Education tops list of ministries whose problems need to be urgently tackled

[Robby nz]

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

This is wrong. In the 2015 budget, education is the biggest spender and received the biggest percentage increase, both. They certainly gave themselves an impressive present, but there was much more:

Thai junta boosts spending on defense, education in draft budget

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/18/us-thailand-budget-idUSKBN0GI0MG20140818

As I presume you know, it's not a "draft budget" any more, it's the real budget, passed without debate or change.

I don't personally believe that the size of the budget has anything to do with the quality of education, but it's best to debate this from the fact - and the fact is that General Sarit gave the most corrupt (and most under-performing) ministry the biggest increase.

.

You should do a little more research and you will find that the budget has passed the first reading in the house and was sent for scrutiny.

There have been cuts made by the committee that looked at it, once you have done your research you can come back and tell us where and by how much.

It will now go to the house for the 2nd and 3rd readings before being passed into law.

[FangFerang]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

[FangFerang]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

[FangFerang]

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

The past esteemed leaders gave out in a bloated allowance to education the worlds highest budget-population- and it showed what ?? if it was cut and no improvement money is saved--but as you know every gov dept., is shaking with fear re corrupt spending of education funds--and were never checked.

Now it is thoroughly checked.

The new education budget, according to the BP is 500 billion baht -- more money than has ever been spent.

Several someones have their wires completely crossed.

[Robby nz]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

So there you have it ladies and gents the reason education costs so much in this country is because the private schools are ripping the system off for their own profit.

They are also to blame for the no fail policy.

Right all you who have kids in private schools should get them out immediately for by having them there you are supporting greedy capitalism and contributing to the poor level of education that the country suffers from.

Got me wondering, are red schools classed as public or private ?

They certainly should not be subsidized by the rest of the country to teach a political point of view.

[kaorop]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

of course un-qualified farang teachers are the main problem in the thai education system

they must, considering they make up 2 on your list of 5 "reforms"

and your experience in this sector is second to none.

please continue its always good for a 555

[Jeremy50]

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

Clearly they need much more patriotic studies, always useful

'Patriotism, the last refuge of scoundrels'. Samuel Johnson.

[northernjohn]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

of course un-qualified farang teachers are the main problem in the thai education system

they must, considering they make up 2 on your list of 5 "reforms"

and your experience in this sector is second to none.

please continue its always good for a 555

He missed the most critical thing needed. The ability to teach. A friend of mine has a masters in English. They took the Tefal course. Sorry about the spelling. At any rate when talking with them I was informed that it was the toughest thing they had ever done.

It is one thing to know some thing and a completely different thing to be able to impart that knowledge. It takes a lot of work to plan lessons that the students can understand and to present them in a way that will hold the students interest. Plus being able to do it to different levels of education and ability.

Then again there are people who have natural ability to teach and hold the class interest. I am not very good on tech stuff and I have had people try to help me. In all but one case they were useless they were opening spots before I could figure out what the one was they opened to get to the one before they were on. I had one teacher who made it a lot easier. He allowed me the time to see what he was opening and explained each and every move he made. Besides which he would make graphic demonstrations. Like talking about files he would say they were like a chest full of drawers each drawer being a file and if you wanted this file you would pull this drawer out. All the time acting like their was a chest of drawers. The man was a teacher the others just knew how to do things. Not to teach.

Some of the dumbest people I know are college graduates. They have no ability to do any thing that is why employers are looking more and more for higher education than a BA.

[Ozziepat]

Throwing more money at "education" won't fix anything. Education (in the abstract) is basically a process that takes in raw material in the form of young children and turns out a finished product in the form of graduates. The product needs to have certain qualities, or capabilities, that are clearly defined. Then and only then can an appropriate process infrastructure be put in place, staffed and funded, i.e., an educational system. Industrial engineers solve this general type of complex system problem all the time working from a formal definition called System Requirements. "Educators," academics and politicians lack the proper training, experience and aptitude to do this properly but will try anyway, and go on trying, and try again... Ongoing serial failures are the expected and observed outcome.

[4jasmin]

finally?

maybe ist too late already..

while in China 50.000 Ingenieers are released yearly...

