Thai education: Action plans for key policies

[webfact]

EDUCATION
Action plans for key policies
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) has formulated action plans for Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang's two key policies - tackling illiteracy and developing analytical thinking skills - which he will consider and announce tomorrow.

Obec chief Chinnapat Bhumirat said the illiteracy-tackling policy aimed to develop writing skills in Prathom 3- and 6-level students, so that by the end of this year all 1.6 million such students would be able to read and write.

Obec has formulated a tool to assess the students' reading and writing skills, he added. The tool will be explained to all educational zone directors and educational supervisors, so that they can identify children with reading and writing problems before the school term ends this month - and then get them trained during the school break.

Under the analytical thinking-skill policy to boost Thailand's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) score, Obec will propose the names of teachers to be assessed and trained in three courses - thinking-skill theory, theory implementation in class lessons, and student assessment guidelines.


-- The Nation 2013-09-04

[clockman]

Lots of talks, not much else!

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed. The topic is not about English.

[arthurboy]

How many times do we have to read the same old 'we are going to improve/ upgrade/ revamp the Thai education system' claptrap before anything actually changes for the better?

I feel another waste of time budget allocation and committee set up coming on.

Sent from my GT-I9070 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[youreavinalaff]

One of the major problems is how to police the idea.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have told a teacher that many students can't read English, this being P6 kids in a good school too. The usual answer I get is " yes, I know. He/she can't read Thai either". The teacher saying this with a grin on their face.

Yet at the end of the term they get a grade.

[Estrada]

The problem is the system of education, whilst some teachers are good, many of the Teacher's qualifications are bogus. Also they may have other jobs to supplement their low wages and so they rely of the children to learn themselves with books containing "Join The Dots" and TV programs. I know one case at Ramkamhaeng University where the Professors took it in turns to clock each other in and out while they moonlighted on other jobs. I took my eldest daughter out of one University because the Professor kept not turning up due to business meetings with his other jobs. It is no wonder that there are illiterate students even in their own language with the teaching methods as they are. This applies to all subjects.

I am having to home school my children 17 & 19, despite having paid a lot of money at various private and international schools here in Thailand for their education. They are now doing exceptionally well in all subjects after only 3 months

In particular they should test the Thai English Teacher's abilities to speak, read and write English. Most would fail. The Rotary Clubs in Thailand have arranged many "Teach The Teachers to Teach English", but many returned from the English Course still not able to even speak English. I have found many Heads of English Departments completely unable to speak English. If the head of English cannot speak English he will not want his subordinates speaking better than his or herself. My friend is head of the Senate Committee for Education and is trying his hardest to improve the system, but as we all know it is hard to fight the system.

Twenty years ago they were using English text books for education which has been a success story in Malaysia, Singapore and other members of ASEAN. The Thai teachers were mainly unable to communicate in English so they set about plagiarising all the English text books and converting them into Thai. The problem is with the Education of the Teachers and not with the children.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Estrada

[Loaded]

What kind of 'education' is provided by governments for their populations? Is it so that the government can equip its population with knowledge, and critical and lateral thinking skills, so that debate is encouraged and a healthy democracy thrives; or is so that it can indoctrinate its population with dogma using a rote learning system that creates smiling robots who think their country is blemish free and more important people than them know what's best for them.

I think all Thai governments implement their education policies effectively. The results speak for themselves.

Edited September 4, 2013 by Loaded

[cup-O-coffee]

Yeah!

RIght!

Sure!

Uh huh!

NEXT........!

[lostmebike]

...and developing analytical thinking skills

Will be interesting to see this put into practice.

Thai kids are taught from such a young age to do everything with their friends and this must-have-friend-near-all-the-time mentality that they are taught now, will conflict with this new, western teaching style. Even uni kids find it hard to 'kid eng' think alone, work it out alone way of learning, not just because of ability but from what is lodged deep inside their thought process.

[Dennisdob]

As a PhD, Doctorate in Education and principal for 12 years in the USA, I Was basically employed because of my Experience in the undergraduate level of teaching reading to freshman, sophomores, and several juniors at the University in the USA.

From my research of several of the Thai institutions located in my surrounding, in Chiangmai, I have found that they are trying to take the foreign administrators out of the system. Just look at the photo and where do you see a foreigner? I am not saying necessarily there is a prejudice going on, however, I do feel that they would prefer Asians to be in the classroom whether qualified or not!

