Thai editorial: Quick fixes have left education in a mess

[Issangeorge]

I keep reading all the comments and suggestions, and not one post talks about class size. I don't care how good a teacher you are if your teaching to a class of 50 plus in a room designed for 30, you'll get no where. To improve the Thai education system first do two things. 1/ reduce all classes to less than 30. 2/ fail students that do not meet the standards. If you do these two things, the system will improve and the teaching will improve. Other things can then be refined.

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[Crazy chef 1]

I think the root problem is not just that the hi-so elite want their servants uneducated.imho the problem is a cultural thing if they don't stop this stupid" lose face" thing and face problems by solving them than I see almost zero chance to come out of this swamp.

[backtonormal]

The education system is the core of the culture indoctrination that a young thai student talked about needed changing. To change education you will have to make Thais undestand that their so called culture has been holding them back for the last century. Thais need to challenge the norm

[Thaddeus]

I keep reading all the comments and suggestions, and not one post talks about class size. I don't care how good a teacher you are if your teaching to a class of 50 plus in a room designed for 30, you'll get no where. To improve the Thai education system first do two things. 1/ reduce all classes to less than 30. 2/ fail students that do not meet the standards. If you do these two things, the system will improve and the teaching will improve. Other things can then be refined.

Reducing the size of classes will make no difference at all if the indoctrination of Thainess remains the same.

[trainman34014]

I keep reading all the comments and suggestions, and not one post talks about class size. I don't care how good a teacher you are if your teaching to a class of 50 plus in a room designed for 30, you'll get no where. To improve the Thai education system first do two things. 1/ reduce all classes to less than 30. 2/ fail students that do not meet the standards. If you do these two things, the system will improve and the teaching will improve. Other things can then be refined.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Smaller classes as one factor in the big picture should be an advantage but lets go back 60 years to when i was at Primary School in England. My class in each year was 42 kids, all from working class families and we were taught very well by teachers who ruled with toughness but fairness. Apart from the National Anthem each morning we were never brainwashed with Nationalistic nonsense, how not to lose face or a few dozen other useless intrusions that would never be one iota of use to us throughout the rest of our lives. We were taught to challenge, compete and work hard if we expected to progress and pass exams to enter Grammar School at 11 years old. If you failed you moved on to Secondary School and took your chances there with the majority, but again hard work and exam passes were required if you were not to end up as a complete numpty. Between 11 and 15 our class numbers were 30/32 because our generation were the 'Baby Boomers' from the years after WW2 and there were a lot of kids to fit in. From my own and a good many friends point of view (it's been discussed at length) we never suffered as a result of large classes, so in my humble opinion it's not about class size but about the 'class' of the teachers and the curriculum. Get those two things right and everything else will fall into place.

[Thai at Heart]

The education system is the core of the culture indoctrination that a young thai student talked about needed changing. To change education you will have to make Thais undestand that their so called culture has been holding them back for the last century. Thais need to challenge the norm

Dismantling this culture isn't going to be done by a little reform...

[Thai at Heart]

I keep reading all the comments and suggestions, and not one post talks about class size. I don't care how good a teacher you are if your teaching to a class of 50 plus in a room designed for 30, you'll get no where. To improve the Thai education system first do two things. 1/ reduce all classes to less than 30. 2/ fail students that do not meet the standards. If you do these two things, the system will improve and the teaching will improve. Other things can then be refined.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Smaller classes as one factor in the big picture should be an advantage but lets go back 60 years to when i was at Primary School in England. My class in each year was 42 kids, all from working class families and we were taught very well by teachers who ruled with toughness but fairness. Apart from the National Anthem each morning we were never brainwashed with Nationalistic nonsense, how not to lose face or a few dozen other useless intrusions that would never be one iota of use to us throughout the rest of our lives. We were taught to challenge, compete and work hard if we expected to progress and pass exams to enter Grammar School at 11 years old. If you failed you moved on to Secondary School and took your chances there with the majority, but again hard work and exam passes were required if you were not to end up as a complete numpty. Between 11 and 15 our class numbers were 30/32 because our generation were the 'Baby Boomers' from the years after WW2 and there were a lot of kids to fit in. From my own and a good many friends point of view (it's been discussed at length) we never suffered as a result of large classes, so in my humble opinion it's not about class size but about the 'class' of the teachers and the curriculum. Get those two things right and everything else will fall into place.

I just brought my 10 and 12 year old back to the UK to escape the system.

My son is bilingual close to top of the class in Thailand. Completely stumped last night. Write 100 words about why festivals are important to people.....

The Thai system seems to lack the "why" question. Maybe it's because the teachers are meant to know all the answers...