Will booting out teachers without valid visas & work permits raise the standard?

[marstons]

My two Cents....

 

I hope the crackdown will force the schools which have been refusing to help get WP's for their teachers into doing so.

 

I think it should be degree or TEFL. Those people who always argue "Thailand needs qualified teachers" are demanding we have a B.Ed. and teaching license. It's not needed to teach English speaking and listening.

 

The wage is not the issue into getting "qualified" teachers. Those who say no one would work for $1000 per month or $6 an hour, remember it's 6 times the minimum wage. In Canada that is like $60 an hour! I put half of my 30k baht in the bank every month. I live better in Thailand on $1K than I did on $4.5k.

 

Those who blame bad, unqualified foreign teachers for Thailand's poor English ability, have never seen a Thai classroom.

 

 

 

I would imagine it would be of a better standard than a Philippine classroom where there is a will to learn English and they come out of it speaking almost fluent English. From what teachers tell me there is little interest from students to learn another language here.

[Deacon Bell]

The answer is for every English teacher in Thailand to possess a PhD TEFL, and pass a Thai culture course with a % of no lower than 100.

 

Then they can work for 35k baht per month, and English levels in Thailand will sky rocket.

[duanebigsby]

My two Cents....
 
I hope the crackdown will force the schools which have been refusing to help get WP's for their teachers into doing so.
 
I think it should be degree or TEFL. Those people who always argue "Thailand needs qualified teachers" are demanding we have a B.Ed. and teaching license. It's not needed to teach English speaking and listening.
 
The wage is not the issue into getting "qualified" teachers. Those who say no one would work for $1000 per month or $6 an hour, remember it's 6 times the minimum wage. In Canada that is like $60 an hour! I put half of my 30k baht in the bank every month. I live better in Thailand on $1K than I did on $4.5k.
 
Those who blame bad, unqualified foreign teachers for Thailand's poor English ability, have never seen a Thai classroom.

I would imagine it would be of a better standard than a Philippine classroom where there is a will to learn English and they come out of it speaking almost fluent English. From what teachers tell me there is little interest from students to learn another language here.

Your statement is in my experience, predominantly true. There are students absolutely wanting to learn English, maybe 8 -14 kids in every class of 50. I do try to do those kids justice.

[connda]

Take a deep breath, and repeat after me:

"It ain't ever gonna happen."

[toooa]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

 

This might not sit well but i am all for much stronger laws on "teachers"

Do you employ an electrician in your home that is qualified with the right papers, or do you get a guy in the pub that "knows a bit" about electricity? 

Well in a parallel universe where you didn't all the state meddling, where they let people move easily across borders without massive departments to "help", the market would take care of itself as it always does. The whole issue of education world wide could take care of itself. In this day and age of the internet and the massive volumes of information available, a centralized school system doesn't seem the best option to me at all. I mean, it looks nice and neat and makes us all think something is being achieved, but when you strip away all the bells and whistles not very much is achieved at all. That is, in terms of the student actually learning something useful for later life..like how to think. We all know, if we have our wits intact that school isn't really about education anyway. This is not just a criticism of Thai schools, but centralised coerced education in general. None the less, Thai schools don't inspire much confidence. Even the ones that are supposed to be good.

In illogical conclusion I am all for much stronger laws on "posters", do you invite a real upstanding philosophical word bending poster to decorate your forums, or do you get a a rabblish troll poster from the Pub with an opinion, that didn't sit with Socrates or Jesus, that "knows a bit" about posting?

tsk tsk ... a shake of the head and a disappointed look on the old Hale and Pace.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts deleted.  

[onlycw]

What standards?! "World Class Standard Schools'"? There is this schidzophrenic disparity between the self image and the reality. Long meetings, pompous announcements - and then what?

 

What about "adventurers" from African countries? Has anyone checked those "degrees"?

 

Many teachers cannot even have a simple conversation. But hey, let's bash the NES.

What really matters is the relentless drive to cut costs. NEs are being replaced - - -

good luck with that!

 

Many who hang in there struggle in an unprofessional environment.

 

 

[Globaleyes]

I think you might be somewhere along the right lines here, but anyone who has actually done a CELTA, with a couple of years experience, can do FAR more than teach conversation. They CAN teach grammar. They CAN teach the more technical apsects of writing and sentence formation, not just identify that "something is wrong, say it like this..." (although that is sometimes exactly what the customer wants).

