Thailand's educational spending highest in the world

[Somtamnication]

My classroom still has 3 broken fans and the one that does work, is too high up on the ceiling to be effective. One and a half years later of constantly requesting them to be fixed. I take the kids (p5) outside under the three trees to teach.

That money ain't coming down my way, brother.

[socksy01]

Biggest spending but where does all the money go - not into the education system - that's why so many kids here suffer from TAFS (Thick as f*** syndrome).

Edited January 11, 2014 by metisdead
Profanity

[timber]

Return on investment isn't a part of the Thai thing.

[culicine]

I've heard of kids in English programs studying everything twice, then there's after school tutoring, evening homework, weekends classes and summer schools. So I can understand how they can study up to 5 times more than in other countries. What's hard to understand is how after all that, they can remain 5 times worse off academically.

Because international exams assess UNDERSTANDING of the concepts, rather than just regurgitating some information written on the board by a (usually) Thai teacher. No thinking involved. So when you throw the kids a curve ball, something left of centre, they have no idea where to start. This is the main problem. Thais are obsessed with quantity over quality. Nothing will change unless that mindset changes. Also, when kids struggle here, Thai teachers make the work even more difficult, to 'encourage' them to study harder. They know absolutely nothing of young learners and child psychology.

[Yunla]

<From OP>

Suriyadev Tripati, institute director, called for education reform in short, middle and long terms, changes in teaching methods and evaluation systems while education courses must be developed in accord with human proficiency in the 21st century.

Excellant conclusion. We can only hope that this is listened to by those in power, whoever they might be in the future.

[me313]

I would say, from my limited experience of knowing Thai people (I'm not a Farang with a Thai partner) that the few Thai people I have met are extremely mentally agile when it comes to sarcasm and deception, the fake smiles must have been learned in the utter conformity taught in their schools, it would seem at least, with a strong punitive force pushing them into obedience and a sort of mindless daze that extends into adulthood. When I drive past a Thai school and see all the children standing in those horrible school uniforms standing in rows while they must observe some tribute while (I think) a national anthem is being played or sung, I just understand how every Thai person I meet seems to act exactly the same with little individuality. The limited art I see in the shops here in Phuket show me that they are not being taught art skills in school, there is little attention to reading in adults that I can see, it's just the most lame culture I've ever been around. Obviously the money for education is not going to the children it's intended for.

[bushwacker]

Maybe they spend a lot of money but they certainly do not get an education!

Chatted with a senior, well thought of, teacher of 40 years the other day. She wants to learn some English. I asked her some basic questions that she could understand like:

1. Name 4 continents in the world .... result 0.

2. What country is beside Vietnam .... no idea.

3. Where is Canada .... beside Germany in European.

4. What is the capital of Malaysia ... no idea.

5. Where is Brazil .... beside India.

We went on for a bit until she started to get angry ... maybe my smile was not nice.

I started asking her questions about Thailand's history and got the same kind of results.

I asked her why English is taught at school at each grade level for over 12 years, yet students and adults cannot put together 3 words and have no idea what an english person is talking about. Her answer was ... you in Thailand now so learn Thai. I assured her that if I had been taught Thai for 12 years and then at University, I would have no problem. And at the present time, I know more Thai, then the average Thai person knows english.

I pay for extra teaching for my daughter, because the teachers do not want to teach very much during the day to ensure that they earn extra income with after school classes.

So, maybe a lot of money is being spent but the results are negligible.

Welcome to Thailand.

[umbanda]

BY my short experience teaching in Thailand's Government Elementary Schools and past experiences in South America and US schools, I was surprised by the organization and dedication of students and teachers here, and the spending with them. Unfortunally, teaching methods and books are not customized for Thai students in elementary education, and that reflect in poor performance. If interest in is not acquired by children during the elementary education, never will happen later, even in the university.

My surprise do not stoped here with small children behavior. Thai college students, comparing with American college students, are the most well behave I ever knew, and increased my support for the use schools uniforms. Many studies about that shows that it is a positive factor in students behavior. It is just a coincidence that discrimination, student's bad behavior, drugs use, and violence it is a norm in most US high schools?