Edited September 7, 2014 by 4jasmin

[NongKhaiKid]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

of course un-qualified farang teachers are the main problem in the thai education system

they must, considering they make up 2 on your list of 5 "reforms"

and your experience in this sector is second to none.

please continue its always good for a 555

He missed the most critical thing needed. The ability to teach. A friend of mine has a masters in English. They took the Tefal course. Sorry about the spelling. At any rate when talking with them I was informed that it was the toughest thing they had ever done.

It is one thing to know some thing and a completely different thing to be able to impart that knowledge. It takes a lot of work to plan lessons that the students can understand and to present them in a way that will hold the students interest. Plus being able to do it to different levels of education and ability.

Then again there are people who have natural ability to teach and hold the class interest. I am not very good on tech stuff and I have had people try to help me. In all but one case they were useless they were opening spots before I could figure out what the one was they opened to get to the one before they were on. I had one teacher who made it a lot easier. He allowed me the time to see what he was opening and explained each and every move he made. Besides which he would make graphic demonstrations. Like talking about files he would say they were like a chest full of drawers each drawer being a file and if you wanted this file you would pull this drawer out. All the time acting like their was a chest of drawers. The man was a teacher the others just knew how to do things. Not to teach.

Some of the dumbest people I know are college graduates. They have no ability to do any thing that is why employers are looking more and more for higher education than a BA.

It's a long time since I taught at a uni and one of the exercises with some classes was to get them to look at job ads from the classifieds and in the section on what applicants need / need to be find a common thread.

Some took time and others didn't find it but what I wanted them to spot was the line in brackets after the type of degree wanted was ( Degree from FOREIGN University preferred ). Says a lot about how degrees from local unis are regarded.

[Somtamnication]

That ministry should be dissolved and rebuilt from the ground up. Rampant corruption from the book factories, old style bamboo teachings and they simply have no idea how to run the bloody thing.

[Keesters]

I've been hearing this every year for the 30 years I've been here. I recall once reading that the rote system of learning was to be done away with and the newspapers headline on that was "Who'll teach the teachers?" or something similar. Yet the education system here remains Dickensian and appears to be for the benefit of the educators rather than the students. I'm not expecting any radical changes soon.

[kimamey]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

of course un-qualified farang teachers are the main problem in the thai education system

they must, considering they make up 2 on your list of 5 "reforms"

and your experience in this sector is second to none.

please continue its always good for a 555

He missed the most critical thing needed. The ability to teach. A friend of mine has a masters in English. They took the Tefal course. Sorry about the spelling. At any rate when talking with them I was informed that it was the toughest thing they had ever done.

It is one thing to know some thing and a completely different thing to be able to impart that knowledge. It takes a lot of work to plan lessons that the students can understand and to present them in a way that will hold the students interest. Plus being able to do it to different levels of education and ability.

Then again there are people who have natural ability to teach and hold the class interest. I am not very good on tech stuff and I have had people try to help me. In all but one case they were useless they were opening spots before I could figure out what the one was they opened to get to the one before they were on. I had one teacher who made it a lot easier. He allowed me the time to see what he was opening and explained each and every move he made. Besides which he would make graphic demonstrations. Like talking about files he would say they were like a chest full of drawers each drawer being a file and if you wanted this file you would pull this drawer out. All the time acting like their was a chest of drawers. The man was a teacher the others just knew how to do things. Not to teach.

Some of the dumbest people I know are college graduates. They have no ability to do any thing that is why employers are looking more and more for higher education than a BA.

It's a long time since I taught at a uni and one of the exercises with some classes was to get them to look at job ads from the classifieds and in the section on what applicants need / need to be find a common thread.

Some took time and others didn't find it but what I wanted them to spot was the line in brackets after the type of degree wanted was ( Degree from FOREIGN University preferred ). Says a lot about how degrees from local unis are regarded.

I was wondering how it is that the Thai education system is regarded as being so bad, even by many Thais but I see so many either with degrees or studying for them.

[billd766]

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

This is wrong. In the 2015 budget, education is the biggest spender and received the biggest percentage increase, both. They certainly gave themselves an impressive present, but there was much more:

Thai junta boosts spending on defense, education in draft budget

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/18/us-thailand-budget-idUSKBN0GI0MG20140818

As I presume you know, it's not a "draft budget" any more, it's the real budget, passed without debate or change.

I don't personally believe that the size of the budget has anything to do with the quality of education, but it's best to debate this from the fact - and the fact is that General Sarit gave the most corrupt (and most under-performing) ministry the biggest increase.

