Thai school system turns quite spooky

Bangkok - Schools in Thailand are promoting belief in "ancestor ghosts" to discourage children from taking drugs and engaging in premarital sex.

Under a scheme introduced 18 months ago, educators hope to revive a system of ghost worship.

"Before we introduced the system, the generation gap was very wide," a ghost expert said. "Old people were unable to teach the younger generation, who thought they were much more clever because of their formal education."

By instilling a fear of retribution by the ghosts of dead ancestors, he said, children tended to follow rules such as "no drugs" and "no sex".

He said some teachers had opposed the idea, but now that it had proved effective, they backed it.

- Sapa-DPA 2004-02-09

Mooh-hah-hah-hah-haaaaaaaah.

That is very, very sad news. As if Thai people would need urging to believe in ghosts?

Fear breeds fear breeds violence... but stops people from breeding?

I thought ancestral spirit worship was more connected to Chinese culture than traditional Thai beliefs - except for up here in the north, that is. Not that most Thais I know would care if it's Thai or not, as long as the children are scared into pleasing and obeying their elders.

Mooh-hah-hah-hah-haaaaaaaah.

That is very, very sad news. As if Thai people would need urging to believe in ghosts?

Fear breeds fear breeds violence... but stops people from breeding?

I thought ancestral spirit worship was more connected to Chinese culture than traditional Thai beliefs - except for up here in the north, that is. Not that most Thais I know would care if it's Thai or not, as long as the children are scared into pleasing and obeying their elders.

This is one scary idea that doesn't appear to have the PM's fingerprints all over it. Doesn't quite gel with his stated ambitions of turning Thailand into an "information based society" using cutting edged technology in every school. Or perhaps Shin Corp now sells patented "ghostbuster" mobiles to the non-impressionable youth on the sois? "Guaranteed to keep all pi's at bay, yaa baa in Burma and the knickers on teenage girls if used frequently"

Personal observation 1: Parents in general in this country seem very careful about finding the best education they can afford for their kids.

Assumption: They do this because they

a.) Want their kids to have a good life with good opportunities

b.) want to feel proud over their kids' achievements

c.) Need kids who can provide for them in old age.

If my assumptions are correct, this "ancestral ghost worship" is totally counterproductive.

A person who successfully is convinced to believe that ghosts have a major influence over people's lives will find it hard to achieve anything of scientific worth, because this belief is totally contrary to logic and not supported by facts.

An elder, educated person who promotes these beliefs in a child is deliberately creating a crippled mind, whether they understand it or not.

I respect people's beliefs and do not normally challenge them unless forced to, but to reinstate these practices once they have all but disappeared...?

The time ought to better spent explaining the major headaches to be experienced by teenage pregnancies, the trauma of abortion, the horrible reality of AIDS, and promoting the use of condoms if sex is an absolute necessity.

The same thing, of course, goes for drugs. A very efficient way is to let rehabilitated and moderately successful ex-junkies tell their real-life stories to the kids. This ought to have a much larger, and sounder impact.

There is plenty of information out there to make people understand that using drugs at a young age has a severe potential for messing up your mind and future.

No ghosts should be necessary.

Any other thoughts on this - am I completely out on a limb here?

Some people believe in ghosts, others believe in the spirits of nature, and still others believe in a God (Muslim, Christian, Jewish...). Where is the big difference?

It is all a question of belief, not scientific facts.