd will have to write some thesis for the principle.

I will go and have yet another chat with them tomorrow, we are heading home soon anyway so I couldn't care less about the idiot school or them falsifying his grades lower.

Thai school buses and mountains? Ay chihuahua!

Maybe the T-shirt had his blood type screenprinted on front?

[HeijoshinCool]

^^^ either you have a strange sense of humor or ...

I don't have teacher vocation but sure it makes you feel great making something good with your life. There are way too many schools in Thailand which look like barracks and it is a very good thing those kids can have access to a foreign teacher. Although he can not change these kind of habits, he is making a difference by being there and teaching the young kids.

So many foreigners complain about the number of Thais not being able to speak english, but then this school is a 'tinpot' not good enough to have a foreign teacher according to your standards.

Thanks. Not all teachers are here for the same reason. I came to be near my girlfriend, and was approached by the school. I have plenty of funds. I am retired. I have lots of hobbies. I don't need the pittance and usually just invest it back in the kids.

The kids are indeed the only reason I'm there. Especially the younger ones. I have, in the classroom anyway, free reign to teach as I please, so I've committed to 5 years. I want to see how my 1st graders turn out when they're in 6th grade. They are already substantially less rowdy, far more attentive -- as are the 2nd and 3rd graders -- than when I arrived.

On the other hand, if there's another half dozen bonfires next week ...

[HeijoshinCool]

You could have told the children to go home so they stayed healthy.

This is one of the issues that I have with government schools in Thailand. They will often have a half day without informing the parents. Children are sent home by the teachers and the teachers have no idea whether the parents are at work, so they do not know if there is anybody at home to take care of the children.

In a situation such as the OP's, It's a rock and a hard place.

The children should not be in the school when the environment is unhealthy, but if he sends the children home he cannot be sure that the parents will be there. What is the responsible teacher supposed to do?

Extinguish the fire???

The ... concrete pad fronting my classroom had five fires, each maybe 5 meters square and the height of a grown man ...

Uh-huh.