For Thai Education, Grand Vision Needs Consistent Policies

[Markaew]

So on average an Education Minister in a Thaksin administration on average lasts less than a year in office.

Or about the time it takes to obtain a Masters Degree in Kentucky.

Especially if the only English you know is "hello where you come from"?

haha. I just raised this point on BP too. A Thai in Australia can finish a masters degree without having to learn English. I know, my brother gets paid $1000 to do their thesis.

An Australian university here in Thailand is the same. Buy your admission, buy your grades. There's a a false belief about foreign university legitimacy. It doesn't exist. My neighbor's kids are evidence of that. Degrees bought and paid for with a Australian university that is based here and Australia. But that's true about all universities here, foreign and domestic. It's just that foreign universities are not immune to Thai culture.

Being part of the Ministry of Education is miniscule. Thai culture dominates all. Fix the culture, then you can fix the education.

There is an emptiness that seems to be creeping in not only in Thailand but the planet. Lying is the norm. No ethics, no morals, just empty fulfillment. Thailand is just a good example of the core problems of the planet.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Markaew

[Rancid]

The western school system is in decline so we shouldn't get too cocky. Unions control what teachers can teach and protect the dud ones, no doubt very frustrating for the good ones. Governments then declare an education revolution, throw more money into the black hole and nothing whatsoever improves. Even basic numeracy and literacy have been in a long decline, private schools are very popular.

When I head home I am having to move into an area I wouldn't normally choose as the public school there has the best reputation, privates are all full. Thailand is similar in that money will buy a better education and different in being also able to buy a degree if their kid is lazy or an idiot, later management awaits.

[scorecard]

So on average an Education Minister in a Thaksin administration on average lasts less than a year in office.

Or about the time it takes to obtain a Masters Degree in Kentucky.

Especially if the only English you know is "hello where you come from"?

haha. I just raised this point on BP too. A Thai in Australia can finish a masters degree without having to learn English. I know, my brother gets paid $1000 to do their thesis.

An Australian university here in Thailand is the same. Buy your admission, buy your grades. There's a a false belief about foreign university legitimacy. It doesn't exist. My neighbor's kids are evidence of that. Degrees bought and paid for with a Australian university that is based here and Australia. But that's true about all universities here, foreign and domestic. It's just that foreign universities are not immune to Thai culture.

Being part of the Ministry of Education is miniscule. Thai culture dominates all. Fix the culture, then you can fix the education.

There is an emptiness that seems to be creeping in not only in Thailand but the planet. Lying is the norm. No ethics, no morals, just empty fulfillment. Thailand is just a good example of the core problems of the planet.

Certainly agree with your last paragraph, plus face to face communications is also on the decline.

Again and Again you see 'friends' sitting in a restaurant, both playing with their phones / ipads etc, often playing games, and very limited actual conversation.

Not good.

[Bellweather]

"In Thailand, teachers consider themselves "hired boatmen", whose only job is to transport passengers to the other side of the river. Past education ministers, perhaps too busy entering and leaving the revolving door, do not think of themselves as such. Can Phongthep be a boatman himself, a relatively faceless figure doing a relatively thankless job?

Will his boss(es) ever come to realise the importance of the "consistency" factor? The answers will tell us how much hope we should have for the future of Thai education."

In my experience Thai teachers have an over inflated opinion of themselves. Which isn't helped by the population they help indoctrinate. One friend can't understand why I don't hold her old teachers in awe.

Brits, and maybe Aussies will be familiar with. "Those who can ,do. Those who can't, teach."

I have some experience of teaching here and many Thai teachers are in the job because they can make good money apart from their salary as they can have private students or do classes over the weekends, there are " incentives " to award false grades and up to B1 million interest free loan from the government for house or car purchase. The wheel came off in the Udon Thani area some years back when 15 unqualified teachers were exposed due to the fact their university " qualifications " all had the same serial number !

[Locationthailand]

Is it the Minister at fault or the teachers - or a combination of both?

[Markaew]

Is it the Minister at fault or the teachers - or a combination of both?

