Academic Seminar urges need for Education Reform in Thailand

[Lite Beer]

Academic Seminar urges need for Education Reform in Thailand

BANGKOK, 8 November 2014 (NNT) – An academic seminar entitled “Think and Do for a Brighter Future of Thai Education” was held by the Strategic Studies Center of the National Defence Studies Institute in order to be a stage for education officials and others involved to discuss a reform in Thai education.

Deputy Minister of Education General Surachet Chaiwong said his Ministry is usually the priority target of criticism by the society when it comes to a reform. The current seminar is therefore a good response to the call by the public to address the existing problems.

According to him, education in the southern region of Thailand has been one of the most urgent problems due to the long-drawn violence. He then reaffirmed the need to establish a special body, to be called the "Front Command Office of the Education Ministry" to deal with problems specific to the region as well as facilitate teachers and students in all cases.

The Strategic Studies Center Director Maj.Gen. Chaianan Jantakananuruk said the center realized the importance of education reform because it was a mechanism to move Thailand towards a brighter future.

-- NNT 2014-11-08

[scorecard]

One question:

Is this just another office set up to receive specific complaints, in other words reactive after the event to specific problems / incidents?

Or, it's purpose to plan and implement overall large & broad changes to education methodology, etc?

And, is there a specific goal?

Example:

'Ensure all students understand the value and have the desire to build & maintain a civil society where all citizens are equal (equal rights and

responsibilities), and have the capability and opportunity to personally (and for their families) have a good quality of life through their own productivity.'

Or something similar.

[Crazy chef 1]

Thailand please! once in your lifetime have a look outside you borders....

[Commerce]

"An academic seminar entitled “Think and Do for a Brighter Future of Thai Education” was held by the Strategic Studies Center of the National Defence Studies Institute in order to be a stage for education officials and others involved to discuss a reform in Thai education.

Deputy Minister of Education General Surachet Chaiwong said his Ministry is usually the priority target of criticism by the society when it comes to a reform. The current seminar is therefore a good response to the call by the public to address the existing problems.

According to him, education in the southern region of Thailand has been one of the most urgent problems due to the long-drawn violence. He then reaffirmed the need to establish a special body, to be called the "Front Command Office of the Education Ministry" to deal with problems specific to the region as well as facilitate teachers and students in all cases.

The Strategic Studies Center Director Maj.Gen. Chaianan Jantakananuruk said the center realized the importance of education reform because it was a mechanism to move Thailand towards a brighter future."

1. Think and act later is the Thai strategy.

2. education officials : Deputy Minister of Education General Surachet Chaiwong - qualified in what area of education is this good old General?

3. General Surachet Chaiwong said his Ministry is usually the priority target of criticism by the society when it comes to a reform - his Ministry? How long has he been in the job, again?

4. According to him, education in the southern region of Thailand has been one of the most urgent problems - and what about educational reforms throughout Thailand? Why only the South?

5. establish a special body, to be called the "Front Command Office of the Education Ministry" - Seems he's still playing cowboys and indians with an office name like that! Front Command Office?

6. the center realized the importance of education reform because it was a mechanism to move Thailand towards a brighter future - NEVER, YOU'RE SURE A BRIGHT BULB Maj. Gen. Chaianan Jantakananuruk.

7. Generals and Major Generals all playing CLUEDO....... or clueless, rather.

[Ozziepat]

Form over substance, face gained today and never lost because resultant failures will fade away into an indistinct future with no names attached, no personal responsibility assigned. The Thai Way...

[Snig27]

"An academic seminar entitled “Think and Do for a Brighter Future of Thai Education” was held by the Strategic Studies Center of the National Defence Studies Institute in order to be a stage for education officials and others involved to discuss a reform in Thai education.

Deputy Minister of Education General Surachet Chaiwong said his Ministry is usually the priority target of criticism by the society when it comes to a reform. The current seminar is therefore a good response to the call by the public to address the existing problems.

