OBEC to improve students' O-NET test results

[webfact]

OBEC to improve students' O-NET test results

BANGKOK, 19 Nov 2014, (NNT) - To improve students' O-Net test performance, the Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC), plans to give out Pre-O-Net test sheets to students so they can practice before sitting the real exam.

According to Secretary General of the OBEC, Kamol Rodklai, his agency has set January 31st to February 1st as the dates for six- and nine-grade students' O-Net tests, and February 7th-8th for twelfth graders' .

Mr. Kamol said the Office would, prior to the tests, give out Pre-O-Net test sheets for students to practice, saying that the move would help improving or at least maintaining their scores.

The OBEC has instructed schools to analyse the examination results in order to devise plans to improve their students' performance, he said. He added that the Office is planning to group schools with higher overall O-Net scores together, saying these schools could help the OBEC developing a concrete education improvement roadmap later on.


-- NNT 2014-11-19

[Anthony5]

I wonder if the answers will be marked in pencil, as with the driver license test previously.

[lostinisaan]

The OBEC has instructed schools to analyse the examination results in order to devise plans to improve their students' performance, he said

And some might even write down the right answers and "study" them.

Then, when the real test comes, they use these answers. Happened at my former school. The biggest problem seems to be that Thai teachers don't explain why the other answers are wrong and you sometimes don't even find a right answer.

It's really a joke considering that so many foreigners are "teaching conversational English."

I disagree with Thailand's policy to use the O-net scores as an indicator how good somebody's English is.

I had students who could speak a very good English, but failed O-net tests.

Isn't it more important to be able to communicate in English, instead of being able to answer some nonsense questions?

Our Thai English teachers always ask me what the right answers are. When I point out that sometimes two answers would be okay, or none, they're just starring at me.

My point being is if Thai English teachers don't know the answers, how should their students know them?

[thequietman]

The OBEC has instructed schools to analyse the examination results in order to devise plans to improve their students' performance, he said

And some might even write down the right answers and "study" them.

Then, when the real test comes, they use these answers. Happened at my former school. The biggest problem seems to be that Thai teachers don't explain why the other answers are wrong and you sometimes don't even find a right answer.

It's really a joke considering that so many foreigners are "teaching conversational English."

I disagree with Thailand's policy to use the O-net scores as an indicator how good somebody's English is.

I had students who could speak a very good English, but failed O-net tests.

Isn't it more important to be able to communicate in English, instead of being able to answer some nonsense questions?

Our Thai English teachers always ask me what the right answers are. When I point out that sometimes two answers would be okay, or none, they're just starring at me.

My point being is if Thai English teachers don't know the answers, how should their students know them?

I agree, speaking is the key. However, how on earth are they going to be able to 'show' how they arrived at the results. When the inspector comes, he/she needs to see actual paper to prove the teacher is doing their work. The fact that all your students could all speak English wouldn't come into the equation. It's all about 'show' and teaching them to speak can't be put in a fancy folder and signed.

[SOTIRIOS]

.......is this 'striving for excellence....???

....or doing anything in your power do deny and refute the actual dismal state of affairs....???

[Eddy B]

To me it sounds like cheating, fullstop! Thai teachers giving the students the answer for a test a week before they sit it and telling them to remember the answers for that test.............its a farce! Saying that I agree with lostinissan. Many of the test they give are just completely incorrect. Many of the questions are open to interpretation, so a possible 2 answers of the 4 could be used. Sometimes none of the answers are correct to answer the question on the paper. Most of the Thai English teachers would fail the test as most, not all, are completely useless at English and just plump-up their feathers with a useless BA or MA in English. I am not sure who OBEC use to make these tests but they should look elsewhere or at least have them proof-read before print and distribution. It's the same for the tests they give to the students in pratom schools. Completely full of errors. So sad!

Edited November 19, 2014 by Eddy B

[Bakeman]

Since when has failure ever been an option in Thai schools????

[rickirs]

Just more of Gen. Prauth's policy of Happiness for the People.

[Fullstop]

OBEC to improve students' O-NET test results

[culicine]

I would expect the pre-test is a different test entirely.