Going back to my above.

I believe it's the culture here that dominates education. They talk about needing consistency in the OP, but they have that now. They are very consistent with Thai culture. Fix the culture and education fixes itself. But everyone here knows that can't happen. Thailand would need to be invaded by another country and a new culture imposed on them or a very charismatic leader that can take Thailand in the right direction. Neither will happen.

[bendywire]

100-200 students in a classroom with just 1 teacher.

Do I need to say more...

You're trying to teach a classroom of 100 individuals with different personalities the same thing what they call "general education", you're loosing yourself.

And where is this school? I have never worked in a school that has more than 45-50 in a class. I know that is too many but please 100-200 in a class, that my friend is utter BS.

[A Member]

A neighbour of mine, a very competent English speaker, enrolled in a weekend English course at a so called university that I would not recommend to my worst enemy as after a couple of years she would have a first degree. After a few months she quit and wrote off the fees she had paid because she was wasting her time. None of the native English speaking teachers would work at the weekends so the teachers were all Thais, from every faculty, who supposedly spoke English and she sat through classes cringing at the mistakes being made. Her main gripe however was that classes rarely started on time especially on Sundays when teachers regularly turned out hours late but were signed in by colleagues. On one occasion a 09.00 class started at 13.00 as the teacher turned up in time to tell them to go for lunch.

She told me the Thai teachers were mostly in debt and needed the " work " for cash purposes.

How did she know all of this you ask ? She worked in the admin office of the language faculty

[A Member]

Forgot to say she admitted she should have known better especially as there would be no input from native speakers but the lure of a ' guaranteed " degree was the attraction, however a couple of years sitting staring at the chair where a teacher should have been was just too much especially having to pay for the privilege

[MaxLee]

100-200 students in a classroom with just 1 teacher.

Do I need to say more...

You're trying to teach a classroom of 100 individuals with different personalities the same thing what they call "general education", you're loosing yourself.

And where is this school? I have never worked in a school that has more than 45-50 in a class. I know that is too many but please 100-200 in a class, that my friend is utter BS.

I was just exaggerating here out of sarcasm, but I mean still 40-50 students is a lot, how cab you take care of EVERYBODY... That's impossible,...

I mean schools in general are the worst places to learn anyway...

[spidermike007]

Interesting appointment. Here is his background: He served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Energy, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, and Deputy Leader of the now disbanded Thai Rak Thai party, which was dissolved in 2007, and whose members were banned from politics for five years. The ban was lifted June 1, 2012. Additionally, Phongthep is a former member of the House of Representatives of Thailand and was a member of the 1997 constitution drafting assembly.

Phongthep earned a LLB from Thammasat University, a Master of Comparative Law in Foreign Practice and a Master of Comparative Law in American Practice from the George Washington University Law School, and a Barrister at Law from the Thai Bar.

So, where does that leave Thai education? Has anyone EVER considered appointing an education minister with a background in education? How about a background in education overseas, in one of the top performing countries, like somewhere in Finland, or Denmark? I know the Thais typically do not do things that way, but what the hell is so terrible about change and progress, especially when you are falling behind the curve, to a dangerous degree? Since the neighboring countries are putting more and more emphasis on education, has anyone in the government considered the possibility that Thailand is going to fall hopelessly behind, in this incredibly important area? Perhaps to the point where they begin to become overtaken by countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia (almost there by some standards, and far beyond Thailand in others), Burma (eventually) or even the Philippines, who already possess decent educational standards, and a very intelligent population? Perhaps it is time for a bold, and forward thinking revision of a nearly dysfunctional educational system, that is not serving the needs of Thailand's youth? Food for thought?

[MaxLee]

Interesting appointment. Here is his background:

He served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Energy, Minister to the Prime Ministers Office, and Deputy Leader of the now disbanded Thai Rak Thai party, which was dissolved in 2007, and whose members were banned from politics for five years. The ban was lifted June 1, 2012. Additionally, Phongthep is a former member of the House of Representatives of Thailand and was a member of the 1997 constitution drafting assembly.

