Our Only Chance Of Progress Lies With Our Children: Thai Editorial

[NongKhaiKid]

Do you mean the children who don't get educated properly, who learn it's ok to cheat and if they fail an exam / get a low grade their parents will buy what's necessary for them.

Moving higher up the social scale there are the children who are told their family name will see them ok, will get them into higher education and a good job even if they are as thick as pig s..t and don't worry about ever getting into trouble with the law as it will all be taken care of. Yes, let's start with the children

You raise some good points in your dialogue.

some facts that are hard to swallow. But

I for one disagree with your idea of not starting with the children. They are the future. Have you any idea of how to change the situation now. I don't short of assassination of an unelected foreign multi citizenship holder.

To this end My wife receives money every month for her personal use including taking care of her mother and she has been instructed that when it comes to education I will give more. The children of today are Thailand future. It will be a slow process but eventually if we start with a seed it will bear fruit. The present system will never change with the mind set you put forward. It is there but not in all cases. There is hope for Thailand.

I understand exactly what you mean and it's sound but the problem is who is going to get the message over to the children ? They don't get much, sometimes no, direction from the family, they go to schools where teachers can be paid to fix grades or the school operates an " everyone passes " policy.

What we re talking about is a sea change in attitudes starting with adults who can then do the right thing by the youngsters and I don't see it happening because existing wrongs are so entrenched.

[Kilgore Trout]

Children learn first and foremost from what they see their parents do. They learn to speak, how to behave, religion, etc from the family. Until parents behavior changes, children have little chance of changing attitudes.

A nieghbour of mine directly across the road is sending her son to Melbourne Australia to finnish his last year of High School and then wants him to get a job there. (his sister is married to a farang and lives there) He could only get a student visa. Anyway to get into a government state school he has to complete an exam. A fairly basic exam with general knowledge questions about both Thailand and Australia mainly designed to test his understanding of the english language both written and verbal. He can't speak a word of english so the parents sent him across to our home armed with the exam and 200 baht and through my wife asked me to complete it for him.

I refused because it is cheating and how is it it going to benifit him in the least. He got another nieghbour to do it for him for 500 Baht (a thai) I asked the question of how he is going to cope in Australia and apparently his parents have told him when he is there either get the brother in law to do his assignments for him and pay someone else.

Basically what I am saying is, here is a perfect example how some parents actually teach thier children how to get through life, by cheating and bribing others.

People who espouse high moral standards are among the worst cheats, studies have shown. The worst cheaters tend to be those with high morals who also, in some twisted way, consider cheating to be an ethically justifiable behavior.

certain situations.

So are you saying that because I wouldn't be involved in this families scam that my morales may be a little high and it is poosible that I am worse than them?

Don't mean to be so hard on you...I do sympathize with your situation and I wouldn't want to be in it, I'm sure you are not a bad person.

I do think though, especially when it comes to our own western countries, that we have to stand up and say no, you just can't do that and if you do then you will force me to take the right action.

Thailand is Thailand fair enough, but don't come and try that crap in our countries, that really irks me.

[seminomadic]

You need to inform the school immediately of the situation; if you don't you are equally as guilty as the student and his mother.

A nieghbour of mine directly across the road is sending her son to Melbourne Australia to finnish his last year of High School and then wants him to get a job there. (his sister is married to a farang and lives there) He could only get a student visa. Anyway to get into a government state school he has to complete an exam. A fairly basic exam with general knowledge questions about both Thailand and Australia mainly designed to test his understanding of the english language both written and verbal. He can't speak a word of english so the parents sent him across to our home armed with the exam and 200 baht and through my wife asked me to complete it for him.

Children learn first and foremost from what they see their parents do. They learn to speak, how to behave, religion, etc from the family. Until parents behavior changes, children have little chance of changing attitudes.

