Academic warns govt against frequent changes in Education Ministry

CHULEEPORN ARAMNET

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The chairwoman of Chulalongkorn University Council yesterday cautioned Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra against naming a new education minister too often.

Suchada Kiranandana called on Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana to pass her message on to Yingluck.

Phongthep, placed at the helm of the Education Ministry in late October, is the third education minister in the two-year old Yingluck-led government.

"The country's educational problems cannot be solved, partly because the government's educational policies are not consistent. The education minister is changed far too often," Suchada said.

She was speaking at a certificate-presentation ceremony at which Phongthep was also present.

Suchada said the Education Ministry was not a sanctuary for politicians, but a place where long-term plans must be drawn up for the country's development.

"The government must formulate a clear direction about the production of graduates and require quality graduates from universities," she said.

Silapakorn University Council board member Chainarong

Intarameesap also lamented that the government never considered recommendations from brainstorming sessions on educational reform.

"Over the past year, the prime minister has never convened a meeting of the committee on the educational-reform policy, even though she chairs the panel," he said.

Chainarong called on Phongthep to look into studies on educational reform, as they could be useful to the country's educational system.

Phongthep, meanwhile, said the government would plan for the future and develop a system via which universities would produce graduates in response to the country's needs. "We will also pay attention to the different potential of people," he added.

Phongthep, who helped draft the 1997 Constitution, said he should take partial blame for letting the 1997 Constitution place so much emphasis on university degrees.

He said the country now faced a shortage of graduates with vocational-education backgrounds.

-- The Nation 2013-01-10

They wouldn't have a clue what to do!

Changing Minister monthly means, they can't get the new name-plates made in-time, for his/her office-door.

But it does give more hopeful-politicians a chance at the spoils. All Thais will be rich within six months, and guess who's at the front, of the line !

My thinking could be flawed, but it would seem a better strategy to concentrate at least as much or more effort on the earlier years of education.

Bringing and uneducated young adults to a Uni and expecting more and better graduates just does not make sense to me.

But TIT.

Move them in, move trhem out. No one is accountable, because they are moving. Thais are on the move. They are shuffling, hubbing, and moving about. Faster than a speeding bullet, no time for results or accountability, just keep on movin'.

Pfff... why worry?, handing out tablets will solve all problems.

Well she is right, but there's a lot more to be considered, mainly the appointment of a long-term minister who is capable of:

- Overseeing the design and implementation of education reform which must include developing the capability analyse and to think, and the capability to discuss.

- Appropriate resources at every school in Thailand.

- A rotation system which ensures that all schools in Thailand have capable teachers.

- Installing performance assessment factors / systems which measure the right things and especially put headmasters / headmistresses in the firing line.

- Promotion by capability and proven results.

- Stopping the bullxxxx discussions again and again about english language development (as a key second language) and getting on with actions which show real results in conversation ability.

- Massively reduce corruption within the ministry.

and more...

The Education Ministry has a huge budget. It's a real gold mine for an unscrupulous politician. Naturally they have to spread the opportunity of getting a piece of this pie around. I would guess that the average term of an Ed. Minister for the past 10 or 12 years has been around 6 months.

The best thing they could do is import the Singaporean or Hong Kong education minister for 10 years.

The best thing they could do is import the Singaporean or Hong Kong education minister for 10 years.

Especially from Singapore.

I have a Thai relative who went to high school in Singapore, changed his life completely and developed positive and valuable capabilities which set him apart from his typical Thai colleagues.

He's now a Teacher in the Thai education system (his choice) and he is so frustrated with the confines, rules, and barriers he has to work within, but he's determined to try to share many of the education 'technigues' he was exposed to in Singapore.

One of the biggest barriers is the teachers around him who regularly complain to the head and various inspectors that he allows students to talk and question and discuss in the classroom.

Ok but something must be done for this very low level education system !!

What is wrong with shifting ministers when the point is not to improve education in the first place?

Edited January 10, 201313 yr by theajarn

The best thing they could do is import the Singaporean or Hong Kong education minister for 10 years.

Especially from Singapore.

I have a Thai relative who went to high school in Singapore, changed his life completely and developed positive and valuable capabilities which set him apart from his typical Thai colleagues.

He's now a Teacher in the Thai education system (his choice) and he is so frustrated with the confines, rules, and barriers he has to work within, but he's determined to try to share many of the education 'technigues' he was exposed to in Singapore.

One of the biggest barriers is the teachers around him who regularly complain to the head and various inspectors that he allows students to talk and question and discuss in the classroom.

Your friend is a bit foolish then. After finishing his studies in Singapore he didn't realise that the point of 'education' here was not to actually 'educate'. Hidden Curriculum, anyone? The only way your friend can get to the top is if he's a corrupt politician in the bloodline. Otherwise, the best he can do is develop better teaching materials for kids. One that is suited for Thais and has step-by-step instructions for teachers to read-and-follow. Thai teachers REQUIRE the read-and-follow bit. Bundle completed lessson plans with this material so that these teachers can do away with wasting time putting together their own. Perhaps... just PERHAPS with these materials proliferating schools, teachers can focus on the REAL goal individually -- TEACHING.

It's not up to the government to make these changes. That will NEVER happen. It's up to the TEACHERS to teach. Most cannot do that with the impossible demands and workload they are given. With a well-structured "just-add-water" set of materials, we might just be able to educate.

However, as it is, students are FORCED to study, on average, twenty one (yes, 21) subjects a semester! So even if you do increase learning... learning for that many subjects is just ridiculous -- and even teachers cannot change this workload. They are bound to it.

Whenever I enter my computer classes, this is exactly what I think -- Am I teaching today, or am I just overloading students with information so that they can become overburdened non-thinkers that will vote for the government? This is what I tell them: Choose what you WANT to learn ... and learn it. The rest is OK to fail. You'll pass anyways.

What is wrong with shifting ministers when the point is not to improve education in the first place?

No argument whatever with the way you've put it!

Instead all the funds earmarked should probably stop being stolen

They wouldn't have a clue what to do!

Wouldn't have? Surely it's "haven't got"

Sent from my LG-P350 using Thaivisa Connect App

Ok but something must be done for this very low level education system !!

"Exactly. How many schools here have properly equipped physics or chemistry labs and teachers who are able to teach these subjects"

3 ministers in 18 months, not 2 years. Who needs educational reforms when we got tablets? Have the first lot been delivered yet?

Education in Thailand will not change as a result of educational 'reforms'. These can be a bit beneficial or- a bit detrimental- but are not as important as the cultural attitudes- those expressed in the home, in the media. Finland, with no homework- short school days, and teaching methods and curriculum not unlike that used in many mediocre western countries- excels in international comparisons of achievement. In Thailand- children are taught who to wai and how deeply before they are taught to speak- the role of edcuation is to enforce the values of society- which are primarily- know your place and act accordingly.

In a society that fears indpendent thought- what can we expect?

If curiosity is not valued in a society- if a willingness to challange popularly held ideas is not valued- then all the kids can be expected to do is copy and memorize- which will take them only so far - technicians- that's about it. Don't expect nobel prize winners in a culture that fears challenges to the norms- whether those norms are related to cellular biology- or to political analysis.

All that will come- is drones- at best-

Edited January 11, 201313 yr by blaze