Kasem calls for overhauling of the educational sector
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- PRIVY COUNCILLOR Kasem Watanachai put the many education-related problems in the country down to a lack of good governance.

"We need to think about engaging good and capable people in organising education services," he said at a public forum yesterday.

His speech was part of the three-day event called "Grand Learning Evolution towards Thailand's Turning Point", which is being held at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. The forum, which wraps up today, was organised by the Quality Learning Foundation (QLF), the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and alliances.

In the speech, Kasem called on Thai educators to overhaul the country's educational sector so administration costs is reduced and quality education can be delivered to all.

"We need to dedicate more to the education of marginal people," he pointed out.

Kraiyos Patrawart, an economist at QLF, said the 2011 records of the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) revealed that the amount of state funds earmarked for education in Thailand was the second-highest in the world.



"Yet the quality of education is ranked low among Asean countries, according to the World Economic Forum," Kraiyos said.

According to him, the government allotted 24 per cent of the state budget for education in 2011, compared to the world average of 20 per cent. A closer look showed that on average, nearly Bt100 per day was spent on education per student, but only about Bt4.5 was spent on their development.

"About Bt75 a day goes toward the teachers' salaries and some Bt10 a day covers basic utilities like electricity and water," he pointed out.

Kraiyos believed that if the government was going to increase the budget for education, then the additional amount should be spent on students' development.

He also encouraged the government to stop allocating funds based on a flat subsidy per student.

"Otherwise, the gap of quality education between small and large schools will continue," he said.

Thailand Research Development Institute (TDRI) president Somkiat Tangkitvanich said the Kingdom invested enough money in the educational sector.

"But the problem is that this investment is inefficient," he said. "There are many systems in the sector that need improvement, including the evaluation and teachers' development systems to ensure the output manages the financial input."

At the forum, Kasem also recommended that the Education, Labour, Commerce and Industry ministries work together in response to the needs of the labour market.

"There is a lack of quality graduates with high-vocational certificates," he said.


-- The Nation 2014-05-08

Education related problems are down to a lack of good governance. Wow that's profound.

How about throwing in the cultural attitude of buying exam passes, degrees etc and nobody fails to prove how sound the system is ?

How about starting with an investigation into the tablet scheme?

Thousands of tablets sitting in school offices in boxes untouched and unused as people haven't a clue what to do with the things. The schools that have used them have found they have an awful battery life and the software is generally useless for the learning process. I can only imagine the level of corruption in the scheme is only second to what we saw with the rice shenanigans.

By far one of the worst populist schemes by Puea Thai I can still remember the early posters for it and them talking about one ipad per child. All of that money spent could have gone on teacher training, improving rural schools or implementing interactive whiteboards into classrooms.

Thailand's education system is full to the brim with old teachers who have been doing the same thing year in year out for 20 odd years and have no intention or desire to change their methods and it is these teachers that generally hold the most sway with senior management and they usually do a good job of sucking the life out of their younger colleagues who are trying to do things differently.

It's high time the foreign teacher's banded together in a facebook page, or something, and demanded better salaries, working conditions and had a say in the direction of change. Otherwise, this will just be a 'rinse and repeat' operation.

The speaker seems to indicate that teachers are overpaid and that not enough is spent on students' development -- I am not sure what he means by development. I would be much more interested in the gorilla in the living room -- the amount that goes to corruption.

How about following the British, USA, Oz, Canadian type Curriculum? not very difficult and all given to you on a plate!

Changing the education system in Thailand is out of reach for Thais to contemplate. First off, the establishment elite wants to "contain" knowledge and information. Too much knowledge would lead students to ask questions. Secondly, Thais aren't capable of conceptual thought where you have to have a vision of where you want to go and how to get there. No Thai is willing to put their name on a plan and a vision and pound the table. The Thais lack an evangelist leader campaigning for education with the chips to back him up.

It's high time the foreign teacher's banded together in a facebook page, or something, and demanded better salaries, working conditions and had a say in the direction of change. Otherwise, this will just be a 'rinse and repeat' operation.

There was / is a teachers' website ' Ajaarn. com ' which is a talking shop, has job adverts etc. but how can foreign teachers do anything here as their voice, opinion etc is neither sought nor wanted ?

Changing the education system in Thailand is out of reach for Thais to contemplate. First off, the establishment elite wants to "contain" knowledge and information. Too much knowledge would lead students to ask questions. Secondly, Thais aren't capable of conceptual thought where you have to have a vision of where you want to go and how to get there. No Thai is willing to put their name on a plan and a vision and pound the table. The Thais lack an evangelist leader campaigning for education with the chips to back him up.

Educational reform really has to start as a grass roots level. By that, I mean that the directors and the teachers of the schools must take the initiative to change their own systems. It will never happen from the top down. All the power points, overhead projectors, tablets, field trips and resources in the world won't help if you're teaching the same old mess in the same old mindset with them.

educated thais, scary

.....yet another "overhaul of the Thai education system"....just another mouthblow of hot air and BS.......poor chap hasn't been in the news of late.........was feeling left out so came up with this

Every month or so there's a similar headline. And nothing changes. And probably never will.