NRC SEMINAR
Examine ethics of teachers, say students
NITIPOL KIRAVANICH
THE NATION

NRC REFORM FORUM HEARS A WIDE RANGE OF IDEAS FROM ENTHUSIASTIC STUDENTS

BANGKOK: -- IN A SEMINAR on the topic of "Uniting university students' power for reform" - held by the National Reform Council (NRC) yesterday - many students shared the view that teachers and university professors should be scrutinised on their moral and ethical outlook.

In this second day of the forum, enthusiastic students were divided into groups to examine their best ideas and proposals for the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and NRC members.

One team - "Orange" - proposed that because of the importance of teachers and professors to the education system, they should be scrutinised on their ethical and moral attitudes before working to influence students.

"There should be a new organisation pushing forward students' ability, scrutinising the curriculum and ensuring all student [results] are based to the same standards," a representative of the orange team said.

Meanwhile, another group, the Blue Team, proposed that what students were taught must be focused more on how to apply this learning in real life. They urged a national student council to push their plans into law.

"[it was necessary] for a curriculum to include inserted morals, integrity and ethical areas as well," a representative of the blue team added.

However, the Green Team voiced concern there were many unnecessary courses for students and these subjects should be eradicated from the curriculum.

The Red Team urged the Ministry of Education to examine the qualifications of people who would be teachers and professors, proposing that academics should involve psychology in their teaching.

The Pink Team urged the necessity for a "study pathway" arranged for all students, supporting their interests in order to lay down a better future for them.

"We would suggest this study pathway for each student, similar to a career path, would help students to know [the direction to focus their study efforts] before they graduate, in order for them to have a better future and avoid struggle later in their lives," the pink team said.

The composition of these teams included King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Chulalongkorn University, Suranaree University of Technology, Ramkhamhaeng University, and Naresuan University.

Meanwhile, NRC member Prasarn Mareukpitak said the forum had accomplished its objective of passing on students' ideas on national reform.

"This forum and related agencies have been acknowledged for their useful information by people in the education area, [information] that could affect education reform directly," he said.

Prasarn also said he would push for similar forums to be held throughout the country, and ensure that all students' voices are heard in plans for wide-ranging national reforms.

CDC member Thawilwadee Bureekul, who is responsible with a panel to gather public opinions and participation, explained that charter drafters would take students' proposals seriously and study their ideas carefully.

Thawilwadee said if there were students with contrasting ideas in areas of national reform, they could offer opinions to the NRC and CDC and related agencies, which were willing to listen to all proposals.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Examine-ethics-of-teachers-say-students-30250373.html


-- The Nation 2014-12-22

Student's ideas? What idea do they have? Don't waste their time. They better using it to recite prayuth 12 value.

Be careful what you wish for Orange Team.

If teachers suddenly become ethical you might find it harder to get passing grades and be required to work for your degree providing you can actually reach what should be the required standard.

Here is a perfect case of the pot calling the kettle black. Many of the students would make the immorality of the teachers pale in comparison.

""[it was necessary] for a curriculum to include inserted morals, integrity and ethical areas as well," a representative of the blue team added."

No it is not.....University should teach science and independent thinking, it is not there to replace the parents.

Maybe they should involve this as a selection criteria. Why no go further and insist all teachers sit a universal test ensuring they are graded in regard to their suitability for teaching in terms of EQ not IQ.

Maybe then they can employ a commensurate pay scale and pay us with magic unicorns and fairy dust.

And also provide flying cars for us to get to school and thence onto a bar of our choice serving free cocktails.

Edited December 22, 201411 yr by Manbing

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Student's ideas? What idea do they have? Don't waste their time. They better using it to recite prayuth 12 value.

Now, now , your name has been noted, you have been nominated for re- adjustment.

Maybe they should involve this as a selection criteria. Why no go further and insist all teachers sit a universal test ensuring they are graded in regard to their suitability for teaching in terms of EQ not IQ.

Maybe then, they can increase the pay too and pay us with magic unicorns and fairy dust.

Or how about an international review of the qualification and previous work. As well testing the students from universities and cancel their status if they score too bad.

Would be interesting what happens when some "Universities" get downgraded from University to Kindergarten.

Maybe they should involve this as a selection criteria. Why no go further and insist all teachers sit a universal test ensuring they are graded in regard to their suitability for teaching in terms of EQ not IQ.

Maybe then, they can increase the pay too and pay us with magic unicorns and fairy dust.

Or how about an international review of the qualification and previous work. As well testing the students from universities and cancel their status if they score too bad.

Would be interesting what happens when some "Universities" get downgraded from University to Kindergarten.

Or How about international pay rates and employment standards and conditions - is my magical, out of the box, blue sky thinking too preposterous?