How hard is it to write an entrance exam? I can access all of the past exams from NSW, Australia, on the board of studies website, and just about all the past IGCSE and A-level exams from various other places. One wonders what the secret is...are they rehashing past questions? Is there no team of experienced exam writers in the country who can do this each year? And it's not just the english language exam. All other exams are in Thai, so it shouldn't be a problem. Perhaps easy and free access to exams would even put the playing field, and possibly make tuition schools obsolete. Some powers that be don't want that. Free access to education for both the rich and poor.

[lostinisaan]

I've just heard the daily announcement at our school and the O-net tests for P. 3/P.6 and M.3 will be held next Thursday and Friday.

The only positive aspect I see doing this "pre-test" is that I don't have to teach on both days. But that's it. Haven't seen any kids who learnt something by doing weird tests.

I try to get a copy, but they usually hide it as it would be gold from Fort Knox.

[maidee]

and this isn't called CHEATING ?

next: pre-filled test examns for students

what about: study & learn & pay attention ???

and this is exactly why a degree from thailand is not worth anything, and thai nurses end up cleaing toilets in the west

[lostinisaan]

and this isn't called CHEATING ?

next: pre-filled test examns for students

what about: study & learn & pay attention ???

and this is exactly why a degree from thailand is not worth anything, and thai nurses end up cleaing toilets in the west

Some are giving great massages....

[puchooay]

Unfortunately this is what happens. Thai kids get taught to pass tests. I have even seen parents pay for extra classes outside of school to prep their kids for a test.

When will the powers that be realise that if the kids were taught properly in the first place, taught to retain information for more than 10 weeks and were re tested on old stuff every now and then they would be able to pass any tests they were given.

I can remember being at school when the teacher would come into the classroom and tell us we had a test there and then. No book reading, no revision. A real test of what we knew. Imagine that happening in a Thai school.........maybe not.

[bangon04]

so which is it? To improve the student performance or improve the test results?

[lostinisaan]

so which is it? To improve the student performance or improve the test results?

a)To waste more time through testing. b)To show how bad the English in the test really is.c) To ensure that Thai English teachers have an answer sheet.

[Scott]

One of the overriding problems in Thai education has always been the practice of teaching to the test. Nearly all classes and subjects are taught the correct answers to test questions. Having an actual comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter is not the goal.

There are so many gimmicks and tricks and methods of cheating that it is unbelievable at times. I knew of a tutorial school that did not teach anything, they had endless multiple choice questions which were presented over and over again until the students could answer each question correctly. There was no content taught, but it was quite a popular school.

[lostinisaan]

One of the overriding problems in Thai education has always been the practice of teaching to the test. Nearly all classes and subjects are taught the correct answers to test questions. Having an actual comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter is not the goal.

There are so many gimmicks and tricks and methods of cheating that it is unbelievable at times. I knew of a tutorial school that did not teach anything, they had endless multiple choice questions which were presented over and over again until the students could answer each question correctly. There was no content taught, but it was quite a popular school.

When kids grow up in an English speaking environment, they learn how to speak first, right?

Thai schools' O-net test results seem to be Thor's hammer, not if kids speak a good English. Shouldn't it be exactly the opposite, just saying?

There're too many Thai kids, able to give the right answer in an O-net test, but when you ask them how old they are, they tell you: "I'm fine thank you and you?"

I had to learn English and German and it wasn't a problem. Even when some people here are criticizing my English from time to time.

A merit at a well -known temple and I get over it. Sometimes replaced by some Leos........

[garrya]

Instead of finding the way to improve students, they just give them tests that resemble to the real ones. Stupidity has no limits.

[Eddy B]

I teach quite a few pratom students privately at the weekends. So when I know I test is upcoming I will go over the same chapters again from the same text books they use at their school. I will give them the handouts from the workbook and let them go for it. I will correct them where they went wrong. The following weekend I will hit them with a test that is almost similar to the tests they will be given by the school. I mark it, correct it where errors are and let their parents know my results. Usually the parents will make their kids look at what I corrected and 85% of the time the students school scores are higher than what they got in my test as they learnt and remembered. To be honest it is mostly down to the students wanting to learn and parents helping to encourage their kids to do better. Teachers can only do so much!