Thailand education: Low ranking for quality despite high spending

[webfact]

EDUCATION
Low ranking for quality despite high spending
Supinda na Mahachai
Chuleeporn Aramnet
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) is blaming Thailand's poor ranking in terms of education on high costs and relatively low returns.

In a recent report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked Thailand eighth in the 10-member ASEAN grouping in this category, which was even lower than Vietnam and Cambodia.

Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said yesterday that in relation to its gross domestic product, Thailand spent a large amount on education, especially on teachers' salaries.

"So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested.

Chinnapat said Obec would assign its relevant units to study the WEF ranking in a bid to resolve the problem.

He insisted that efforts were already being made to address the problems, such as evaluating teachers based on students' performance; equipping students with analysis, language and ICT (information and communications technology) skills; and encouraging more youngsters to opt for vocational education.

Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said his ministry would not ignore the ranking. "We will pay attention so we can improve," he said.

Chulalongkorn University lecturer Assistant Professor Sompong Jitradab said the WEF ranking was reliable and that it would spur relevant authorities to do something.

"Over the past four or five years, teams from other ASEAN countries have come to Thailand to look at how the education sector can be improved, and they've managed to deliver results. Yet Thailand is unable to solve its educational problems," he lamented.

He said up to 1.6 million Thai children were unable to read or write, adding that this problem was not new and had plagued the country for nearly two decades.


-- The Nation 2013-09-05

[selftaopath]

A "teacher" married to a "policeman" lives across the street from us. She "teaches" pre-schoolers." She proudly wears her govt. uniform and makes sure her new car is always clean. The govt. made the loan for the car and requires minimal payback. But the LOOK she and other car driving teachers present is remarkable. Unfortunately they do not TEACH adequately. SHAME for their impact on the youth of Thailand and the country's forward movement into a fully modern democratic society. I'm glad I am NOT a teacher in LOS.

[rkidlad]

"So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested.

Oh, the irony!

[GaoYuk]

The first thing I would scrap is the ridiculously long and illogical preperations for sports day. Its tactical time wasting for "sanook"

[CelticBhoy]

I wonder where our "donations" to schools end up then . . . . .

[theblether]

It's the teachers!!!

Gawd you would think it was rocket science

[Mampara]

A "teacher" married to a "policeman" lives across the street from us. She "teaches" pre-schoolers." She proudly wears her govt. uniform and makes sure her new car is always clean. The govt. made the loan for the car and requires minimal payback. But the LOOK she and other car driving teachers present is remarkable. Unfortunately they do not TEACH adequately. SHAME for their impact on the youth of Thailand and the country's forward movement into a fully modern democratic society. I'm glad I am NOT a teacher in LOS.

Ask yourself why do most school accountants have a brand new car every 2 years or so, then ask yourself about the inflated prices on the invoices and cash slips, then ask yourself about the entertainment venues that many school directors give, and finally ask yourself how much do the Thai teachers outings cost that they have every year staying in the best hotels at the most expensive resorts, then perhaps u can come to some sort of conclusion. out of the School budget and the extra money coming in from MOE how much is spent on education, and how much is spent on entertainment and overseas trips?

[johnnie20110]

Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said yesterday that in relation to its gross domestic product, Thailand spent a large amount on education, especially on teachers' salaries.

Thailand spends a lot of money on education, but its pure BS to attribute that to the $250 a month salary many teachers are paid.

The money is squandered through corruption on bogus schemes and corrupt practices by those in power. Most of the money is long gone before it ever reaches the school.

Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said his ministry would not ignore the ranking.

Sure Sermsak will ignore it.

As one of those in power, he directly benefits from the corruption within the ministry with the biggest budget.

Edited September 5, 2013 by johnnie20110

[Valentine]

I am sure the teachers are well looked after in terms of salary & benefits as they are a large voting block after all. Not to mention the extra money teachers make by providing extra tuition which is required due to the inadequate teaching methods so it would be a conflict of interest for them to do a good job. Then there is the oft repeated opinion that the rich & powerful do not want a well educated populace capable of rational & independent thinking but this line of thought, if true, is completely erroneous as a well educated workforce can generate much more income for the country.

Edited September 5, 2013 by Valentine

[Mampara]

Don't be fooled by the photo, never in your wildest dreams can a public school classroom look so well disciplined and the pupils so neat and well dressed.

[historyprof]

A "teacher" married to a "policeman" lives across the street from us. She "teaches" pre-schoolers." She proudly wears her govt. uniform and makes sure her new car is always clean. The govt. made the loan for the car and requires minimal payback. But the LOOK she and other car driving teachers present is remarkable. Unfortunately they do not TEACH adequately. SHAME for their impact on the youth of Thailand and the country's forward movement into a fully modern democratic society. I'm glad I am NOT a teacher in LOS.

Your post reeks of envy (car driving teachers). How do you know she does not teach adequately? And why shouldn't she keep her car clean?

[Tatsujin]

"So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested.

Well, us foreigners have been saying that for years, but you just won't listen, cos of course, you all know better than anyone else in the whole wide world.