 

And again, unless this suggestion is accompanied by a much higher salary, it's not going to be possible.

 

Personally, I have never heard anyone say: "I'm going to study for a degree, incur THOUSANDS of $$ in expenses to go and work in Thailand as an English Teacher'. Clearly a degree in English, a CELTA and 2 years experience is maybe the best possible circumstance, but this is Thailand - show me the money that would enable that.

 

If someone really wishes to accept no less, then I suggest they ensure their Thai is fluent, because the level of English in most Government Departments is not too high.

 

Again, there should be three work permits for teachers.

 

1. International Schools. Class One (or whatever). QTS/US equivalent. Can teach GCSE/US curriculum. BA (Education for Primary/Elementary) or subject degree for High school. Master's in Ed or PGCE required plus experience of teaching in own country. Police checks required.

 

2. English teachers in non International Schools. Requirements. B.Ed/ BA in English Language/Linguistics or BA in TESOL (or a combination of those).Those teachers can only teach English as a second language. If you think that a degree in English Language or TESOL isn't enough to teach..ermm...TESOL/English to speakers of other languages then I must be missing something. Can work in Primary/High Schools/other after police checks.

 

3. Conversation teachers. Evening/Weekend Language schools: Requirements: Non relevant degrees (Textiles etc unless teaching Textiles in English) And/or CELTA/DELTA/Trinity TESOL plus A Levels/US High School Diploma with excellent grades. Tutors must be fully enrolled either within Thailand or Distance Learning for a degree/Master's in either English/Education or TESOL.Police checks required. Teachers in the final year of a degree can progress to level two after successful official observations (if on target to obtain degree).

 

 

 

 

 

[Mencken]

Simple.
 
Remove the degree requirement for all natives English speakers to teach English Speaking and Listening.
 
Requirements: 4 Week TEFL course (Thai government could even sponsor and sell them, once there is a government), police background check, after that a NES can easily get a WP and annual extension when employed as a S+L teacher.
 
Everybody wins.

Said the person who never though it was important to obtain a foreign education and now seeks a loophole both for income and a visa.

A BA is a minimum in all stable, advanced/ing countries.


Always great advice from the something for nothing crowd.

[culicine]

 

This might not sit well but i am all for much stronger laws on "teachers"

Do you employ an electrician in your home that is qualified with the right papers, or do you get a guy in the pub that "knows a bit" about electricity? 

Well. Best not get any electrical work done on your house here because many don't even "know a bit"

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True...most Thais learn 'on the job', so he quality of the output will depend on how well their boss 'teaches' them. Practical skills are not very well taught here, in both vocational and university courses. Blame multiple choice tests for that, and a lack of teaching of critical thinking skills. What may help the situation is for the standards to be raised for non-native speakers, in terms of their english language scores (have them do IELTS, rather than TOEIC, for a start. The TOEIC cut off is too low, especially when such teachers are required to teach M5-M6 in english programs. One of my graduate students scored 8 on IELTS (rare), much higher than most non-native speakers are able score. having a BEd does't guarantee the teacher can teach well, especially the teaching of higher order thinking skills. 

[jacky54]

Learning English here is just not a priority, being made into a good loyal Thai who loves the King and nation and reading and writing Thai are the main aims of education here. English is about as important as dance lessons.

[casualbiker]

Simple.
 
Remove the degree requirement for all natives English speakers to teach English Speaking and Listening.
 
Requirements: 4 Week TEFL course (Thai government could even sponsor and sell them, once there is a government), police background check, after that a NES can easily get a WP and annual extension when employed as a S+L teacher.
 
Everybody wins.

Said the person who never though it was important to obtain a foreign education and now seeks a loophole both for income and a visa.

A BA is a minimum in all stable, advanced/ing countries.


Always great advice from the something for nothing crowd.

" obtain a foreign education " what exactly does that mean?

Are you suggesting that a person educated in say the USA or UK should have come to Thailand (foreign country) to obtain an education?

Are you suggesting that the Thai education system is superior to the USA or UK?

And what exactly is a BA the minimum for?
Working at 7/11, in an office or a call center because that's what it is here in Thailand were the total price for a 4 year degree course is less than one year in the west.

Another one who has NEVER stepped foot in a Thai school or university!


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[Mencken]

Sorry, fat thumbs, not enough coffee and aggressive spellchecker (could not edit later).

obtain a formal education

I will almost guarantee casual biker does not even have an AA let alone a BA.