The usual comments here about corruption make me think that some people still believing that corruption doesn't happen in their countries....or that people only believes in what it is evident....in front of their faces....stole from their pockets..

I personally prefer to live in a country where I have to pay bribes to low level police or immigration officer, and others, and not to live in a my own country, knowing that others are make billions in corporation bribes and illegal deals against people's and country's interest.

Thailand may be no so much different than other countries in many ways, but at least I can leave my bike unattended and unchained anywhere without worries, and not be checked for weapons entering the schools. Try to do that in California...or.. Las Vegas...just to name "first world" Western places without "evident" corruption and crime.....

[wilcopops]

BY my short experience teaching in Thailand's Government Elementary Schools and past experiences in South America and US schools, I was surprised by the organization and dedication of students and teachers here, and the spending with them. Unfortunally, teaching methods and books are not customized for Thai students in elementary education, and that reflect in poor performance. If interest in is not acquired by children during the elementary education, never will happen later, even in the university.

My surprise do not stoped here with small children behavior. Thai college students, comparing with American college students, are the most well behave I ever knew, and increased my support for the use schools uniforms. Many studies about that shows that it is a positive factor in students behavior. It is just a coincidence that discrimination, student's bad behavior, drugs use, and violence it is a norm in most US high schools?

The usual comments here about corruption make me think that some people still believing that corruption doesn't happen in their countries....or that people only believes in what it is evident....in front of their faces....stole from their pockets..

I personally prefer to live in a country where I have to pay bribes to low level police or immigration officer, and others, and not to live in a my own country, knowing that others are make billions in corporation bribes and illegal deals against people's and country's interest.

Thailand may be no so much different than other countries in many ways, but at least I can leave my bike unattended and unchained anywhere without worries, and not be checked for weapons entering the schools. Try to do that in California...or.. Las Vegas...just to name "first world" Western places without "evident" corruption and crime.....

disconnected jottings - but no real point?

[wolfmanjack]

"Study hours for Thai students are five times more than countries such as the US and Canada where students spend 600-700 hours in classes while Thai students 2,000-3,600 hours."

Lets look:

52 Weeks have a year.

12 weeks are vacation

40 weeks lectures * 5 days a week = 200 days

3600 / 200 = 18 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 2am after midnight)

2000 / 200 = 10 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 6pm)

average = 14 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 10pm)

average = 70 hours per week.

I do not know what they are doing in the classes, but I doubt the data base and the validity of data collection too.

In Ramkhamhaeng (the largest university in Bangkok) and generally in Bangkok,i see every day oodles of students on the streets,

- shopping, in cinemas, in restaurants and in the evening in discos and pubs.-

No way that they study day per day, spending 14 hours in classes.

20% of State Budget for education?

If this is true, than we have here maybe another rice school scam.

and according to my friend who is a student in Ramkhamhaeng University, they can take a degree they want by enrolling/paying it even without attending their classes. They just need to take the exam.

So, what do they expect from the students to learn if they don't attend classes?

And those attending are not paying attention to their instructor/professor. They keep busy with their mirror and act as hairdresser for themselves.

The University I attended in the USA was the same way on many classes. We could challenge the class by taking an exam showing we already knew the information covered by that class and if we passed the exam we would get those credits.

[wilcopops]

Maybe they spend a lot of money but they certainly do not get an education!

Chatted with a senior, well thought of, teacher of 40 years the other day. She wants to learn some English. I asked her some basic questions that she could understand like:

1. Name 4 continents in the world .... result 0.

2. What country is beside Vietnam .... no idea.

3. Where is Canada .... beside Germany in European.

4. What is the capital of Malaysia ... no idea.

5. Where is Brazil .... beside India.

We went on for a bit until she started to get angry ... maybe my smile was not nice.

I started asking her questions about Thailand's history and got the same kind of results.

I asked her why English is taught at school at each grade level for over 12 years, yet students and adults cannot put together 3 words and have no idea what an english person is talking about. Her answer was ... you in Thailand now so learn Thai. I assured her that if I had been taught Thai for 12 years and then at University, I would have no problem. And at the present time, I know more Thai, then the average Thai person knows english.

