Thai teachers urged to return to classroom

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Teachers urged to return to classroom
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THAI teachers spend 42 per cent or 84 weekdays out of the yearly 200 working days in outside-class activities and tasks such as assessments, academic competitions and training, a recent survey found.

Given that 30 per cent of their instructional time is taken away, many in the teaching profession are calling for teachers to be returned to the classroom.

In a press conference on Tuesday at Bangkok's IBM Building, Kraiyos Patrawart - education, finance and policy specialist at the Quality Learning Foundation - said the body had surveyed 427 Thai teachers, who had won QLF awards nationwide, from September 15 to October 15, about their outside-class tasks.

The survey found that the teachers spent 84 weekdays during 200 days of school in one year in outside-class activities, or 42 per cent of their working time.

The most time-consuming activities were school, teacher and student assessments, which took 43 days, with internal assessments taking up 18 days, those undertaken by testing institutes another 16 days, and those by the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA) the remaining nine days. Academic competitions claimed 29 days, while training by external agencies accounted for another 10.

Most teachers said outside-class activities that were good for teaching and learning were academic competitions, O-Net assessment and training, and reading-skill assessment, while those with the opposite effect were ONESQA assessment and other training and assessments.

The vast majority of teachers (98 per cent) wanted ONESQA to be improved, with the Education Service Area Offices and the Office of the Basic Education Commission topping the list for just 2 per cent of respondents, the survey found.

The teachers suggested that the agencies improve by focusing more on children's results than on papers, and by lessening the assessment burden on teachers.

"Most teachers said they wanted to be returned to classrooms and work that had no effect on students' learning be lessened, especially document-based assessments. They also urged teacher training on desirable topics during the main school break," Kraiyos said. "More than 90 per cent of teachers thought that if schools had freedom in academic affairs, budgets and human-resource management, it would be a key factor in [improving] teachers' class management. The key conditions for class-management success involve teacher participation, school administrators' quality, and participation by parents, the community and students," he said.

Sompong Jitradap, lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of education, said teachers in Thailand still performed well, spending about four hours a day in teaching in class.

However, they are under pressure and unhappy because outside-class tasks pull 42-per-cent of their in-class teaching time, he said, adding that this is a major challenge that everyone has to pay attention to in considering why Thai education quality has failed to improve.

He cited 2012 research by the US Agency for International Develop-ment (USAid) about instructional time in Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mozambique and Nepal.

The study found that if 20-30 per cent of teachers' time taken up by outside-class activities, it would adversely affect students' learning, their chance to learn, their attention span during lessons, and their academic performance. During USAid's research, some teachers claimed that there was also bribery involved in some assessments, he added.

Amornvit Nakhonthap, a National Reform Council member and assistant to the education minister's secretary, said three issues should be addressed during the current reform era.

First, the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Act should be amended so teachers are not obsessed with producing work to earn "Vidhaya Thana" accreditation status.

Second, there should be an ONESQA assessment review and adjustment in three key areas: those indicators that do not reflect real quality; the various standards applied by the assessors; and the documentation workload before the upcoming fourth-round assessment.

Third, the National Institute of Educational Testing Service should adjust its examination methods to emphasise child development and stimulation.

Arkhom Sompama, a teacher at Saithamchan School in Ratchaburi, said: "The children's reward is to have the teacher in the classroom, so I want to return the 84 days [teachers spend outside the classroom] back to the students."

The assessment for "Vidhaya Thana" accreditation should also be revamped to focus more on child development than the teacher's benefit, he suggested.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Teachers-urged-to-return-to-classroom-30249552.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-11

[Squeegee]

I sure hope the school system follows up on this.

[Mango Bob]

It's about time they found this out. Teachers have so many additional school administration duties including retesting students over and over again until they pass, while the good students wait.

[colinneil]

What a load of rubbish most Thai teachers spend many days out of the classroom going to leaving parties for other teachers or days away taking other teachers to the new school.

[Emster23]

"assessments, academic competitions and training, a recent survey found."

drinking coffee, sleeping, working second job... etc etc....

[culicine]

That's interesting. In my school its more likely that the STUDENTS are missing from class, rather than the foreign teacher. I rarely miss any periods, but have lest many classes as students are away on some activity. I'll be happy when the MoE comes to admit that academic education in Thailand really is not all that important, and that other extra curricular activities are.

