Would You Send Your Kids To An EP?

[billd766]

My son and 16 others in his class went off to KL and Penang for a week at the end of last month for an English language camp.

They all thoroughly enjoyed it and had a great time including an overnight in the Genting Highlands and spent the day and evening on the amusements such as the cable car and the snow and ice room at -5C.

On the Monday they were driven to Penang and spent Tuesday to Friday at the English language camp coming hom on the Saturday night and arriving about 4 am.

The cost was 29,000 baht all in and parents were welcome too. My wife went but I stayed at kept an eye on my MIL and fed the animals.

It was also a reward for the hard work that they had put in at school this year. A big thank you to all the staff at the Anuban school at Khampaeng Phey.

[aarontendo]

Eh not that I can contribute much, but as someone who may want to stay long-term I would hesitate putting my kids into EP programs.

To be fair a good friend of mine left Thailand, and one reason was his children were just coming up on school-age. Teaching here didn't allow enough money for him to send them to international schools, and decided they may be better off studying in the UK.

Were I to have kids here, I would put them into an international school. If I were unable to do that, I would make the same decision he did I'm sure.

[culicine]

Eh not that I can contribute much, but as someone who may want to stay long-term I would hesitate putting my kids into EP programs.

To be fair a good friend of mine left Thailand, and one reason was his children were just coming up on school-age. Teaching here didn't allow enough money for him to send them to international schools, and decided they may be better off studying in the UK.

Were I to have kids here, I would put them into an international school. If I were unable to do that, I would make the same decision he did I'm sure.

My son is in my EP. I think the schooling is fine until m3, but then they really need to go overseas to finish high school. I've had a number of students (generally m2, m3) move to study overseas/do exchange/go to an international school here. They have all done very well. I even had one of my very average maths students be in the top of his US exchange class in maths. It's not all doom and gloom.

However, university entrance is a shambles here. Best to avoid it if possible.

[aarontendo]

Well, I'm more concerend with students developing, for lack of a better term, Thai study habits. Copying of each other, memorization being a standard way of education, etc.

I currently teach Primary 4 and these habits are in full effect. I see your point on Mattayom though, and the hardest thing to drill into children will be not to plagiarize.

I suppose if one is to attend a Thai university then there's little need to send children to an international school, but if going abroad it may be a bit of a challenge. Again on the plagiarism note, that's going to be the hardest for many of these students. I myself saw two students (from China) get booted from my uni when I was an undergraduate due to that.

Having said all this, I realize that international schools are dreadfully expensive. It was one of the reasons I got licensed recently was to be able to work at one, that way if I have kids I could send them to one I work at.

Oh, quick question for those who work in EP programs and such. Tuition free for your dependants? I've heard no but would love to hear other experiences. If nothing else, that could be a way to attract teachers and to keep them long term, in my opinion =)

[lostinisaan]

Well, I'm more concerend with students developing, for lack of a better term, Thai study habits. Copying of each other, memorization being a standard way of education, etc.

I currently teach Primary 4 and these habits are in full effect. I see your point on Mattayom though, and the hardest thing to drill into children will be not to plagiarize.

I suppose if one is to attend a Thai university then there's little need to send children to an international school, but if going abroad it may be a bit of a challenge. Again on the plagiarism note, that's going to be the hardest for many of these students. I myself saw two students (from China) get booted from my uni when I was an undergraduate due to that.

Having said all this, I realize that international schools are dreadfully expensive. It was one of the reasons I got licensed recently was to be able to work at one, that way if I have kids I could send them to one I work at.

Oh, quick question for those who work in EP programs and such. Tuition free for your dependants? I've heard no but would love to hear other experiences. If nothing else, that could be a way to attract teachers and to keep them long term, in my opinion =)

My 5 baht to the OP's question. I would at least think twice, (maybe thrice) to send my kids to such an institution.

Most schools are asking for around 25 K for one term, plus several "donations" for mostly other people's pockets. Then various meetings, where the director tries to explain for what the "extra money" is needed.

I've just recently met a boy who went to a well known school in lower northeast, studying at a primary school in an EP set up for six years.