I refused because it is cheating and how is it it going to benifit him in the least. He got another nieghbour to do it for him for 500 Baht (a thai) I asked the question of how he is going to cope in Australia and apparently his parents have told him when he is there either get the brother in law to do his assignments for him and pay someone else.

Basically what I am saying is, here is a perfect example how some parents actually teach thier children how to get through life, by cheating and bribing others.

Rubbish I refused to become involved in thier little scam from the start. I would rather watch/hear of him crash and burn and learn a lesson the life outside of Thailand is very very different.

Clearly you are already involved. Sounds like you are behaving exactly like what you are complaining about.

Do the right thing or get off your high horse.

As Edmund Burke said "all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

But, perhaps you are just not a good man.

Jesus, dude... take it easy on the guy. Kilgore, your post count belies a dreadful lack of either knowledge or experience of Thais in Thailand ...You're the one on the high horse but even worse you're clearly not attuned to how resentful and how gang-up-on-the-farang-y they get when you deny them a favor on anything near the ballpark of moral grounds. It causes them a loss of face and to foster the sentiment of "I asked for help, he said no, he's not on my team" unless of course Chooka masterfully finessed the denial with some excuse that let them save face and not cause them to think he might look down on them.

Are you not aware that proactively stonewalling the kid from going to Oz... if the mom finds out... just might result in Chookie getting stabbed to death?

His passive take of letting the kid fall flat on his face might not be the most noble but it is savvy and he's even right to have some schadenfreud when the kid hits a big wall and learn that there are limitations on the Thai BS.

[MaxLee]

That is a mission impossible, because the ruling political elite is stubborn and uses top to bottom approach to annihilate revolutionary outside of the box thinking, and encourage rote learning and brainwashing their children because innovation causes the elite members to lose face..., so they rather keep the younger generation "protected aka brainwashed until the point if no return beyond brain damage "

[allan michaud]

Do you mean the children who don't get educated properly, who learn it's ok to cheat and if they fail an exam / get a low grade their parents will buy what's necessary for them.

Moving higher up the social scale there are the children who are told their family name will see them ok, will get them into higher education and a good job even if they are as thick as pig s..t and don't worry about ever getting into trouble with the law as it will all be taken care of. Yes, let's start with the children

You raise some good points in your dialogue.

some facts that are hard to swallow. But

I for one disagree with your idea of not starting with the children. They are the future. Have you any idea of how to change the situation now. I don't short of assassination of an unelected foreign multi citizenship holder.

To this end My wife receives money every month for her personal use including taking care of her mother and she has been instructed that when it comes to education I will give more. The children of today are Thailand future. It will be a slow process but eventually if we start with a seed it will bear fruit. The present system will never change with the mind set you put forward. It is there but not in all cases. There is hope for Thailand.

I hope your right but for me I will be telling my son to get the hell out of this country as soon as he can. In the short term this country is only getting worse.

[Halion]

There are so many things that are totally screwed up within the Thai society and culture that to even hold a glimmer of hope that the next generation can make a difference is so far fetched that it is comical. Todays generation are a bi product of their parents who do not have the faintest idea of how to educate children and instill proper values. Furthermore the whole Thai culture works against this.

Thailand will be Thailand for generations to come and little progress will be made owing to the strenght and depth of the cancer which effects this country. It is indeed a lovely thought for an improved Thailand, however, short of complete financial collapse or a bloody civil war, it simply will not happen.

[seminomadic]

Have yet to see an unfounded criticism posted on this thread... even the writer of the editorial shows numpty-headedness by putting this on the children.... by not having phrased it as "progress lies with CHANGING THE WAY WE TEACH our children" he's showing that he's a typical Thai all remorseful of the situation .... demonstrating awareness of what everyone knows is nothing but a hollow gesture...

How about this for a start in changing the day to day ways so fertile for mendacity and greed: When someone asks your name, you give it to them without hesitating and worrying "why are they asking me for my name?"

