Education System in Thailand: A Terrible Failure

[Emster23]

Thai education is well funded at the beginning of the pipeline. Seems the administrators believe in "trickle down economics". may be a few baht when finally reaches the schools. But once there the cronyism, dubious bookkeeping, lack of accountability seal the deal. It's amazing Thai kids can even speak Thai, given the abyssmal state of education.

A free press could help. But true investigative reporting could likely lead to criminal charges for damaging Thailand's image and defamation.

I see no signs there will ever be change here until the situation is so awful economically that Thailand looks to North Korea for aid.

[David48]

What I dislike most about this article and in fact most comments on education in Thailand is that they relate only to English Language Teaching and then transpose this to the whole system.

Just look at where Thailand are rated compared to other countries at the same level of development and you will see there are indeed problems. But maybe you like the children to know the 12 values by heart and leave less time to teach important subjects such as maths and science.

Another Thai bashing post!!

If you don't like it in Hua Hin,please go to Cha Am!

P.S. I've reported you to the Mods. The 12 values are most important for people who still have their values.

1. Wear women's cloth, when you're a guy, or gay.

2. Act like one.

3. Put a pillow under your shirt and tell everybody that you're pregnant.

4. Tell everybody that you're fine, even when you've got the Ebola virus, a serious stroke, or the Hiso syndrome.

5. Wear a schnucki boy scout uniform and enjoy your fetish.

6. Drive to Pattaya and look for an old fart.

7. Make sure that his life insurance is in your favor.

8. Tell a 79 year old farang that you want a baby from him, when you're 19.

9. Use a laptop to arrange all your foreigners who send you money, when they want to see you.

10. Have a facebook account.

11. Update your status daily.

12. Act like you wouldn't understand when foreigners say that they love you too much.

Man, you are one seriously unhinged member ...

I thought, from the OP we were discussing the standard of Teaching in Thailand?

BTW ... please feel free to also report me to the Mods ... I'm on their Frequent Flyer list ...

.

[lostinisaan]

What I dislike most about this article and in fact most comments on education in Thailand is that they relate only to English Language Teaching and then transpose this to the whole system.

Just look at where Thailand are rated compared to other countries at the same level of development and you will see there are indeed problems. But maybe you like the children to know the 12 values by heart and leave less time to teach important subjects such as maths and science.

Another Thai bashing post!!

If you don't like it in Hua Hin,please go to Cha Am!

P.S. I've reported you to the Mods. The 12 values are most important for people who still have their values.

1. Wear women's cloth, when you're a guy, or gay.

2. Act like one.

3. Put a pillow under your shirt and tell everybody that you're pregnant.

4. Tell everybody that you're fine, even when you've got the Ebola virus, a serious stroke, or the Hiso syndrome.

5. Wear a schnucki boy scout uniform and enjoy your fetish.

6. Drive to Pattaya and look for an old fart.

7. Make sure that his life insurance is in your favor.

8. Tell a 79 year old farang that you want a baby from him, when you're 19.

9. Use a laptop to arrange all your foreigners who send you money, when they want to see you.

10. Have a facebook account.

11. Update your status daily.

12. Act like you wouldn't understand when foreigners say that they love you too much.

Man, you are one seriously unhinged member ...

I thought, from the OP we were discussing the standard of Teaching in Thailand?

BTW ... please feel free to also report me to the Mods ... I'm on their Frequent Flyer list ...

.

I thought about the educational system back in 2005, when I was one of the "lucky guys" who started to teach Germish in lower northeast.

Pretty much at the same time more and more agencies started to send their "found naked at beach road in Pattaya teachers", "made them" to English teachers and sent them to schools all over the country.

Don't you agree that these sort of "teachers" are finally doing the rest to decrease any sort of English education?

Nowadays, they've got Turkish native English speaking teachers.

But school "directors" do not seem to be worried about anything, as long as their wallet is filled.

Edited November 28, 2014 by lostinisaan

[smotherb]

I have to agree......With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students....I have 6 year Olds that read and write better than the Teenagers at the public school. My 3 year olds can recite their abc's...and by the time their 4 and 5 can carryon a conversation in English better than students at Kong Kaen's Universities.

How is their written English?