[Mango Bob]

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What a load of rubbish most Thai teachers spend many days out of the classroom going to leaving parties for other teachers or days away taking other teachers to the new school.

Of course you are referred to the foreigner teachers.

[colinneil]

I was referring to Thai teachers. i have seen it many times.

[Farang99]

I thought the title of this tread meant Thai teachers should return to the classroom to learn their subject and how to teach it better. That would make a great deal of sense.

[Fullstop]

retesting students over and over again until they past

I don't think they really test them over and over until they die...do they?

[Scott]

In private schools, I would guess there is more in class time, but there is an equal amount of nonsense which has little to do with academic achievement.

[timmyp]

Sorry for not understanding this, but who is taking care of the classrooms while the teacher is out of the classroom? If the time these teachers are spending outside the classroom is when the kids are elsewhere (on break, art class, wherever), then it doesn't indicate that. If it's during class time, then I assume other teachers are covering the class?

Edited December 11, 2014 by timmyp

[jacky54]

what about urging kids to return to the classroom, might keep some out of the shopping malls and Internet game shops from early morning.

[macanello]

I am sorry for posting this but Thai teachers in GOVERNMENT schools cannot speak English.They know the mechanics of the language but cannot reproduce the desired sounds. All they care about is a job for life. They do not care about students or about the fact that they speak Thinglish. They are not interested in English or the British way of life.

Rant over

[Bkungbank]

Thai learning skill focus to much time where start at 8.00 a.m till 3.00- 4.00 p.m daily where others develope countries only 8.00 a.m till 1.00 p.m more time in class room doesn't mean you get smarter.

Kindergarden here start a small age 5-6 years old where that time children need more time to rest so the brain can develope ,in Japan lunch break it let the children to sleep for an hour so the brain can get rest the detoxication needed.

Education system need to study human developement skills not let them sitting in long hours without getting any good result.

[maidee]

and not one word about the "quality" of teachen when they are in class...

[BeforeTigers]

That doesn't even take into account all of the work they're expected to take home with them for no additional compensation.

Absolutely abysmal situation.

[powerkick]

I have been on some of these extracurricular activities principally on development of teaching practical English at a University based lecture. I stayed for the entire series of lectures, diligently took notes and took part in the interactive teaching parts of the lecture, what did the Thai teachers do? They went shopping.

[Mango Bob]

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retesting students over and over again until they past

I don't think they really test them over and over until they die...do they? alt=w00t.gif>

Retesting them again on Saturday for the 3rd time. This is for last semester finals.

[Scott]

Some schools have a policy of re-testing once and then giving them 50% regardless of what grade they get.

The thing is, they keep getting the same test, so they should learn the answers.

[lostinisaan]

The study found that if 20-30 per cent of teachers' time taken up by outside-class activities, it would adversely affect students' learning, their chance to learn, their attention span during lessons, and their academic performance. During USAid's research, some teachers claimed that there was also bribery involved in some assessments, he added.

With other words. We found another cheap excuse for our no fail policy and students who are not allowed to ask their teachers a question.

I'd love to see a research how many Thai English teachers would fail the test for an American, British, Australian, etc.. university entrance examination.

​ And they forgot to mention that many of them din't graduate in English, the subject they teach. ( Sometimes only a cheap excuse)

No lost faces and failed students, but also teachers would be the only solution.It's weird that we all go with the flow. The hub of...oh forget it.-

Edited December 11, 2014 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

Some schools have a policy of re-testing once and then giving them 50% regardless of what grade they get.

The thing is, they keep getting the same test, so they should learn the answers.

A well- known high school in Sisaket in the year 2009. It turned out that most of the M 6 students failed their tests, which weren't really difficult.

An "Immersion English Camp" on one weekend then changed it.

All students with zero ability in English passed with good grades and received a fancy looking certificate.

Thai soldiers urged to return to battlefield would be more appropriate. Edited December 11, 2014 by lostinisaan

[hansnl]

I live near a school.

Big one.

There is always loud noise coming from the school, always.

From 7 in the morning till 7 in the evening.

I wonder when they study?

In my own country I lived near a school.

Big one.

There is loud noise coming from the school, when the school opens, in the pause, and when the school ends.

Rather different

[NeverSure]

There's more to it than that. My pen pal friend who teaches near Sisaket is forever sending me pictures of herself, other teachers and the kids. I've been to the school twice and never have I seen the kids in class.