[chooka]

There are so many things that are totally screwed up within the Thai society and culture that to even hold a glimmer of hope that the next generation can make a difference is so far fetched that it is comical. Todays generation are a bi product of their parents who do not have the faintest idea of how to educate children and instill proper values. Furthermore the whole Thai culture works against this.

Thailand will be Thailand for generations to come and little progress will be made owing to the strenght and depth of the cancer which effects this country. It is indeed a lovely thought for an improved Thailand, however, short of complete financial collapse or a bloody civil war, it simply will not happen.

One of the things I love about Thailand is thier family values and how family is most inportant and comes 1st. Cousins, brothers sister and grandparents are very important to them unlike in Australia when parents grow old it's dump them in a nursing home and we will come and visit every 2 - 5 years if we have the time.

[hellodolly]

Fair enough people I can take your constructive criticism. I don't know exactly what school he will be attended so I can't contact them but I will send off an email to my brother in immigration then he may have his visa revoked.

Personally I was only giving an example of something on this topic and how the wheel turns. It seems it has come back to bite me and I am looking like the guilty party.

I guess as Thai appologists would say if farangs don't come to thailand then there would not be a problem. I guess with me being here I have caused them to approach me and get involved. I take full responsibiliy for thier planning and actions. I'm a nasty farang as another said.

I see no fault on your part. The student will not last. In class he will need to speak English and unless the system has changed a lot since I was in grade 12 the test's will be done in class.

[hellodolly]

There are so many things that are totally screwed up within the Thai society and culture that to even hold a glimmer of hope that the next generation can make a difference is so far fetched that it is comical. Todays generation are a bi product of their parents who do not have the faintest idea of how to educate children and instill proper values. Furthermore the whole Thai culture works against this.

Thailand will be Thailand for generations to come and little progress will be made owing to the strenght and depth of the cancer which effects this country. It is indeed a lovely thought for an improved Thailand, however, short of complete financial collapse or a bloody civil war, it simply will not happen.

I have to disagree with you on that. Look at the change in one generation. More and more interrelationships between kids is becoming a tech thing. Just a way to take the human factor out of their relationship with each other.

It is getting so bad now that people are using phones to text messages rather than call people up and speak to them.

[hellodolly]

Do you mean the children who don't get educated properly, who learn it's ok to cheat and if they fail an exam / get a low grade their parents will buy what's necessary for them.

Moving higher up the social scale there are the children who are told their family name will see them ok, will get them into higher education and a good job even if they are as thick as pig s..t and don't worry about ever getting into trouble with the law as it will all be taken care of. Yes, let's start with the children

You raise some good points in your dialogue.

some facts that are hard to swallow. But

I for one disagree with your idea of not starting with the children. They are the future. Have you any idea of how to change the situation now. I don't short of assassination of an unelected foreign multi citizenship holder.

To this end My wife receives money every month for her personal use including taking care of her mother and she has been instructed that when it comes to education I will give more. The children of today are Thailand future. It will be a slow process but eventually if we start with a seed it will bear fruit. The present system will never change with the mind set you put forward. It is there but not in all cases. There is hope for Thailand.

I hope your right but for me I will be telling my son to get the hell out of this country as soon as he can. In the short term this country is only getting worse.

I know I am rite but it is not going to be a one generation thing.

I know that the wife's son with a degree in electronics engineering will be able to give his son a better chance in life as does his sister working as a nurse's aide.

Small things in the over all picture but in time they along with others who never had the chance to reach these levels will pass it on to others and there children.

Not in my life time but I have a good life now as a result of pensions,

What country would you send your son to. Not a lot of them getting better.

Granted some are doing better than others.

[jocko]

There is nothing wrong with trying to make Thailand less corrupt by education means but where is the starting point, where is influence coming from, who is going kick start it.

Good Luck

[bangon04]

So every morning , after saluting the Thai flag, children in Thai schools across the country will be told to recite the following mantra:

"Coup Bad, Corruption Bad, Honesty Good, Election Good"

That should do it....