He's in grade eight now at a high school with a MEP. I was just asking him a few easy questions, when i met the whole family after not seeing them for a few years.

He couldn't answer easy questions like: " How do you like your school?" etc....

The school once had a very good reputation, but through a new director, it seems that the "quality" of education has gone downhill.

Only four out of twelve foreign teachers in the EP are native English speakers.

Two of them are 20 years old, degree less and no teaching experience. The third is 22 and had just started to teach conversational English an hour a week per class.

Only one of them is really professional and knows what he's doing. But his duty is to teach all EP classes an hour of grammar a week. How do you teach grammar only to grade one kids?

The rest are "subject teachers" from the Philippines. Some of them can hardly have a conversation with a native English speaker.

I don't buy this "excuse" that they "only teach subjects". as whatever subject a teacher is teaching should be taught in correct pronounced English.

How can you teach science, when your English vocabulary and pronunciation is so limited? Please ask them if a herbivore could reproduce with an omnivore, after having some spicy papaya salad...

One of them teaches math and mostly does "spelling tests" in her lessons, then shows the results on a good looking board, which seems to impress some parents.

I personally don't care about the wrong spelling of let's say the word equals when teaching math. Then it's about if they can do the math, nothing else.

One of them teaches science, but can't even have a chat with one of his native English speaking colleagues. He doesn't understand them, they don't understand him.

A native English speaker teaching health to higher elementary level draws human bodies on the board, having a projector, PC, even a personal notebook, but any programs that differ to facebook seem to be too complicated for him.

Now please do your own math. Put them all in a big bowl, stir them well and look at the result.....

Would you really expect that these kids learn how to speak, write and understand English,solve scientific problems and able to understand math properly?

The only guy who's got a child at this school in the EP has to pay the full amount for his daughter.

All in all, I feel very sorry for the kids, as well as for the parents who have to feed this hungry tiger, called school.

The only positive aspects at this school seem to be that all rooms are air conditioned and much better equipped than the ordinary classrooms.

Edited November 13, 2014 by lostinisaan

[harrry]

Absolutely not...

I don't have kids yet, but I would certainly want my child/children to have a better quality, internationally recognised education from my home country than one that can be paid for and that they can't fail. I would take my kid back home to the UK for free education where they have to earn their place. They could continue to learn Thai from their mother and when the child is old enough, if he/she wants, we can come back to Thailand.

The refusal to acknowledge failure and/or stupidity is the main problem with the Thai education system... Nobody fails and stupid kids get lumped in the same class with the genuinely bright kids who actively try to learn, want to be there and actually deserve to be there through merit, not just daddies bank balance...

Many kids in my school are not in the EP, but have better understanding of the English language than kids that are... Those kids should be in EP on merit... but of course, hard work earns dick all in Thailand when money is involved...

Well if you are after a free education in the UK you are about 10 years too late.

[culicine]

Absolutely not...

I don't have kids yet, but I would certainly want my child/children to have a better quality, internationally recognised education from my home country than one that can be paid for and that they can't fail. I would take my kid back home to the UK for free education where they have to earn their place. They could continue to learn Thai from their mother and when the child is old enough, if he/she wants, we can come back to Thailand.

The refusal to acknowledge failure and/or stupidity is the main problem with the Thai education system... Nobody fails and stupid kids get lumped in the same class with the genuinely bright kids who actively try to learn, want to be there and actually deserve to be there through merit, not just daddies bank balance...

Many kids in my school are not in the EP, but have better understanding of the English language than kids that are... Those kids should be in EP on merit... but of course, hard work earns dick all in Thailand when money is involved...

Well if you are after a free education in the UK you are about 10 years too late.

Good schools cost money where ever you go. Granted, schools in the West will provide qualified teachers, a strong curriculum, and good resources, but there is a massive cost involved in living in those countries. I could cost 1M baht to send a child to a top BKK school, a year, but end up costing the same if they went to live back home to study, given the high living costs. I had a student go to study in Australia for 50K dollars a year in a good private school. It's expensive but surely a better learning experience anything Thailand can offer. Nice if you got the money!