I pay for extra teaching for my daughter, because the teachers do not want to teach very much during the day to ensure that they earn extra income with after school classes.

So, maybe a lot of money is being spent but the results are negligible.

Welcome to Thailand.

Actually I think this kind of "example" is particularly unhelpful as we have to take far to many aspects of this for granted....I've experienced similar conversations with interviewees both Thai and other nationalities. I think one problem is that what in one country we assume to be general knowledge isn't the same as another. I also no that Thais have a lot of problems with concepts like "city", "country" "region" "continent' ( after all a western concept) and "capital". They also often tend to find direct questioning as an alien and confrontational experience. You can see this when they take even a minor test or interview, even when the result is a forgone conclusion.....(no fail policy etc.).

To simply apply criteria that we are comfortable with is not really a valid test of a country's education system. Whilst I agree the the Thai education system is in need of a massive overhaul - from the bottom up - I think the use of personal prejudice as evidence tells us more about the person recounting the tale than the education system itself.

[willyumiii]

Yes in spending money this country is doing great: all intol a huge waste bin!

I was always thinking the most unedicated people i found in the USA but i found another country : Thailand!

Couple of days ago i met an english teacher, teaching since 12 years. His english was that bad that i was shocked but not wanted to offend him tooo much and said nothing, only correted him always: his english level was a german high school level of 5 years teaching! Good bless these children!

Obviously a well educated poster.

Was he found in the USA?

You can't fix stupid or even make it shut up!

[Nickymaster]

Since the Dems haven't won an election in a decade...., they can't be blamed. Who else could be responsible for this mess?

Edited January 10, 2014 by Nickymaster

[wilcopops]

I've heard of kids in English programs studying everything twice, then there's after school tutoring, evening homework, weekends classes and summer schools. So I can understand how they can study up to 5 times more than in other countries. What's hard to understand is how after all that, they can remain 5 times worse off academically.

Because international exams assess UNDERSTANDING of the concepts, rather than just regurgitating some information written on the board by a (usually) Thai teacher. No thinking involved. So when you throw the kids a curve ball, something left of centre, they have no idea where to start. This is the main problem. Thais are obsessed with quantity over quality. Nothing will change unless that mindset changes. Also, when kids struggle here, Thai teachers make the work even more difficult, to 'encourage' them to study harder. They know absolutely nothing of young learners and child psychology.

I agree with cullcine here.

...and as for studying long hours, it is for most students a waste of time - the normal maximum learning period (for young adults) is about 35 minutes - then you require a break of about 5 minutes.....how many Thai students (or even Western ones) follow this? But the fat remains that the West still tuns out better students in general with VERY much shorter hours....and these students can think.

Korean recipe for hot-housing all the time IMO is a recipe for disaster.

Edited January 10, 2014 by wilcopops

[AloisAmrein]

If so, the effect is very poor.

[wolfmanjack]

Maybe they spend a lot of money but they certainly do not get an education!

Chatted with a senior, well thought of, teacher of 40 years the other day. She wants to learn some English. I asked her some basic questions that she could understand like:

1. Name 4 continents in the world .... result 0.

2. What country is beside Vietnam .... no idea.

3. Where is Canada .... beside Germany in European.

4. What is the capital of Malaysia ... no idea.

5. Where is Brazil .... beside India.

We went on for a bit until she started to get angry ... maybe my smile was not nice.

I started asking her questions about Thailand's history and got the same kind of results.

I asked her why English is taught at school at each grade level for over 12 years, yet students and adults cannot put together 3 words and have no idea what an english person is talking about. Her answer was ... you in Thailand now so learn Thai. I assured her that if I had been taught Thai for 12 years and then at University, I would have no problem. And at the present time, I know more Thai, then the average Thai person knows english.

I pay for extra teaching for my daughter, because the teachers do not want to teach very much during the day to ensure that they earn extra income with after school classes.

So, maybe a lot of money is being spent but the results are negligible.

Welcome to Thailand.