[BrianCR]

A "teacher" married to a "policeman" lives across the street from us. She "teaches" pre-schoolers." She proudly wears her govt. uniform and makes sure her new car is always clean. The govt. made the loan for the car and requires minimal payback. But the LOOK she and other car driving teachers present is remarkable. Unfortunately they do not TEACH adequately. SHAME for their impact on the youth of Thailand and the country's forward movement into a fully modern democratic society. I'm glad I am NOT a teacher in LOS.

Ask yourself why do most school accountants have a brand new car every 2 years or so, then ask yourself about the inflated prices on the invoices and cash slips, then ask yourself about the entertainment venues that many school directors give, and finally ask yourself how much do the Thai teachers outings cost that they have every year staying in the best hotels at the most expensive resorts, then perhaps u can come to some sort of conclusion. out of the School budget and the extra money coming in from MOE how much is spent on education, and how much is spent on entertainment and overseas trips?

Also interesting to note that after spending as above, many Government schools are to mean or tightfisted to supply whiteboard markers and even the kids textbooks are either counterfeit photocopies (I thought Thailand was putting a stop to counterfeiting) or, even worse, rubbish that has been written by Thai English Language Teachers which, have hundreds of mistakes and in any case make very little sense! Edited September 5, 2013 by BrianCR

[arthurboy]

The minister: "So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested.

The academic: "Yet Thailand is unable to solve its educational problems," he lamented.

Me: If you wanted to improve education in Thailand, you would. If you wanted to stop the waste and corruption, you would. If you really cared about about the future of the people and not lining your own pockets or engaging in whining generalizations, you would do something about the dreadful state of education in Thailand.

But here's the deal. You don't care. Simple.

[rametindallas]

Every farang who has experienced Thai teaching methods first hand realizes that, no matter how much money they spend, as long as students are lectured to and not taught how to think and reason for themselves, the education will not happen. Unfortunately, this suits the politicians just fine as a thinking population might question their wisdom in governance.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward. Thailand is in great need of teachers who inspire their students to be inquisitive and to study and become lifelong learners.

[historyprof]

It's the teachers!!!

Gawd you would think it was rocket science

The teachers don't get paid SH**. The school supplies are not worth SH**. The classrooms are not worth SH**. Sports days don't cost SH**. The teachers give the kids milk and shampoo for lice and free haircuts. Everybody has holes in their socks and smells bad because there is no AC.

Go teach for a while. The teachers are not that bad. The cash comes out before it gets to the school budget. Thai teachers are OK; it's the dummies above the teaching level.

Although there is a positive. The kids are not crazy and all on prescription drugs like in the West. I don't think many Thai kids bring guns to school and shoot people.

Class size is too big. At least they don't have the single one biggest impediment to education in the West, "Teachers Unions."

[historyprof]

Every farang who has experienced Thai teaching methods first hand realizes that, no matter how much money they spend, as long as students are lectured to and not taught how to think and reason for themselves, the education will not happen. Unfortunately, this suits the politicians just fine as a thinking population might question their wisdom in governance.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward. Thailand is in great need of teachers who inspire their students to be inquisitive and to study and become lifelong learners.

That's just silly. The basics are rote memory. Thai kids can't read Thai and can't write Thai and don't have basic arithmetic skills. You are talking college. I'm talking grade school. They don't need any more brain stress. Start with the basics. Teach the Thai language and basic arithmetic skills and then send them out to make a living.

[belg]

they forget that 30% at least of the budget disappears in the pockets of a few...

for the rest, buying useless tablets, that will help thai youth to game and gamble online even more

no surprise as english is tought, but only working girls seem to speak parts of it, most of the time

[edwinchester]

Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said yesterday that in relation to its gross domestic product, Thailand spent a large amount on education, especially on teachers' salaries.

 

 

Thailand spends a lot of money on education, but its pure BS to attribute that to the $250 a month salary many teachers are paid.

The money is squandered through corruption on bogus schemes and corrupt practices by those in power. Most of the money is long gone before it ever reaches the school.

 

 

Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said his ministry would not ignore the ranking.

 

 

 

Sure Sermsak will ignore it.

As one of those in power, he directly benefits from the corruption within the ministry with the biggest budget.

 

 

All the Thai teachers I know earn at least 20k bht per month.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[TackyToo]

"So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested.

Oh, the irony!

"it is possible that the education is actually poor,"

This conclusion proves he is right and most probably one of the first victiims of the so called "education system."

[Lucie]

"So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested.

... Yep, you're right, it is just possible that the education is poor. Let's set up a commission to investigate this possibility...

Sarcasm aside, as someone who has worked in the system for 10 years (private school, but very little difference from the govt schools) I can say that a huge amount of money is wasted on a large variety of things, very few of which have any real benefit to the students. Yes it lines peoples pockets, yes senior teachers are paid too highly for gradually delegating more and more of their work to younger teachers, yes a lot is spent on ridiculous activities and projects that are just a day off for the kids (we've got ASEAN Day tomorrow...).

BUT the crux of the matter is not the amount of money, but the abilities and dedication levels of the teachers.