The main point I gather from the students is the quality of the teaching staff, the unfortunate part is with respect to the faculty, they are correct , you get no quality with the wages that are paid for starters, no international teachers with special degree will grace the lecture podium on 30 grand Baht a month more like 180 grand baht a month, it is doubtful even then that you would get many , the internal interfering alone would deter many, there needs to be specialists from HK or Singapore or countries of high quality education to reconstruct the Education system, however this costs money, and as I have just repeated myself for the thousandth time on this subject , like the students I'd get a better response from a brick wall

"IN A SEMINAR on the topic of "Uniting university students' power for reform" - held by the National Reform Council (NRC) yesterday - many students shared the view that teachers and university professors should be scrutinised on their moral and ethical outlook...the NRC and CDC and related agencies, which were willing to listen to all proposals."

Great idea. Offer suggestions about ethics to the very same people who were in the top of their classes as a result blindly following a culture of "education" that stresses accepting what is taught without questioning its validity or logic, by "educators" who are to be revered, no matter what their behavior. .

They are willing to listen. However, I doubt they will do anything to change an entire culture to appease the few students who see through the farce of "Thai education". If these students are dedicated to receiving the best education possible, they will probably find themselves overseas with not desire to return to Thailand.

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Maybe they should involve this as a selection criteria. Why no go further and insist all teachers sit a universal test ensuring they are graded in regard to their suitability for teaching in terms of EQ not IQ.

Maybe then, they can increase the pay too and pay us with magic unicorns and fairy dust.

Or how about an international review of the qualification and previous work. As well testing the students from universities and cancel their status if they score too bad.

Would be interesting what happens when some "Universities" get downgraded from University to Kindergarten.

Agree with that. Sure some lecturers need to improve their game, some need massive upgrades of their game including morals.

There's also the other side of the coin, perhaps this student group might like to encourage all uni students to arrive on time, listen and engage in focused discussion, hand in assignments on time and hand in assignments which are not just cut and paste, numerous different fonts and font sizes, no flow across one cut and paste to the next, and often exact same assignment handed in by several students, stop (sometimes deliberately) disrupting classes, turn off their mobile phones, leave their phone in their bag, turned off and at the front of the room during exams (can't count how many times students have ignored the instructions, keep their phone in their pocket on silent and actually answer the phone during exams - if I catch students doing this they are removed from the exam room and then they protest "but I need to speak to my boyfriend, he has a new car."), and don't touch the teachers papers on the front desk and don't touch the teachers bag, etc.

..............recent reports were that around 90% of students think it is okay to cheat......

First requirement should be that teachers are qualified to teach.

Complaining about ethics? You all must be kidding!

Go learn something.

First requirement should be that teachers are qualified to teach.

Before that, you need a teacher training program that turns out teachers who know how to teach.

But before that, you need rid of 99% of the MoE who are stuck in 19th Century thought.

But before you can rid the MoE of them, you need to rid Thailand of the idea that the elder always knows best. And that's not going to happen.

Maybe all they really ask for is a coherent and convenient price list for their teachers 'successful examination fees'

Maybe all they really ask for is a coherent and convenient price list for their teachers 'successful examination fees'

Many years ago I asked one of my uni classes what they thought were the biggest problems for the country in general and themselves in particular at that time and in the future.

After a little discussion i think corruption ' won ' unanimously.

I often wonder what their view would be now, all in their early to mid-30s. How many have had to pay to get a decent job, promotion and so many other things and how many are in a position that they are benefiting from corruption and all the previous high ideals are long forgotten ?

Of course how many paid to graduate in the first place ? i should say that, in my department at least, when teachers submitted exam results etc we never saw them again and no list was ever produced and posted up.

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Maybe they should involve this as a selection criteria. Why no go further and insist all teachers sit a universal test ensuring they are graded in regard to their suitability for teaching in terms of EQ not IQ.

Maybe then, they can increase the pay too and pay us with magic unicorns and fairy dust.

Or how about an international review of the qualification and previous work. As well testing the students from universities and cancel their status if they score too bad.

Would be interesting what happens when some "Universities" get downgraded from University to Kindergarten.

Agree with that. Sure some lecturers need to improve their game, some need massive upgrades of their game including morals.

There's also the other side of the coin, perhaps this student group might like to encourage all uni students to arrive on time, listen and engage in focused discussion, hand in assignments on time and hand in assignments which are not just cut and paste, numerous different fonts and font sizes, no flow across one cut and paste to the next, and often exact same assignment handed in by several students, stop (sometimes deliberately) disrupting classes, turn off their mobile phones, leave their phone in their bag, turned off and at the front of the room during exams (can't count how many times students have ignored the instructions, keep their phone in their pocket on silent and actually answer the phone during exams - if I catch students doing this they are removed from the exam room and then they protest "but I need to speak to my boyfriend, he has a new car."), and don't touch the teachers papers on the front desk and don't touch the teachers bag, etc.