[lostinisaan]

I have to agree......With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students....I have 6 year Olds that read and write better than the Teenagers at the public school. My 3 year olds can recite their abc's...and by the time their 4 and 5 can carryon a conversation in English better than students at Kong Kaen's Universities.

How is their written English?

Okay, they can sing the ABC song.Try to point at some letters and ask them what sound it makes.

They might have some problems with capitalising letters and the difference between their pronunciation when they're older, Mr. Smotherb.

Some of my former students are at a Khon Kaen university and they write better sentences in English than the OP does.

With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students? Carry on with your outstanding and very successful ability in teaching the ABC.

And this topic is about failure. Aren't some of us foreign teachers part of this failure, as well?

Four and five year olds at my school always have critical conversations about the meaning of Brian's life.

Edited November 28, 2014 by lostinisaan

[happydude303]

I believe the Thai education system is working as intended. Keep the poor people poorly educated and they remain poor. The elite send their kids to international schools both in and out of Thailand. There they get a decent education and therefore can continue to maintain the exclusive positions of the elite. It is not too hard to understand. Most countries are the same, England has Eton and it's ilk, the US has Harvard etc. It's a way of maintaining superiority.

I do agree with this , but in England you can still make good money and so thing of your self with out degree, land really good job by having what is called common sense. I must say a lot of my friends with degree do not have lol and are still working in the locals Tescos

[lostinisaan]

I believe the Thai education system is working as intended. Keep the poor people poorly educated and they remain poor. The elite send their kids to international schools both in and out of Thailand. There they get a decent education and therefore can continue to maintain the exclusive positions of the elite. It is not too hard to understand. Most countries are the same, England has Eton and it's ilk, the US has Harvard etc. It's a way of maintaining superiority.

I do agree with this , but in England you can still make good money and so thing of your self with out degree, land really good job by having what is called common sense. I must say a lot of my friends with degree do not have lol and are still working in the locals Tescos

Could you please translate that for me?

[Bernard Flint]

The standard of teaching english is awful.

[Bernard Flint]

My gf cousin, who is 22 now, has been to universaty to learn english and business, she is useless at english, and i cannot understand what she says to me

[benj005]

I can only speak to South Korea because I worked there for 2 years.

There are 3 type of schools to look at when attempting to gain employment. Private, public and at the university level. The Korean government has been in the process of cutting positions at the public level. There are less positions and the application is very lengthy. There are 12 pages that need to be filled out, a 3-5 page lesson plan, and an 800 word essay on why you want to teach in Korea. If you pass this phase, the next step is the 30 minute interview. It's a very difficult process and you're competing with thousands of people for the few teaching positions available. I don't know much about teaching at the university level. I do know that the jobs at this level have been on the decline, and there are less positions available. It's not as lucrative as it once was.

I wanted to talk about teaching at the private level because this is where I taught for two years. Private schools are called hagwons in Korea. They are everywhere. I'm talking 3-4 on every block. It's a very competitive business, and it can be quite stressful. Yes, the money is OK. It's not great, but the potential to save money is there. I was able to put away $11k a year. I had my rent paid. Also, my plane ticket to Korea, and back home was covered by the school. At the end of your contract you get an additional full pay check. You also get benefits, and a pension that's for by the school, so when you leave you get money back as well. That's if you secure a job with a reputable school. The problem is there are a lot of bad schools in Korea. I've met teachers who haven't been paid in months. Getting fired at the 11 month is popular because the hagwon owner doesn't have to pay for the airfare home, and they don't have to give the bonus. Teachers have been put in god awful apartments. I read about a teacher who had a huge mold problem, and the hagwon owner refused to do anything about it. I read about a teacher who didn't have a window in her little studio apartment. Not one window. Age discrimination is rife. Looking for a teaching job in Korea and over 35? Good luck. The majority of people who work in the private sector are mostly under 30. I’m 45 years old. I've worked in South Korea for 2 years, and I have a teaching certificate. I was ignored by 3 recruiters, because I'm now considered old. Most schools are only concerned about the look of the teacher. Teaching skills are secondary. I suspect older teachers are staying put in Thailand because they know that they would have a difficult time finding work in Korea due to their age.

The weather is insanely cold in Korea. I've met some wonderful people, but overall people in Thailand are much nicer. I've been cursed at a few times when I was shopping. I've been bumped rudely a few times while I was walking in Seoul. The older people love to spit everywhere. It’s a very nasty thing to watch. There are always pros/cons to everything, and I know that Thailand has issues as well. You need to weigh both and decide which path to take.