.

What would be YOUR recommendation for the Education Ministry budget be then?

[Thanet]

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

The past esteemed leaders gave out in a bloated allowance to education the worlds highest budget-population- and it showed what ?? if it was cut and no improvement money is saved--but as you know every gov dept., is shaking with fear re corrupt spending of education funds--and were never checked.

Now it is thoroughly checked.

How do you know it's thoroughly checked?

You saw it on Thai television, or in the local papers, right?

For all you know, it could actually be a lot worse. The news is censored theses days, old chap.

[Thanet]

Unfortunately our esteemed leaders cut the education budget (although they found funds to increase the already bloated defence budget) and worthwhile reform beyond teaching kids the patriotic values seems about as likely as an election in the next few years.

Well said. The only real changes in education have been towards a nationalistic curriculum of blind obedience.

Hardly a recipe to encourage free and innovative thought.

We get lots of new tanks though.

[northernjohn]

Throwing more money at "education" won't fix anything. Education (in the abstract) is basically a process that takes in raw material in the form of young children and turns out a finished product in the form of graduates. The product needs to have certain qualities, or capabilities, that are clearly defined. Then and only then can an appropriate process infrastructure be put in place, staffed and funded, i.e., an educational system. Industrial engineers solve this general type of complex system problem all the time working from a formal definition called System Requirements. "Educators," academics and politicians lack the proper training, experience and aptitude to do this properly but will try anyway, and go on trying, and try again... Ongoing serial failures are the expected and observed outcome.

Well I agree with you on what you have to say about education.

But with out money it is all just talk.

The education system must have money thrown at it to achieve a decent level of education in this or for that matter many countries.

In many cases the money needs to be spent on learning what to throw out of the present system. As well as what to bring into it. Also Money must be spent in educating teachers how to teach. Knowledge alone does not make a teacher.

[Aldebaran1981]

first the education ministry should consider funding or subsidising a large chunk of the education received by Thai nationals. In that way, a large majority of the population will be guaranteed education at low cost so that the families are motivated and not stressed monetarily, to give their children a proper education and the country will be on the right track to better education, which will in turn lead to better job prospects and a better life?

[Dogmatix]

Education will drain 19.5% of the 2014-15 fiscal budget, the largest chunk. Most of it will be wasted on paying for a top heavy centralised administrative apparatus that is out of control and exists just to perpetuate itself. A neutron bomb at the ministry would solve much of the problems but meaningful reform is not going to take place and taxpayers' good money will continue to thrown after bad.

[TallPalm]

The education budget is huge because private education is subsidized, meaning the parents pay tuition, the government allots a per head 35k, and all the private schools make huge profits. It was the private schools that pushed for the policy where every student passes. They might lose customers. The former education minister is the wealthiest man in Thailand, according to recent reports. Idiots who never graduated high school and think statistics is ten workers on yaba running abacuses are teaching because they are young and pretty. Even Vietnam demands a police report. Thais know what they need to do, and they are not going to do it.

It's only five things -- insist on at least a BA from foreign teachers, insist on a police background check; stop passing every student just because they pay; stop subsidizing private schools and start teaching critical thinking.

Just thinking about it is like gargling with a turd in petrol. This is one stonewall the good General cannot break. It's just too much money (and makes the rice pledging scheme look like petty theft).

Aargh!

A degree does not make a good teacher. I have seen many degree holding teachers come and go and most were awful. From Cameroons teaching 1 foot, 2 foots, a Scotsman that did nothing but sing songs and strum a guitar all term (and then just disappeared the week of the term exams), an Australian woman mid to late twenties whose mood swings were astonishing (she later disappeared without notice - we suspects she was on drugs), a well spoken recent Uni leaver who taught a mixture of NA and British English (his grammar and spelling was also appalling) and these are just a few examples.

On the other hand I know of an English teacher without a degree that has had a student win Gold in a nationwide competition, raise the school's English ranking in the local tables from mid place to the top 10% (from about 100/200 to 19/200) and recently prepped students for an ASEAN competition (in English) and they won Bronze out of 43 schools that participated, losing only to the 2 most prestigious schools in the district (and the school at which this teacher teaches is a poor rural school with less than a thousand students).

TEFL and an English proficiency test would suffice.

Edited September 9, 2014 by TallPalm