I was teaching the advanced level of reading and writing at the private university. A student came up to me, 23 years old and requested if I could tutor her in critical skills. Her regular tutor explained that Thailand does not teach these skills. I replied," tell your tutor he is 100 % correct." Unfortunately, I had to decline her request. These skills must be taught on a primary level as a starting point.

I am somewhat envious of the Thailand approach to training of teachers for a three course methodology of teaching these specific skills. That would have saved me so many years of being in the classroom! Please excuse my sarcasm. I have lived in Thailand not necessarily as many years as many ex pats, But this totally befuddles me on how they can take these what I call mini courses and learn so much in three individual courses or a six-week period of time. Mastery is based on 80% knowledge!

I am not judging the Thai Philosophy, however, this is totally impractical and an insult to one's intelligence. As a prior principal there's no way in the world that I could see 1.6 million people learning how to read and write when the parents are Illiterate in English and the only instruction the students will receive will be approximately five periods per week!

In conclusion, I have found that teaching is not as easy as many believe it to be, this TOEFL test that everyone is talking about in which I have the TOEFL book in my home, does not identify a good nor Proficient teacher. Having a PhD in curriculum I would truly enjoy seeing how the students would achieve this goal and what diagnostic test Would they be using to determine the results of this of these 1.6 million students.

Please package this ideology because you can make so many millions if this would become successful

[clockman]

Thailand, is going to be on a downward spiral from ASEAN onwards. They could become the new Burmese replacement. I have seen nothing positive in my 20 plus years observation!

[CIHUAHUA]

They will pretend to teach and the students will pretend to learn. In the end they will sing the song of "I did it my way" which is the wrong way. Critical thinking come with a price of honesty and not save-face.

[Nooky2]

This is a tired subject. New minister and new promises that vaporize as quickly as they are produced.

[Spare]

As a PhD, Doctorate in Education and principal for 12 years in the USA, I Was basically employed because of my Experience in the undergraduate level of teaching reading to freshman, sophomores, and several juniors at the University in the USA.

From my research of several of the Thai institutions located in my surrounding, in Chiangmai, I have found that they are trying to take the foreign administrators out of the system. Just look at the photo and where do you see a foreigner? I am not saying necessarily there is a prejudice going on, however, I do feel that they would prefer Asians to be in the classroom whether qualified or not!

I was teaching the advanced level of reading and writing at the private university. A student came up to me, 23 years old and requested if I could tutor her in critical skills. Her regular tutor explained that Thailand does not teach these skills. I replied," tell your tutor he is 100 % correct." Unfortunately, I had to decline her request. These skills must be taught on a primary level as a starting point.

I am somewhat envious of the Thailand approach to training of teachers for a three course methodology of teaching these specific skills. That would have saved me so many years of being in the classroom! Please excuse my sarcasm. I have lived in Thailand not necessarily as many years as many ex pats, But this totally befuddles me on how they can take these what I call mini courses and learn so much in three individual courses or a six-week period of time. Mastery is based on 80% knowledge!

I am not judging the Thai Philosophy, however, this is totally impractical and an insult to one's intelligence. As a prior principal there's no way in the world that I could see 1.6 million people learning how to read and write when the parents are Illiterate in English and the only instruction the students will receive will be approximately five periods per week!

In conclusion, I have found that teaching is not as easy as many believe it to be, this TOEFL test that everyone is talking about in which I have the TOEFL book in my home, does not identify a good nor Proficient teacher. Having a PhD in curriculum I would truly enjoy seeing how the students would achieve this goal and what diagnostic test Would they be using to determine the results of this of these 1.6 million students.

Please package this ideology because you can make so many millions if this would become successful

Why go for TOEFL when it is much easier to score 500 in TOEIC.

[Scott]

Inflammatory post removed.

[khaowong1]

This is all about looking good for ASEAN. The politicians can tell their brother ASEAN counterparts, well, we tried, but maybe your standards are just to high. I mean, you just don't understand Thai people.

[Arkady]

What do you expect when many of the political leaders of the country have fake PhDs and masters degrees. Chalerm now has a PhD but when he exiled himself to Denmark in the 90s he was totally unable to communicate in English. Banharn has a masters degree for which he quoted extensively from French sources in his thesis despite not knowing a single word of the language and knowing only "Herro Mrs Kwin" in English, carefully practised for when he hosted QEIIs visit to Thailand as PM.

[Arkady]

The minister of education is rotated 2 or 3 times a year and has been for the last 10 years.