China seems to currently be the country to teach English, but the smog is a big issue for me. I have a friend who is teaching in China and he told me that it’s so bad it keeps him inside at times. I’m not willing to jeopardize my health. What are the long term health issues? I wouldn't want to be coughing up blood because I spent time working in China.

Edited November 28, 2014 by benj005

[benj005]

When I was going to school in the 50s and 60s...the US had a very competitive school system...promoting gifted students to excel in math and science...the public school environment was constructed to challenge and reward students for excellence...

Today the school system is in serious trouble...money does not help...the education lobby in congress stops any meaningful reform and last I heard the US ranked 25 in the world...

Students in general have been relegated to mediocrity by the school system...leaving no child behind...not promoting gifted kids as it may hurt someone's feeling...chaos in the classroom...criminal activity on campus...and teachers continue to milk the education system for their own personal gain...

I was living and working in Washington DC when a recent graduate sued the public school system for providing him with a high school diploma when he was not equipped with enough reading skills to fill out an employment application...

The losers in all this is the country whose public schools does not value the student enough to insist on the best education possible...think of what kind of leaders will rule these countries in the future...

IMHO the lack of quality leadership around the world can be directly linked to poor public education...

The American education system has its issues, and it is in dire need of change. I believe the system is bloated and we can achieve more with less spending, I also believe the issues that we are seeing now are a lot more complicated than we realize.

1) The US is ranked 25th in the world, but when you look at the top ranked countries you will see that don't test everyone. Do you think Taiwan, South Korea, and China test their special needs students? America educates and tests everyone,

2) America is a big country. Education in states such as Mississippi, Arkansas and South Carolina is horrible. In New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York education is very good. It really is like night and day. How can anyone compare South Korea to America? SK is 20% the size of California for gods sake.

3) America has a diverse population while other countries are mostly homogenous. American classrooms are filled with many different cultures and races. No other country has this account for the differences that we do.

4) The issues with education in America is cultural. This is something that people are less likely to talk about. Sadly, education in America is secondary. How can we blame teachers when they have students who are coming to school unprepared. They just don't care. You can't make someone do something that they just don't want to do. This is why Asians do so well when they migrate to America. Back home education is serious business. It's very common to study for 6 hours a day/ 7 days a week. Show me an American student who studies for even 3 hours a day.

5) You say teachers are milking the system. I disagree. Teachers today are under assault from the politicians who want to dehumanize educators for political gain. The public thinks teaching is easy, and that they are paid too much. In South Carolina, starting salary is $35k. In NJ it's 50k, but the cost of living is very high. Compared to the private sector, teaching wages are awfully low. in NJ, the teacher pension is bankrupt. Governor Christie is always attacking educators. Making a living as a teacher is very difficult, and many educators need to work second jobs. Only a few are milking the system, and they should be terminated.

The American education system does need to change. Today, we have highly skilled positions that are going vacant because our current workforce just doesn't have the skillset to work at these positions. What's the solution? I think we need to cut down on extra curricular activities, and put more focus on math and science. We need to get rid of the summer vacations, because our students are losing too much valuable time. It wouldn't be a big deal if our students continued their education in the summer, but we all know that this isn't the case. Most stay home and vegetate on the computer or play video games 12 hours a day, They go back to school and lose most of what they learned the previous year.

Finally, I have a niece who is 9 years old. I asked about her homework, and she told me that she she gets 20 minutes in-class to complete her work. She only has homework for 20 stinking minutes a day, Her teacher should be ashamed of herself. We do have a dumbing down in our school system and it needs to stop.

Edited November 28, 2014 by benj005

[smotherb]

I have to agree......With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students....I have 6 year Olds that read and write better than the Teenagers at the public school. My 3 year olds can recite their abc's...and by the time their 4 and 5 can carryon a conversation in English better than students at Kong Kaen's Universities.

How is their written English?

Okay, they can sing the ABC song.Try to point at some letters and ask them what sound it makes.

They might have some problems with capitalising letters and the difference between their pronunciation when they're older, Mr. Smotherb.

Some of my former students are at a Khon Kaen university and they write better sentences in English than the OP does.