Actually I think this kind of "example" is particularly unhelpful as we have to take far to many aspects of this for granted....I've experienced similar conversations with interviewees both Thai and other nationalities. I think one problem is that what in one country we assume to be general knowledge isn't the same as another. I also no that Thais have a lot of problems with concepts like "city", "country" "region" "continent' ( after all a western concept) and "capital". They also often tend to find direct questioning as an alien and confrontational experience. You can see this when they take even a minor test or interview, even when the result is a forgone conclusion.....(no fail policy etc.).

To simply apply criteria that we are comfortable with is not really a valid test of a country's education system. Whilst I agree the the Thai education system is in need of a massive overhaul - from the bottom up - I think the use of personal prejudice as evidence tells us more about the person recounting the tale than the education system itself.

While part of what you say is true there is no escaping the fact that many if not most thais graduating from a university with a degree in English can not speak English.

The example he used of the amount of time spent learning English and the ability to speak is correct and exactly the same conversation I had with my SIL that has a bachelors in English from CMU.

She asked me why I could not speak fluent thai after spending 10 years in thailand even though I am surrounded by English speaking thais. She did not understand the fact that I was not forced to learn thai by being surrounded by English speaking thais as being relevant. She just kept repeating that after 10 years I should be fluent in thai.

When I turned the tables on her and said that I can speak more thai than she can speak English and if I had studied thai for 12 years then got a bachelors degree in Thai from a USA university that I would be able to speak thai as well as she does if not better so why can't she carry on a basic conversation in English even though she has a degree in English. She did not want to hear that.

She does speak pretty good English now though. She took English lessons for a year in order to learn enough English to go to the USA as a nanny. She spent 2 years in the USA as a nanny and 3 years in Canada as a nanny. Now she is teaching at a school in Canada and can carry on a conversation in English.

This is not a one off case either. My first thai girlfriend was a girl that i met in the USA attending a University to get her masters in English. When she arrived int he USA she could not speak English. It amazes me how she passed an interview in English to be qualified to go study for her masters. After staying with me for 3 years she could speak pretty good English though. She never did get her masters. She found it too difficult.

However upon returning to thailand she got a job teaching english at a bangkok school. One time I visited her at the school when she was giving extra lessons in the lunch area. i sat down with her and her method of teaching was to read the question to the kids then give the answer to them. How they were going to learn from that, i do not know. The kicker is she was giving them the wrong answers. When I said she was giving the wrong answers she showed me that the answers she was giving were the answers in the book. I replied that the book was wrong and started giving the correct answers. The head of the English department was watching and offered me a job at double the salary my gf was making. That pissed my gf off.

The point that I want to emphasize is while it is sort of an excuse that the students learning English in grades 1-12 may not be interested in learning English so they just learn the bare minimum to get by in class and promptly forget it but those that actually major in English should at the very least have an interest in learning English. Therefore those that actually graduate with a degree in English should be able to speak English.

Edited January 10, 2014 by wolfmanjack

[atsiii]

This could be yet another indication of how the pervasive corruption is killing this country. At the budget level, much is spent. But most of the money spent does not end up being used towards education. When the boat is sinking, one can keep trying to bail faster or stop and look for the leak.

[attrayant]

The title would be accurate if you put one word in scare quotes:

Thailand's "educational" spending highest in the world.

All you have to do is look in the parking lot and count the number of luxury cars. Last week, my school held a fabulous new year party for the faculty and staff in the ballroom of a nice hotel. It had to have been at least a half a million baht spent on the affair. Classes are routinely cancelled to have lavishly extravagant "activities". And yet the classrooms look like this:

To those of us working on the front lines of "education" in this country, it's no mystery where the money goes.

And as others have noted, I'd also like to know how they are counting the number of classroom hours. Students are present in my school from 8 - 2 pm, but many of them have only two or three periods of lessons during those hours. The group I taught today had only me for two periods, and no other lessons.

In America I went to high school and took 6 periods every day from M-F. That's well over a thousand hours of actual learning (no activities or cancelled periods) Any periods that are missed or cancelled for whatever reason (e.g. snow days) must be rescheduled at the end of the year.