I could load the pictures here but I'd have to blur out all of the faces. The kids hand harvested 1 rai of rice that's on the school grounds. They went to some Wat for 1 week for Buddhist training. There is so often something happening which has nothing to do with school.

I don't know about the time out that the OP mentions.

I have a lot more pictures of parties and that type of thing but again, I've never seen the kids in class.

[z42]

I currently work in a very well respected private school in central Thailand, however having worked there for a number of years now it is shocking to see how deeply entrenched corruption is withn the staff ranks.
The level of teaching skill across most subjects is dire, the didactic teacher centred model is the only way. Extra curricular activities (sports day, christmas, loy krathong day, teacher day) supersede almost everything else and the preparation of banners, dance routines, music and costume fittingt takes up the majority of teacher and student time in the weeks leading up to these events.

Class make up goes from the sublime to the ridiculous in terms of ability within the same class group. And as another poster mentioned the productivity of all is limited because material has to be dumbed down to the lowest possible level for some spoilt rich kid to pass and save face. By far the weakest students in the school are the children of school admin staff. Lots of others are from VERY well off families and are certainly not grounded in any way & must be treated with the utmost care as thousands upon thousands of baht is changing hands to keep them there.

Education here won't change until the culture changes. The very best and brightest will always further their studies abroad because the system here is a shambles. It won't change because either will the culture. Very sad

[gchurch259]

They need to do something to improve education in Thailand, my Step-son, a good young man who does not drink, smoke or use drugs is in his third year of college, Electrical Engineering. He makes A's and B's in English and can not speak enough to tell me to kiss his ass when he is mad.

Thais seem to have a real problem speaking English, one of the most common languages in the World and especially in the Technical World.

I did some volunteer teaching when I first came to Thailand and found few are interested in learning to speak English.

An education is one of the most important things in life, next to health in importance.

[lostinisaan]

They need to do something to improve education in Thailand, my Step-son, a good young man who does not drink, smoke or use drugs is in his third year of college, Electrical Engineering. He makes A's and B's in English and can not speak enough to tell me to kiss his ass when he is mad.

Thais seem to have a real problem speaking English, one of the most common languages in the World and especially in the Technical World.

I did some volunteer teaching when I first came to Thailand and found few are interested in learning to speak English.

An education is one of the most important things in life, next to health in importance.

My son's pretty good in English, but only because we speak English every day.The teacher's always asking him when he doesn't understand an English word.

When he brings his mates to our place, they don't even understand easiest English.

He went from M 3 to a technical college, where nobody else in his class can speak English, "studying electronics."

I woke him up this morning and he told me that he wouldn't have school today and tomorrow. They cancel so many days that's unbelievable.

Three weeks ago, the main switch at my PC speakers said goodbye. I told him to give it a try. He had no idea how to change such a switch, which I could do when I was 11 years old.

If one teacher's sick, they send them back home. I can't believe what's going on there. I teach him important stuff, related to "his studies" in English, as electronics is one of my hobbies.

I gave up on this system, as I do not see green light at the end of the tunnel.

P.S. 30 teachers of my school are on their way to Sakhon Nakhon for two days right now, together with about 50 students. There are all sorts of competitions for the next two days and I'm pretty sure they won't have a chance to win only one competition.

Okay, maybe the Thai dance and sing show....oh my Buddha. And I have the EP grade one kids alone for two days, as my co teacher had to come with them. My co teacher is in the EP program and teaches one grade one class.

The kids she trained are from grade three, just wondering what the parents will think.

So they pay relatively good money that their kids's teacher's driving to a weird competition, which has nothing to do with the grade one kids. Absolutely nothing.

Seems it's more important that on older woman is on a school trip, than doing her job where people have to pay good money for.

Even the Thai math teacher, the science teacher and art teacher are on the same trip.All three have nothing to do with any of the students' competition.

But no problem, as i can also cover their Thai lessons? Weird.-

Edited December 11, 2014 by lostinisaan

[diehard60]

They forgot about how much time they spend not going to class ON time. Thai trachers are ALWAYS 15 to 30 minutes late to any and every class they have. If you don't beleive me go to a school and snoopp around and see for your self. I taught here in Thailand at all levels and this is the routine.

[Borzandy]

It's funny as Thai teachers never been to any really classroom, only learned to write...

[NoshowJones]

what about urging kids to return to the classroom, might keep some out of the shopping malls and Internet game shops from early morning.

That applies mainly to Mattayom children at schools in the cities.