With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students? Carry on with your outstanding and very successful ability in teaching the ABC.

And this topic is about failure. Aren't some of us foreign teachers part of this failure, as well?

Four and five year olds at my school always have critical conversations about the meaning of Brian's life.

You missed my point, how is the written English of the OP's students?

[lostinisaan]

I have to agree......With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students....I have 6 year Olds that read and write better than the Teenagers at the public school. My 3 year olds can recite their abc's...and by the time their 4 and 5 can carryon a conversation in English better than students at Kong Kaen's Universities.

How is their written English?

Okay, they can sing the ABC song.Try to point at some letters and ask them what sound it makes.

They might have some problems with capitalising letters and the difference between their pronunciation when they're older, Mr. Smotherb.

Some of my former students are at a Khon Kaen university and they write better sentences in English than the OP does.

With exception of our small school aged 3-7 years old 125 students? Carry on with your outstanding and very successful ability in teaching the ABC.

And this topic is about failure. Aren't some of us foreign teachers part of this failure, as well?

Four and five year olds at my school always have critical conversations about the meaning of Brian's life.

You missed my point, how is the written English of the OP's students?

Nope, I was just trying to be sarcastic, pointing out the OP's written English.

[smotherb]

When I was going to school in the 50s and 60s...the US had a very competitive school system...promoting gifted students to excel in math and science...the public school environment was constructed to challenge and reward students for excellence...

Today the school system is in serious trouble...money does not help...the education lobby in congress stops any meaningful reform and last I heard the US ranked 25 in the world...

Students in general have been relegated to mediocrity by the school system...leaving no child behind...not promoting gifted kids as it may hurt someone's feeling...chaos in the classroom...criminal activity on campus...and teachers continue to milk the education system for their own personal gain...

I was living and working in Washington DC when a recent graduate sued the public school system for providing him with a high school diploma when he was not equipped with enough reading skills to fill out an employment application...

The losers in all this is the country whose public schools does not value the student enough to insist on the best education possible...think of what kind of leaders will rule these countries in the future...

IMHO the lack of quality leadership around the world can be directly linked to poor public education...

The American education system has its issues, and it is in dire need of change. I believe the system is bloated and we can achieve more with less spending, I also believe the issues that we are seeing now are a lot more complicated than we realize.

1) The US is ranked 25th in the world, but when you look at the top ranked countries you will see that don't test everyone. Do you think Taiwan, South Korea, and China test their special needs students? America educates and tests everyone,

2) America is a big country. Education in states such as Mississippi, Arkansas and South Carolina is horrible. In New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York education is very good. It really is like night and day. How can anyone compare South Korea to America? SK is 20% the size of California for gods sake.

3) America has a diverse population while other countries are mostly homogenous. American classrooms are filled with many different cultures and races. No other country has this account for the differences that we do.

4) The issues with education in America is cultural. This is something that people are less likely to talk about. Sadly, education in America is secondary. How can we blame teachers when they have students who are coming to school unprepared. They just don't care. You can't make someone do something that they just don't want to do. This is why Asians do so well when they migrate to America. Back home education is serious business. It's very common to study for 6 hours a day/ 7 days a week. Show me an American student who studies for even 3 hours a day.

5) You say teachers are milking the system. I disagree. Teachers today are under assault from the politicians who want to dehumanize educators for political gain. The public thinks teaching is easy, and that they are paid too much. In South Carolina, starting salary is $35k. In NJ it's 50k, but the cost of living is very high. Compared to the private sector, teaching wages are awfully low. in NJ, the teacher pension is bankrupt. Governor Christie is always attacking educators. Making a living as a teacher is very difficult, and many educators need to work second jobs. Only a few are milking the system, and they should be terminated.

The American education system does need to change. Today, we have highly skilled positions that are going vacant because our current workforce just doesn't have the skillset to work at these positions. What's the solution? I think we need to cut down on extra curricular activities, and put more focus on math and science. We need to get rid of the summer vacations, because our students are losing too much valuable time. It wouldn't be a big deal if our students continued their education in the summer, but we all know that this isn't the case. Most stay home and vegetate on the computer or play video games 12 hours a day, They go back to school and lose most of what they learned the previous year.