Edited January 10, 2014 by attrayant

[IDL]

don't they just love being top in polls... ... now the HUB of educational spending! Best they re-think it tho, it clearly ain't working!

As for the hours put-in...not unlike the average 10-12 hour day for Thai employees (half the time spent sleeping or playing with phone), it really isn't about the quantity, the quality should be the focus.

I reckon the coffers should admit to skimming the funds, it's far less embarrassing than realizing all that money was spent in vein.

Whatta place!

[CiderFizz]

Then the money spent is the biggest amount of money wasted on "education". Thailand's education is appallingly bad. The curriculum is completely skewed with too much emphasis on culture and not nearly enough on academic subjects. There are no physics, chemistry or biology classes only a combined Science course so the standard is woefully low. Geography and economics are not taught at all. What is taught is English, Thai language, Thai history, Computing, Mathematics and, as mentioned above, Science. The quality of the teachers is by and large substandard particularly for teaching English which accounts for why Thailand is the fifth worst English speaking nation on Earth. Stop teaching by rote, encourage class discussions and teach pupils to argue their points of view. More sport, especially team sport is needed as are extra-curricular activities such as art and music. So stop wasting taxpayers money giving children toys on which they only play games cut out the wasted time and get focused on what matters academically and recruit more teachers from abroad who are genuinely qualified for the task rather than loafers trying to get a visa to stay in Thailand. Then your money will be well spent and effective and not the huge splurge it is now.

[harryfrompattaya]

This proves you can say anything you want any no one will call you a lair or a fool

[flyingdoc]

If Thai spending on education is the highest in the world, I wonder why proficiency in English, just to take one example, is deteriorating?

[Emster23]

Thailand's educational spending highest in the world

That would mean their productivity is the lowest in the world

It doesn't mean that at all. Productivity is measured by cost and hours worked. If no one eent to school, could productivity still be measured? Of course.

Sorry, but productivity is measured by result or output, divided by cost. Productivity of closed factory is 0. The results here regarding learning are appalling. It is not the amount of time you spend at learning something, it is the result (come to think of it, 0 is a measure). If you spend your school time sleeping, texting, etc and not learning anything of value, then perhaps better to not waste time there. If no one went to school, you could not measure productivity of school, as there would be no output, no student learning at school to measure. If I were a parent here with a touch of intelligence, I would home school if possible.

[Paangjang]

wouldnt be surprized if it is the truth but it just goes to show how much of it is going into peoples pockets/bank accounts as it is certainly not getting through to the schools. Like most financial deals in this country the people suffer as the top dogs get to pocket most of the money, another reason Thailand needs to have honest government and open financial policies so the people can see exactly where akll this money is going..

I think so many of us find it easy to lay much blame with government. But, I think we fail to acknowledge that the core problem is with the entire society. The politicians are but a reflection of the nation's character.

When one puts all the big stats together, a rather embarrassing and grim picture of Thai society becomes clear.

It's a complete mess.

Well said. I think the point is not all but many, Thai's in Thailand are corrupt. Thai politicians are corrupt, well yes they're also Thai. Thai's will always steal from they're own people. It's well driven into the culture. Anyone see that changing, ever?

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe they spend a lot of money but they certainly do not get an education!

Chatted with a senior, well thought of, teacher of 40 years the other day. She wants to learn some English. I asked her some basic questions that she could understand like:

1. Name 4 continents in the world .... result 0.

2. What country is beside Vietnam .... no idea.

3. Where is Canada .... beside Germany in European.

4. What is the capital of Malaysia ... no idea.

5. Where is Brazil .... beside India.

We went on for a bit until she started to get angry ... maybe my smile was not nice.

I started asking her questions about Thailand's history and got the same kind of results.

I asked her why English is taught at school at each grade level for over 12 years, yet students and adults cannot put together 3 words and have no idea what an english person is talking about. Her answer was ... you in Thailand now so learn Thai. I assured her that if I had been taught Thai for 12 years and then at University, I would have no problem. And at the present time, I know more Thai, then the average Thai person knows english.

I pay for extra teaching for my daughter, because the teachers do not want to teach very much during the day to ensure that they earn extra income with after school classes.