According to him, education in the southern region of Thailand has been one of the most urgent problems due to the long-drawn violence. He then reaffirmed the need to establish a special body, to be called the "Front Command Office of the Education Ministry" to deal with problems specific to the region as well as facilitate teachers and students in all cases.

The Strategic Studies Center Director Maj.Gen. Chaianan Jantakananuruk said the center realized the importance of education reform because it was a mechanism to move Thailand towards a brighter future."

1. Think and act later is the Thai strategy.

2. education officials : Deputy Minister of Education General Surachet Chaiwong - qualified in what area of education is this good old General?

3. General Surachet Chaiwong said his Ministry is usually the priority target of criticism by the society when it comes to a reform - his Ministry? How long has he been in the job, again?

4. According to him, education in the southern region of Thailand has been one of the most urgent problems - and what about educational reforms throughout Thailand? Why only the South?

5. establish a special body, to be called the "Front Command Office of the Education Ministry" - Seems he's still playing cowboys and indians with an office name like that! Front Command Office?

6. the center realized the importance of education reform because it was a mechanism to move Thailand towards a brighter future - NEVER, YOU'RE SURE A BRIGHT BULB Maj. Gen. Chaianan Jantakananuruk.

7. Generals and Major Generals all playing CLUEDO....... or clueless, rather.

Quite - don't this lot get the bull in the china shop here: having lifetime military men running things like the education ministry is beyond indefensible - these are the same people who are also writing parts of recent Thai history out of the history books because they don't like it and making kids chant lists.

Expert educationists with a free hand and a budget (wasn't the education budget just cut?) that allows them to do the job, and a minister or two that have a broad understanding of both the problem and the real world would be a minimum. Ain't gonna happen though is it?

[Robby nz]

How about addressing the subject of education reforms instead of shooting the messenger.

But that's more difficult isn't it ?

[Rumble]

The first thing to do is decide whether the country wants to use the American version of English or British English. They are very different in spelling, word pronunciation and meaning. At the moment most of us speak and write a mixture of the two languages in one sentence. This may not be important to the “man in the street” However, Academically it’s very important, and can be the determining factor in our education system.

One should perhaps look at the syllabus that the majority of the AEC are using and follow.

Have a nice day

[Commerce]

The first thing to do is decide whether the country wants to use the American version of English or British English. They are very different in spelling, word pronunciation and meaning. At the moment most of us speak and write a mixture of the two languages in one sentence. This may not be important to the “man in the street” However, Academically it’s very important, and can be the determining factor in our education system.

One should perhaps look at the syllabus that the majority of the AEC are using and follow.

Have a nice day

Being able to communicate in English is foremost, not the format used - be that UK or American. On an academic basis, they are very similar.

[Lupatria]

Would be nice to see as much progress in this matter as there are seminars held in the past years.

Edited November 8, 2014 by Lupatria

[tominbkk]

They have 2-3 seminars a year on this very topic. I can remember them back in 1992 when I got to Thailand. Still at it!

[Chris Lawrence]

'Deputy Minister of Education General Surachet Chaiwong said his Ministry is usually the priority target of criticism by the society when it comes to a reform. The current seminar is therefore a good response to the call by the public to address the existing problems.'

The General has only been there since August, but has a good handle on criticism by 'society'?

But what are the existing problems? No mention.

The south has problems with the curriculum not addressing cultural differences with the population. So is this identified being earmarked to be resolved or they just got to learn what they are told to learn?

Probably the most coveted item, if on the agenda or not, the girls uniforms? No red blooded Thai man could resist a girl in a short skirt?

But jokes aside, what are the problems. Anyone can say they have a problem but you need to know what it is to fix it.

The headline sounds great, but the mind set of those in charge, by not committing to discussion sounds as the agenda is set, and it will be more like how do we fix the problem so we are happy with it. I know they say they want to hear from the public, but they are not asking for input on what the problems may be?

Then the office is called the "Front Command Office of the Education Ministry"? Armed guards out the front as it may be down south? Sounds a friendly place to bring your 7 year old, and play on the tanks out the front?

Yeah great headline, but what are they going to do, and what are their markers for achievement?