Finally, I have a niece who is 9 years old. I asked about her homework, and she told me that she she gets 20 minutes in-class to complete her work. She only has homework for 20 stinking minutes a day, Her teacher should be ashamed of herself. We do have a dumbing down in our school system and it needs to stop.

Yes, the dumbing down of all education systems is rampant. I have posted this before, but it seems to fit well here again:

Educational Philosophy of the 21st Century

Thailand is not the only country doing poorly in Math, Science, Reading, Geography, History or any other subject, except perhaps, playing video games. I have been involved in course development at two universities. The primary trend in both curricula was to lessen the complexity of the assignments.

It is strikingly apparent, the Educational Philosophy of the 21st Century; dumb down the assignments.

For example, math skills are atrocious worldwide. Lets take a look at the same math problem over the years:

1950s Math

A vendor has 100 teapots which cost him $5 each. He sells 4/5 of them for a 30% profit each. Without using a slide rule, calculate the percentage between his initial purchase price and his total sales?

1970s Math

A vendor has 100 teapots which cost him $5 each. He sells 80 of them for a 30% profit each. Without using a calculator, compute his profit over his initial purchase price?

1990s Math

A vendor has 100 teapots which cost him $5 each. He sells 80 of them for $6.50 each. Has he recovered his investment in teapots; Yes or No?

2010s Math

A vendor has 100 teapots which cost him $5 each. He sells 80 of them for $6.50 each. Underline the number 80.

[Thai at Heart]

It really is a pretty awful system from my experience as a teacher and as parent. I accept that every country will develop its unique approach to education based on local circumstances and priorities.

Recently I watched a video about early years in Sweden. They don't start formal school there until aged 7 and yet by 10 they lead Europe's literacy tables. Here in Thailand kids often start nursery at 2 which usually involves wearing a uniform followed by three years in Kindergarten and then 6 grades of primary. It seems they want to get a pencil into children's hands as quickly possible here and have them involved in formal, desk based and book-based learning as early as possible. What it seems to result in is a lot of hyperactive children who in subsequent years struggle to learn effectively.

When I have raised these matters with managers, parents, even Thai academics involved in developing Thai education, I get fobbed off with the usual pish: this is the Thai way, it's what the parents want, etc

This is the problem - the teachers can't learn and will not consider doing things differently. There is a very considerable body of educational expertise available which if applied could help to transform the system. There are many highly qualified people who could lead on its implementation. There really are no excuses.

What is happening instead is not progress but a growing divide between the system here and everywhere else in Asia, and the rest of the world. It's getting worse and as technology transforms learning everywhere else in the world, Thai kids and their parents are being left behind.

I presume your parents were learned people. My old man managed to get to University in London in the 60s.

Now imagine your thai girlfriends father and his experience of thailand in the 1960. He may have been lucky to be one of the bare few to get to university.

But bear in mind today in thailand thry are still moaning about learning by rote. Imagine how little these educationalists actually know let alone understand about modern schooling. They are largely clueless on a global scale.

[smotherb]

Lostinisaan said, "Nope, I was just trying to be sarcastic, pointing out the OP's written English."

yeah, I see, sorry lostinisaan, didn't read your post well the first time, will do so in the future

[lostinisaan]

Lostinisaan said, "Nope, I was just trying to be sarcastic, pointing out the OP's written English."

yeah, I see, sorry lostinisaan, didn't read your post well the first time, will do so in the future

"Let's hope their better in written English then the teacher's written Tinglish, me thinks."

[benj005]

It really is a pretty awful system from my experience as a teacher and as parent. I accept that every country will develop its unique approach to education based on local circumstances and priorities.

Recently I watched a video about early years in Sweden. They don't start formal school there until aged 7 and yet by 10 they lead Europe's literacy tables. Here in Thailand kids often start nursery at 2 which usually involves wearing a uniform followed by three years in Kindergarten and then 6 grades of primary. It seems they want to get a pencil into children's hands as quickly possible here and have them involved in formal, desk based and book-based learning as early as possible. What it seems to result in is a lot of hyperactive children who in subsequent years struggle to learn effectively.

When I have raised these matters with managers, parents, even Thai academics involved in developing Thai education, I get fobbed off with the usual pish: this is the Thai way, it's what the parents want, etc

This is the problem - the teachers can't learn and will not consider doing things differently. There is a very considerable body of educational expertise available which if applied could help to transform the system. There are many highly qualified people who could lead on its implementation. There really are no excuses.