So, maybe a lot of money is being spent but the results are negligible.

Welcome to Thailand.

Actually I think this kind of "example" is particularly unhelpful as we have to take far to many aspects of this for granted....I've experienced similar conversations with interviewees both Thai and other nationalities. I think one problem is that what in one country we assume to be general knowledge isn't the same as another. I also no that Thais have a lot of problems with concepts like "city", "country" "region" "continent' ( after all a western concept) and "capital". They also often tend to find direct questioning as an alien and confrontational experience. You can see this when they take even a minor test or interview, even when the result is a forgone conclusion.....(no fail policy etc.).

To simply apply criteria that we are comfortable with is not really a valid test of a country's education system. Whilst I agree the the Thai education system is in need of a massive overhaul - from the bottom up - I think the use of personal prejudice as evidence tells us more about the person recounting the tale than the education system itself.

While part of what you say is true there is no escaping the fact that many if not most thais graduating from a university with a degree in English can not speak English.

The example he used of the amount of time spent learning English and the ability to speak is correct and exactly the same conversation I had with my SIL that has a bachelors in English from CMU.

She asked me why I could not speak fluent thai after spending 10 years in thailand even though I am surrounded by English speaking thais. She did not understand the fact that I was not forced to learn thai by being surrounded by English speaking thais as being relevant. She just kept repeating that after 10 years I should be fluent in thai.

When I turned the tables on her and said that I can speak more thai than she can speak English and if I had studied thai for 12 years then got a bachelors degree in Thai from a USA university that I would be able to speak thai as well as she does if not better so why can't she carry on a basic conversation in English even though she has a degree in English. She did not want to hear that.

She does speak pretty good English now though. She took English lessons for a year in order to learn enough English to go to the USA as a nanny. She spent 2 years in the USA as a nanny and 3 years in Canada as a nanny. Now she is teaching at a school in Canada and can carry on a conversation in English.

This is not a one off case either. My first thai girlfriend was a girl that i met in the USA attending a University to get her masters in English. When she arrived int he USA she could not speak English. It amazes me how she passed an interview in English to be qualified to go study for her masters. After staying with me for 3 years she could speak pretty good English though. She never did get her masters. She found it too difficult.

However upon returning to thailand she got a job teaching english at a bangkok school. One time I visited her at the school when she was giving extra lessons in the lunch area. i sat down with her and her method of teaching was to read the question to the kids then give the answer to them. How they were going to learn from that, i do not know. The kicker is she was giving them the wrong answers. When I said she was giving the wrong answers she showed me that the answers she was giving were the answers in the book. I replied that the book was wrong and started giving the correct answers. The head of the English department was watching and offered me a job at double the salary my gf was making. That pissed my gf off.

The point that I want to emphasize is while it is sort of an excuse that the students learning English in grades 1-12 may not be interested in learning English so they just learn the bare minimum to get by in class and promptly forget it but those that actually major in English should at the very least have an interest in learning English. Therefore those that actually graduate with a degree in English should be able to speak English.

Indeed, Thais seem not to understand the level that should be achieved after studying English for 10 years.

A Belgian married into the family and I was presented with him top assist his wedding. The distant cousin felt very safe I wouldn't give him much advice because he didn't speak English.

More fool her.

[IDL]

Thailand's educational spending highest in the world

That would mean their productivity is the lowest in the world

It doesn't mean that at all. Productivity is measured by cost and hours worked. If no one eent to school, could productivity still be measured? Of course.

Sorry, but productivity is measured by result or output, divided by cost. Productivity of closed factory is 0. The results here regarding learning are appalling. It is not the amount of time you spend at learning something, it is the result (come to think of it, 0 is a measure). If you spend your school time sleeping, texting, etc and not learning anything of value, then perhaps better to not waste time there. If no one went to school, you could not measure productivity of school, as there would be no output, no student learning at school to measure. If I were a parent here with a touch of intelligence, I would home school if possible.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Everybody blames the gov, the teachers, the school bus drivers (for crashing of course), the western culture, the internet, the political strife, the, the, the.... What about a parent taking responsibility for their own kin!? Home teach (or create a group to lobby parliament for change), find your own teacher(s) that fits the bill, arrange your own driver to take your little'n school (or even walk, heaven forbid), teach your kids that cultures differ and remind them that there is good and bad in all, impress upon them how using the internet for the right things can enhance their future, give objective views on how all government candidate's mandates should primarily be for the betterment of the people/country, blah, blah, blah.