[Krataiboy]

Never in the history of education have so many wasted so much time doing so little to help so few (with apologies to Sir Winston Churchill, someone who really new how to get a result).

Edited November 8, 2014 by Krataiboy

[Eddy B]

The education system here is a farce from the top to the bottom. Most of the Thai teachers who teach English can not even link a sentence together and do not even try to better themselves. They just walk around with their MA in English that they most probably paid for to attain and are in a job for life.

[jaltsc]

"An academic seminar entitled “Think and Do for a Brighter Future of Thai Education” was held by the Strategic Studies Center of the National Defence Studies Institute in order to be a stage for education officials and others involved to discuss a reform in Thai education."

The proof is in the pudding. Let's see how many high tech jobs are filled by qualified Thai graduates, and how many go to other ASEAN countries. Then we will see how reformed the Thai education system is.

It seems that every week there is an article about the reform and improvement of the Thai education system. If they want to reform the education system, the first step is to eliminate Thainess from the system and base success on objectively measured achievement.

Somehow, I don't think the old guard is going to release its stranglehold on the education system. Too much money to be made and too little needed to do in order to receive that money.

Edited November 8, 2014 by jaltsc

[SaamBaht]

Maybe if they put air conditioners in every classroom the students might have the energy to think. Just sayin.

[trainman34014]

I've lost count of how many years they've been talking about 'education' being improved in one way or another and nothing has changed in all those years. Don't hold your breath if you're expecting radical changes of any sort in the coming years.

[DogNo1]

Admirable objectives but what Thailand's philosophy of education should be is not addressed. In America, we have the concept of developing cultural literacy through such things as the general education requirement in colleges and universities and "Critical Thinking across the Curriculum" in secondary schools. America's education is based on the German model. The UK and Commonwealth schools do not have a general education requirement so far as I know. Good reading for Thai educators would be Bill Oneil's "The Philosophy of Education."

[diehard60]

First they need teachers that really care about their students. Second they need up to date material. Third they need people that can speak, read,and write English to teach it properly. But that will never happen here because they are all only interested in the money they get every month.

[konying]

But who will educate the academics?

are they not the product of Thai education system?

And who will educate the teachers?

are they not the product of Thai education system?

[Local Drunk]

It's all rather pointless unless they can sketch out some logical and obtainable goals. If you don't know where you are going, you'll never get there.

[MediaWatcher]

SaamBaht, on 08 Nov 2014 - 22:47, said:

Maybe if they put air conditioners in every classroom the students might have the energy to think. Just sayin.

Don't agree, when I went to school there wasn't any air-conditioning, with summer temps soared to the high 30's, low 40's.... for those still on Fahrenheit that high 90's, low 100's, and we learnt to study and think and learn.

[attrayant]

The first thing to do is decide whether the country wants to use the American version of English or British English. They are very different in spelling, word pronunciation and meaning. At the moment most of us speak and write a mixture of the two languages in one sentence. This may not be important to the man in the street However, Academically its very important, and can be the determining factor in our education system.

Wow. Hyperbole much?

[city]

Take national education budget = x trillion Baht

- at least 30% to line pockets (minmum) from above budget

Question - With all this cash filling teachers, principles, directors, administrators pockets how much support does this guy hope to garner from the inside

Answer - 0

[SjaakNL2013]

All agree that Thai Education must change but..... who will do it. Remember that the people who must reform did earn their diplomas by the education provided. Most Thai still think that Thailand is an island, given by the Gods. Soon ASEAN will change that view and Thailand will end as Ireland in Europe.

So sad Thai people don't ask for help from outside. Krengjay ? Or just not interested and go for the short view and corruption.

[FangFerang]

No amount of goodwill and hard work can overcome an established, powerful and highly wealthy interest.

The returns are not diminishing.

The returns are extinct.

[Jim walker]

Purchasing pass exam results is always a good sign for an excellent education system, rather than bother going to university would it not be quicker just to get your degree by writing out a big cheque to the university and a return address to send the qualifications to with a little congratulations note on completion of your exams Dr