What is happening instead is not progress but a growing divide between the system here and everywhere else in Asia, and the rest of the world. It's getting worse and as technology transforms learning everywhere else in the world, Thai kids and their parents are being left behind.

I presume your parents were learned people. My old man managed to get to University in London in the 60s.

Now imagine your thai girlfriends father and his experience of thailand in the 1960. He may have been lucky to be one of the bare few to get to university.

But bear in mind today in thailand thry are still moaning about learning by rote. Imagine how little these educationalists actually know let alone understand about modern schooling. They are largely clueless on a global scale.

I don't think Thailand is the only country that learns by rote. It's an Asian thing. China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and so on. Maybe this explains why many students in Asia want to attend universities in America.

[maidee]

thai chinese rich elite, needs, wants uneducated farmers & workers

stupid people will not go think for themselves or revolt

everybody happy policy

the major food industry is doing it's job like in the USA : make people sick & fat with non nutricious food = not the kind of people that goes protesting in the streets again ... corruption, greed, inequality, ....

[lostinisaan]

thai chinese rich elite, needs, wants uneducated farmers & workers

stupid people will not go think for themselves or revolt

everybody happy policy

the major food industry is doing it's job like in the USA : make people sick & fat with non nutricious food = not the kind of people that goes protesting in the streets again ... corruption, greed, inequality, ....

stupid people will not go think for themselves or revolt

Excuse me, but stupid might not be the right word. My parents in law are uneducated farmers, but they're not stupid.

But I've met really stupid foreigners who are teachers in this country. God bless you......

[gerryBScot]

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

It really is a pretty awful system from my experience as a teacher and as parent. I accept that every country will develop its unique approach to education based on local circumstances and priorities.

Recently I watched a video about early years in Sweden. They don't start formal school there until aged 7 and yet by 10 they lead Europe's literacy tables. Here in Thailand kids often start nursery at 2 which usually involves wearing a uniform followed by three years in Kindergarten and then 6 grades of primary. It seems they want to get a pencil into children's hands as quickly possible here and have them involved in formal, desk based and book-based learning as early as possible. What it seems to result in is a lot of hyperactive children who in subsequent years struggle to learn effectively.

When I have raised these matters with managers, parents, even Thai academics involved in developing Thai education, I get fobbed off with the usual pish: this is the Thai way, it's what the parents want, etc

This is the problem - the teachers can't learn and will not consider doing things differently. There is a very considerable body of educational expertise available which if applied could help to transform the system. There are many highly qualified people who could lead on its implementation. There really are no excuses.

What is happening instead is not progress but a growing divide between the system here and everywhere else in Asia, and the rest of the world. It's getting worse and as technology transforms learning everywhere else in the world, Thai kids and their parents are being left behind.

I presume your parents were learned people. My old man managed to get to University in London in the 60s.

Now imagine your thai girlfriends father and his experience of thailand in the 1960. He may have been lucky to be one of the bare few to get to university.

But bear in mind today in thailand thry are still moaning about learning by rote. Imagine how little these educationalists actually know let alone understand about modern schooling. They are largely clueless on a global scale.

I think you make a valid point. I don't doubt that the system has come a long way since the 1960s but it is still pish, and getting pishier! And there is a huge and growing disparity between here and the rest of SE Asia and most of the world. Thailand is getting left behind and that spells big trouble for the country over the next 50 years.

I have no problem with an element of rote learning, but just a little bit please! I believe it is ok to teach students multiplication tables by rote. No problem. I have found it a very useful skill throughout my life to be able to compute simple multiplications mentally and of course with this comes important things like getting to know multiples and being able to divide. (Think of the fun of waiting for your change at a 7-11 when you are charged 73 baht and tender 103 baht to simplify the process! It usually complicates things!) However a waste of time to teach kids the ABC alphabet by rote as a first stage in learning English; but many parents delight in the little darlings being able to sing the ABC song but unable to sound a simple word like "c-a-t" and then blend the sounds together to say "cat" and apply it thereafter to every similar sound. Mind you in the UK right now the controversy is that the DCSF, the Ministry of Edumacation, has decreed that young kids should be tested on their ability to use phonic skills to pronounce words in English, ok I say, but extends that to words that don't exist! In other words read the word "shig"! The idea of learning to read, I thought, was to understand and make sense of what you read - little merit in encouraging kids to spend time on literally meaningless activity.