No that isn't necessary. In a working system such students are sorted out quickly. Answer the phone during exam and the exam is considered as failed. The Thai system is different organized than where I studied. There you have only one exam per subject. Failed 3 times and out of the university you are, unless you get a permission from the director to do it a fourth time (rare). Failed a fourth time you need permission from the countries president (ancient law, I think it never happened).

How about simple things like 'turning up on time', 'prioritising study over cheerleading / banner creation', 'using some student centred / task based learning methods' and 'planning lessons to include aims, objectives, methods and assessment guidelines'.

In my years here i've seen next to zero of the above. And i've seen the calibre of student work that generally follows.

Embarrassing.

Nice to see some of the forward thinking and fresh ideas below though. Certainly hope the students' ideas are in fact taken forward to improve the whole system. My gripe here is with the antiquated Education ministry directives and not with the students. Like me, the students have to endure their nonsense directives too.

First requirement should be that teachers are qualified to teach.

Before that, you need a teacher training program that turns out teachers who know how to teach.

But before that, you need rid of 99% of the MoE who are stuck in 19th Century thought.

But before you can rid the MoE of them, you need to rid Thailand of the idea that the elder always knows best. And that's not going to happen.

The MoE curriculum which is what, 10-12 years old is no different from any in the Western world. Why most principals and

and teachers have not implemented it or have been allowed to make no effort to implement it is the real question.

protip: Change requires changing, not just talking about changing.

"One team - "Orange" - proposed that because of the importance of teachers and professors to the education system, they should be scrutinised on their ethical and moral attitudes before working to influence students."

BS.

Teachers should be scrutinised on their ability to impart the ability to think, the desire to succeed, the love of learning, the confidence to push the boundaries of what they know and understand that mistakes, errors and sometimes taking the wrong track are part of the learning process-a positive learning experience is one you emerge from with a stronger understanding of a subject and mistakes are part of that process.

Teachers need to be able to talk with students about their learning, help them self analyse their work, look for positives and areas for growth, the next step so to say.

Their moral compass outside of school is no ones business but their own, as long as what they get up to is legal.

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Maybe they should involve this as a selection criteria. Why no go further and insist all teachers sit a universal test ensuring they are graded in regard to their suitability for teaching in terms of EQ not IQ.

Maybe then, they can increase the pay too and pay us with magic unicorns and fairy dust.

Or how about an international review of the qualification and previous work. As well testing the students from universities and cancel their status if they score too bad.

Would be interesting what happens when some "Universities" get downgraded from University to Kindergarten.

Agree with that. Sure some lecturers need to improve their game, some need massive upgrades of their game including morals.

There's also the other side of the coin, perhaps this student group might like to encourage all uni students to arrive on time, listen and engage in focused discussion, hand in assignments on time and hand in assignments which are not just cut and paste, numerous different fonts and font sizes, no flow across one cut and paste to the next, and often exact same assignment handed in by several students, stop (sometimes deliberately) disrupting classes, turn off their mobile phones, leave their phone in their bag, turned off and at the front of the room during exams (can't count how many times students have ignored the instructions, keep their phone in their pocket on silent and actually answer the phone during exams - if I catch students doing this they are removed from the exam room and then they protest "but I need to speak to my boyfriend, he has a new car."), and don't touch the teachers papers on the front desk and don't touch the teachers bag, etc.

No that isn't necessary. In a working system such students are sorted out quickly. Answer the phone during exam and the exam is considered as failed. The Thai system is different organized than where I studied. There you have only one exam per subject. Failed 3 times and out of the university you are, unless you get a permission from the director to do it a fourth time (rare). Failed a fourth time you need permission from the countries president (ancient law, I think it never happened).

"................... turn off their mobile phones, leave their phone in their bag, turned off and at the front of the room during exams (can't count how many times students have ignored the instructions, keep their phone in their pocket on silent and actually answer the phone during exams - if I catch students doing this they are removed from the exam room..........." .

I'll add a little more: ...... and they automatically fail and they have to do the course again with good attendance and submit all assignments on time and they pay a second time for the course.

Nothing good can be learned outside an ethical construct and foundation.

Start there Thailand.

Don't people have to have morals and ethics before they can discuss them? And don't people have to understand morals and ethics before they can discuss them intelligently. And moreover, don't people have to demonstrate a track record of exercising what they know and understand in order to set a standard.

There is no standard. Unwittingly, the reporter had posted a satirical article.

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..............recent reports were that around 90% of students think it is okay to cheat......

While the other 10% were adjusting the poll result................

Here is a perfect case of the pot calling the kettle black. Many of the students would make the immorality of the teachers pale in comparison.

One of those strange cases where many is a kindly understatement.

If Thai teachers can't even memorize all the 12 Prayuth values, how can they be qualified to lead the children of the country?

Nothing good can be learned outside an ethical construct and foundation.

Start there Thailand.

"How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.