Phongthep earned a LLB from Thammasat University, a Master of Comparative Law in Foreign Practice and a Master of Comparative Law in American Practice from the George Washington University Law School, and a Barrister at Law from the Thai Bar.

So, where does that leave Thai education? Has anyone EVER considered appointing an education minister with a background in education? How about a background in education overseas, in one of the top performing countries, like somewhere in Finland, or Denmark? I know the Thais typically do not do things that way, but what the hell is so terrible about change and progress, especially when you are falling behind the curve, to a dangerous degree? Since the neighboring countries are putting more and more emphasis on education, has anyone in the government considered the possibility that Thailand is going to fall hopelessly behind, in this incredibly important area? Perhaps to the point where they begin to become overtaken by countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia (almost there by some standards, and far beyond Thailand in others), Burma (eventually) or even the Philippines, who already possess decent educational standards, and a very intelligent population? Perhaps it is time for a bold, and forward thinking revision of a nearly dysfunctional educational system, that is not serving the needs of Thailand's youth? Food for thought?

This ISN'T an education system!!!!!!

This is a mind-blowing propaganda and common sense eradication process that serves the benefits of the rich and corrupt Thai-Chinese Elite AND it's ministries aka mafia henchmen in power for decades now.

This elite cannot allow the ordinary people to "know too much" or it will be a loss of face... High education, means high status, that's their mind set,...

But you and I know better that's not the case.. Learning something does not have to be expensive nowadays in the Information Age.

[spidermike007]

Interesting appointment. Here is his background:

He served as Minister of Justice, Minister of Energy, Minister to the Prime Ministers Office, and Deputy Leader of the now disbanded Thai Rak Thai party, which was dissolved in 2007, and whose members were banned from politics for five years. The ban was lifted June 1, 2012. Additionally, Phongthep is a former member of the House of Representatives of Thailand and was a member of the 1997 constitution drafting assembly.

Phongthep earned a LLB from Thammasat University, a Master of Comparative Law in Foreign Practice and a Master of Comparative Law in American Practice from the George Washington University Law School, and a Barrister at Law from the Thai Bar.

So, where does that leave Thai education? Has anyone EVER considered appointing an education minister with a background in education? How about a background in education overseas, in one of the top performing countries, like somewhere in Finland, or Denmark? I know the Thais typically do not do things that way, but what the hell is so terrible about change and progress, especially when you are falling behind the curve, to a dangerous degree? Since the neighboring countries are putting more and more emphasis on education, has anyone in the government considered the possibility that Thailand is going to fall hopelessly behind, in this incredibly important area? Perhaps to the point where they begin to become overtaken by countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia (almost there by some standards, and far beyond Thailand in others), Burma (eventually) or even the Philippines, who already possess decent educational standards, and a very intelligent population? Perhaps it is time for a bold, and forward thinking revision of a nearly dysfunctional educational system, that is not serving the needs of Thailand's youth? Food for thought?

This ISN'T an education system!!!!!!

This is a mind-blowing propaganda and common sense eradication process that serves the benefits of the rich and corrupt Thai-Chinese Elite AND it's ministries aka mafia henchmen in power for decades now.

This elite cannot allow the ordinary people to "know too much" or it will be a loss of face... High education, means high status, that's their mind set,...

But you and I know better that's not the case.. Learning something does not have to be expensive nowadays in the Information Age.

Well, if that is the truth, and the way things actually are, that is a sad and debilitating fact, that deserves reform, at the highest levels. If they are indeed trying to hold back the masses (which I do not doubt) that is a heinous crime, that should be severely dealt with, and those accused of perpetrating this crime should be severely punished. Of course we know that will not happen, but it is sure nice to dream. The Thai kids deserve better than that. Especially the ones from families that are not rich, which is the vast majority.

[backtonormal]

. With such a current lofty seal of approval nobody dare attack it and expose it. The best way to improve the Thai Education system is to make the Dean handout the degree papers.