Again the never stepped foot brigade. Tell you what, we meet and the person teaching at the more prestiguous school buys the other 5000b in his favorite scotch.

Another huge irony about the your education isn't worth a f*** crowd is that they seek employent in the field of .....

EDUCATION



Where Thai's may or may not end up working is largely up to them on a number of levels and would not disagree that defree here is dubios, but the job market is tight (not unlike states). You better be clever, have great cinnections and be somehow gifted to sustsin a life here in BKK sans degree! Edited August 2, 2014 by Mencken

[Mencken]

My hunch is all the "teachers" out there - that is the non degrees with few yrs experience, the guts who drifted into the game after years of no career options, the hapless Engrish major who never found any sort of career...

My hunch is that you all are not half the teachers you think you are.

Do you have a teachers licence from your home country or Thailand? You are a teacher. If not, you are just rabble like the rest of us and kindly stfu about how grrreat a teacher you are and what bums we are.

[casualbiker]

^^^ I'm having difficulty following your thought process!
because I'm talking about Thai schools not prestigious schools. Degree education in the west is very worthwhile if for reasons of employment that require it. Here were a degree is necessary for the simplest job's. Not so sure.

I'm guessing / hoping that last paragraph in post 133 was a piss take!!!!

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[casualbiker]

PS : I was a member of the AA back in the Uk .. that's the Automobile Association! But I'm thinking that's not what you mean!

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[lostinisaan]

PS : I was a member of the AA back in the Uk .. that's the Automobile Association! But I'm thinking that's not what you mean!

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 Guess he meant Anonymous Alcoholics.......

[casualbiker]

PS : I was a member of the AA back in the Uk .. that's the Automobile Association! But I'm thinking that's not what you mean!

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 Guess he meant Anonymous Alcoholics.......

Well. He's correct then because I haven't got one of those either :-D

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[Mencken]

Associate of Arts

But you have missed the points

You...
teach at a suck ass school which really highlights your true abilities
teach at a school with no prestige but yammer on ceaselessly
are in all likelihood just as average teacher as the rest of us
do not possess a teachers licence for your home country or Thailand
very, very possibly do not have any sort of university degree

How about this notion....Thailand (the world) realizes that conversational English can be taught by someone who has there head screwed on straight

BUT they want people with degrees for the same reason the other bazillion jobs want psople with degrees.

Paying a bit of attention in high school forty years ago hardly qualifies you to teach or honestly do much of anything. That is the bare minimum standard that you have achieved and you are looking (dreaming) that in 2015 someone should recognize this as something.

Another irony, you people go on about how worthless a BA is...well what of your silly little grade school diploma 555. Accepting that for anything would be African standards.

Go teach in Africa where people will be impressed with your life achievement of finishing 12th grade lol.

Thailand, will never, ever lower this bar. There are simply too many grads to worry about you lot. So, the have-a-chat in Cockney, Liverpoo...crowd pls move on to Cambodia while you can still teach there.

[casualbiker]

Associate of Arts

But you have missed the points

You...
teach at a suck ass school which really highlights your true abilities
teach at a school with no prestige but yammer on ceaselessly
are in all likelihood just as average teacher as the rest of us
do not possess a teachers licence for your home country or Thailand
very, very possibly do not have any sort of university degree

How about this notion....Thailand (the world) realizes that conversational English can be taught by someone who has there head screwed on straight

BUT they want people with degrees for the same reason the other bazillion jobs want psople with degrees.

Paying a bit of attention in high school forty years ago hardly qualifies you to teach or honestly do much of anything. That is the bare minimum standard that you have achieved and you are looking (dreaming) that in 2015 someone should recognize this as something.

Another irony, you people go on about how worthless a BA is...well what of your silly little grade school diploma 555. Accepting that for anything would be African standards.

Go teach in Africa where people will be impressed with your life achievement of finishing 12th grade lol.

Thailand, will never, ever lower this bar. There are simply too many grads to worry about you lot. So, the have-a-chat in Cockney, Liverpoo...crowd pls move on to Cambodia while you can still teach there.

Haven't missed the point at all. Not really sure I understand your post! I have NEVER said I'm any better at teaching than anyone else. In fact I state that I am a conversation English teacher NOT a subject teacher. It sounds like you are the insecure one talking about prestige schools.
Lets face it if your on 35-40k salary your NOT working at a prestigious school just an OK school.
I've been at my school 7 years.

Anyway the rest of your rant I don't really understand! Are you schizophrenic?

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