What we need here is the equivalent of an Education Tsar to take responsibility for leading the necessary charge to completely overhaul the education system. It's going to take a long time but it will be worthwhile as it will transform this country and give effect to the hopes of young Thai people and their parents. Look at Singapore - generally acknowledged to be a comparative backwater in the 1950s and 1960s and in no way resembling its modern day opulence - now producing some of the best Science and Mathematics teaching in the planet plus having some of the best technical/vocational educational anywhere. Makes you shudder when you think of technical education here which is a sort of two/three year pitstop for the many teenagers failed by the secondary education system…..you thought school was boring, well welcome to technical college …… I accept that it is not fair to compare a city/state to a nation, but what has happened in Singapore could happen in Bangkok, surely?

I really do believe this is urgent. Something's gotta change…..

[gerryBScot]

When I was going to school in the 50s and 60s...the US had a very competitive school system...promoting gifted students to excel in math and science...the public school environment was constructed to challenge and reward students for excellence...

Today the school system is in serious trouble...money does not help...the education lobby in congress stops any meaningful reform and last I heard the US ranked 25 in the world...

Students in general have been relegated to mediocrity by the school system...leaving no child behind...not promoting gifted kids as it may hurt someone's feeling...chaos in the classroom...criminal activity on campus...and teachers continue to milk the education system for their own personal gain...

I was living and working in Washington DC when a recent graduate sued the public school system for providing him with a high school diploma when he was not equipped with enough reading skills to fill out an employment application...

The losers in all this is the country whose public schools does not value the student enough to insist on the best education possible...think of what kind of leaders will rule these countries in the future...

IMHO the lack of quality leadership around the world can be directly linked to poor public education...

The American education system has its issues, and it is in dire need of change. I believe the system is bloated and we can achieve more with less spending, I also believe the issues that we are seeing now are a lot more complicated than we realize.

1) The US is ranked 25th in the world, but when you look at the top ranked countries you will see that don't test everyone. Do you think Taiwan, South Korea, and China test their special needs students? America educates and tests everyone,

2) America is a big country. Education in states such as Mississippi, Arkansas and South Carolina is horrible. In New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York education is very good. It really is like night and day. How can anyone compare South Korea to America? SK is 20% the size of California for gods sake.

3) America has a diverse population while other countries are mostly homogenous. American classrooms are filled with many different cultures and races. No other country has this account for the differences that we do.

4) The issues with education in America is cultural. This is something that people are less likely to talk about. Sadly, education in America is secondary. How can we blame teachers when they have students who are coming to school unprepared. They just don't care. You can't make someone do something that they just don't want to do. This is why Asians do so well when they migrate to America. Back home education is serious business. It's very common to study for 6 hours a day/ 7 days a week. Show me an American student who studies for even 3 hours a day.

5) You say teachers are milking the system. I disagree. Teachers today are under assault from the politicians who want to dehumanize educators for political gain. The public thinks teaching is easy, and that they are paid too much. In South Carolina, starting salary is $35k. In NJ it's 50k, but the cost of living is very high. Compared to the private sector, teaching wages are awfully low. in NJ, the teacher pension is bankrupt. Governor Christie is always attacking educators. Making a living as a teacher is very difficult, and many educators need to work second jobs. Only a few are milking the system, and they should be terminated.

The American education system does need to change. Today, we have highly skilled positions that are going vacant because our current workforce just doesn't have the skillset to work at these positions. What's the solution? I think we need to cut down on extra curricular activities, and put more focus on math and science. We need to get rid of the summer vacations, because our students are losing too much valuable time. It wouldn't be a big deal if our students continued their education in the summer, but we all know that this isn't the case. Most stay home and vegetate on the computer or play video games 12 hours a day, They go back to school and lose most of what they learned the previous year.

Finally, I have a niece who is 9 years old. I asked about her homework, and she told me that she she gets 20 minutes in-class to complete her work. She only has homework for 20 stinking minutes a day, Her teacher should be ashamed of herself. We do have a dumbing down in our school system and it needs to stop.

[mataleo]

Hows the temple schools for kids like anyone got experience?