In the West, I know there are problems, but the fact is that teachers go into teaching because they have a strong desire to really help their students. In Thailand, most go into it for the salary (starts low-ish, but climbs enormously if you're at a government school) and benefits, not to mention a job for life that requires no demonstration of abilities or hard work. My neighbour is 55, has 8 hours a week on her schedule, and delegates most of them to younger colleagues, while collecting 50,000 a month, and looking forward to a big fat pension in 5 years time.

I have had the privilege to meet a few great Thai teachers who really care and work hard, but they are in a tiny minority. And the administrators evaluate teachers on the quality and quantity of their paperwork, their uniform, and their timekeeping, while never setting foot inside a classroom to see what the teachers really do.

I hope that sense will eventually prevail, and some progressive teachers and educational specialists will be put in charge of education reform... but I'm not holding my breath.

[gosompoi]

You can not blame the teachers unless you know the system works. The system is so broken their only excuse is 'It is the Thai way'. My wife and I work in the system and we both agree if we would be allowed to teach our students would learn. But every week we must get ready for some new committee, the King's prize review, sports week, english week, Christmas play,Asian week, or another contest. This week it is "Best practice" and last week was a contest, next week testing. Then the students go to temple for a week and then finals and grades. Some subjects do not have books, other subjects the books are less than useful tools, main criteria for buying books is the lowest cost. Two years ago my old school won the King's prize, they achieved this by canceling all classes for six weeks and making the students work on making the school look better. My current school last year almost won the King's prize. The teachers were required by the director to work for seven weeks 16 hours a day without a day off all to get the school ready for the review committee. Again no teaching. My current school also canceled all classes for a month to teach the O-net test. Yes the schools are famous for their test scores by the students and the school wins prizes but teaching sorry not enough time.

[MrJohnson]

Teacher-centered classrooms

Too much teacher talk and not enough student talk

No encouragement of critical thinking

Outdated teaching and learning materials

Style over substance

Budget increases are often pumped into new gates, flagpoles etc. instead of teacher training or capacity buiding

I do not believe teachers are overpaid. A lot of the education budget goes into procurement - this is why politicians fight over who gets the portfolio.

It is a cash cow. Procurement - whether it is milk supply contracts/desks/uniforms/textbooks or whatever, there is clear evidence that funds are milked away by those administrating the process. If anywhere near the budget actually got to where it was needed the state of education in Thailand would be in a far better place. It is a very complex problem that needs a very well considered and complex solution. As others have already pointed out, the issue of critical thinking and critical analysis is a very delicate subject in a culture like the one that exists in this country. A culture built on patronage, hierachy, compliance and favours. A culture of personality over substance. Teaching kids to think for themselves and to cheer a meritocracy would threaten the status quo. There are many powerful forces lined up against this occurring.

[bangon04]

""So when the quality of education in Thailand is ranked even lower than a country that spends less in terms of its GDP, it is possible that the education is actually poor," he suggested." oops - picked up a Japanese calculator by mistake.... he won't last long in this job...

Edited September 5, 2013 by bangon04

[Estrada]

I have just returned from a visit to three remote village schools in Lampang. The school IT specialists tell me that the "One Child On Tablet" computer scheme is a failure since the quality of the quality and capabilities of the tablets are poor. They complain that the politicians dictate the specifications rather than specialists. The introduction of the tablets in any case is because many of the teachers do not have the knowledge to teach the children and rely on TV and tablets to allow the children to teach themselves while they take it easy or even moonlight working on outside jobs.

[ABCer]

=> high spending into system;

<= low quality output from the system;

= faulty system!

But being the product of this very system - it's hard to accept and impossible to change...

[KRaymond]

How can education improve when COPY PASTE is acceptable.

Google is good source to copy paste for homework, project everything.

EXAMS are horrible. Spacing is bad, leading students to copy each other. These kids are so good at copying and using paper notes, some even write the whole page of a book on their legs.

Almost every Thai teacher does is only read whatever is written in the book and tells the students to write them down.

[gosompoi]

Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said yesterday that in relation to its gross domestic product, Thailand spent a large amount on education, especially on teachers' salaries.

Thailand spends a lot of money on education, but its pure BS to attribute that to the $250 a month salary many teachers are paid.

The money is squandered through corruption on bogus schemes and corrupt practices by those in power. Most of the money is long gone before it ever reaches the school.

Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said his ministry would not ignore the ranking.

Sure Sermsak will ignore it.

As one of those in power, he directly benefits from the corruption within the ministry with the biggest budget.

All the Thai teachers I know earn at least 20k bht per month.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

All the new teachers at my school and my old school start at 8,500 a month for the first two years.

[MacWalen]

Education in Thailand is a joke. The problem is deeper. Thai kids are not interested in learning and you always have to pass them to the next grade no matter how dumb they are. Classes of 50 kids and incredible noise they create also does not help. It is not going to change any time soon.

Sent from my GT-I9190 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[KRaymond]

What did they expect?

Students are experts at copy paste, paper notes, cheating.

Teachers just make the students write down whatever they read.

In fact, how can it improve, when every student KNOWS that ZERO can be FIXED.