It's always somebody/something else's fault, but I don't see the most significant role models in the country doing sweet fanny Adam! Other than digging trenches or blowing whistles. Or if in a privileged position, teaching their kids contempt for the less fortunate/educated.

Teach their own kids why they should wear a crash helmet (with Mum n Dad leading by example), not just how to avoid the checkpoints. Teach them that a clean conscience is far better [long term] than a tarnished one. Blimey, we could go on and on here.

...OR is it futile, in a country where most believe they will be back after this life?

[ginjag]

Does anyone know how much has been filtered though the EDUCATION heading,

Like near all Government spending, most seems to not accountable, or shuffled so much it is impossible to track.

This topic could have said--TAT/and other Tourism bodies has a higher budget than any other country. Here it does not make sense.

Is this heading trying to divert or alter peoples opinions on what's gone into the "bottomless pit". ??

[Thai at Heart]

Thailand's educational spending highest in the world

That would mean their productivity is the lowest in the world

It doesn't mean that at all. Productivity is measured by cost and hours worked. If no one eent to school, could productivity still be measured? Of course.

Sorry, but productivity is measured by result or output, divided by cost. Productivity of closed factory is 0. The results here regarding learning are appalling. It is not the amount of time you spend at learning something, it is the result (come to think of it, 0 is a measure). If you spend your school time sleeping, texting, etc and not learning anything of value, then perhaps better to not waste time there. If no one went to school, you could not measure productivity of school, as there would be no output, no student learning at school to measure. If I were a parent here with a touch of intelligence, I would home school if possible.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Everybody blames the gov, the teachers, the school bus drivers (for crashing of course), the western culture, the internet, the political strife, the, the, the.... What about a parent taking responsibility for their own kin!? Home teach (or create a group to lobby parliament for change), find your own teacher(s) that fits the bill, arrange your own driver to take your little'n school (or even walk, heaven forbid), teach your kids that cultures differ and remind them that there is good and bad in all, impress upon them how using the internet for the right things can enhance their future, give objective views on how all government candidate's mandates should primarily be for the betterment of the people/country, blah, blah, blah.

It's always somebody/something else's fault, but I don't see the most significant role models in the country doing sweet fanny Adam! Other than digging trenches or blowing whistles. Or if in a privileged position, teaching their kids contempt for the less fortunate/educated.

Teach their own kids why they should wear a crash helmet (with Mum n Dad leading by example), not just how to avoid the checkpoints. Teach them that a clean conscience is far better [long term] than a tarnished one. Blimey, we could go on and on here.

...OR is it futile, in a country where most believe they will be back after this life?

You genuinely expect a bunch of people who went through the very same system 30 years ago to be able to teach their kids about it.

If nothing else, the thai education system is a subtle example of control and conformity. How do you expect a bunch of people to rise up against it?,

Thailand has just a very agreeable form of brainwashing. I mean its as though the system was set up a a cross between Goldman Sachs and a sex addict.

[RaiBerg]

I guess a case of TIT (This is Thailand)....

[selftaopath]

"while Thai students 2,000-3,600 hours"

They might mean in lifetime.....

The schools next to my house starts 8.00 morning, they start with cleaning, after one hour education (?!?!?!) starts.... at noon, one hour lunch and at 15.00 school is finished, 5 days a week. is 25 hour/week is 1000 hour/year.

I would say that even the university and the people who came with this study can't count......so what they learnt about when they where still at school ????

Has anyone found out how many days off school kids/teachers have in one year? Oh and btw I know of teachers from "the West" who work at govt. schools and only work 14 hrs a WEEK. Their salaries are much higher than Thai teachers. Fourteen hours a week; can you imagine?