Private schools in Thailand on shaky ground

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SPECIAL REPORT
Private schools on shaky ground
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation



Almost 400 have closed in the past decade; relatives of founders don't want to run them.

BANGKOK: -- YEAR AFTER YEAR, Thailand has seen many of its private schools going out of business. And with this trend, there is a possibility that perhaps half - if not more - of existing privately-run schools will shut down in the near future.

Private Education Council president Jirapan Pimpan said there were now about 4,000 private schools in the country and fewer than 1,000 of them were famous.

"So, I must say that some 1,000 or 2,000 schools are at risk of closing down," she said.

It is not an overstatement given that many factors can weaken private schools and encourage their owners to shut them down.

According to Jirapan, the owners of many private schools today are the children or grandchildren of their founders. Among the second- or third-generation owners of such family businesses are those who are not interested in running a school.

That is a reason why nearly 400 private schools have shut down in the past decade.

Another key factor, Jirapan added, was the soaring land price in Bangkok and some other big cities. Owners of many schools have found out that the land their schools are located on can fetch a very good price or have huge commercial value.

The Sesawech Vidhaya School, which is set to close down on April 30, is an example of this worrying trend, Office of Private Education Commission (Opec) secretary-general Bundit Sriputtangul said.

"The heir of the school's late founder wants to use the land plot for another purpose," he said.

Founded in 1973, the Sesawech Vidhaya School sits near a planned Skytrain station. After its founder passed away, the heir has made it clear that the school will be closed, to the dismay of its students and their parents. Some of them are so upset about the news they have petitioned to the Education Ministry.

"We have tried to persuade the heir to keep the school open but we can't force anyone," Bundit said.

He insisted that very few schools went out of business because of financial loss, given that the government provides a subsidy.

"The government is ready to pay

for 100 per cent of the cost of organising educational services," he said.

So far, he said most private schools had decided to take just 70 per cent of the possible subsidy so that they could directly receive the remaining portion of money from |parents.

The government subsidy stands at around Bt10,000 per head at kindergarten level and it can go up to Bt20,979 at vocational level.

"I can tell you that a private school will likely reach the break-even point within five years of their launch if |those in charge have run the school well enough," Bundit said.

Jirapan complained that the government's policy to increase the monthly teacher salary of bachelor-degree holders to Bt15,000 has caused an adverse impact on private schools.

"When the government agrees to pay at that rate, private schools are automatically forced to pay the same rate for teachers who have held a bachelor's degree," she said. "If we don't pay, we will find it hard to attract or retain teachers".

Opec believes that private schools have also suffered brain-drain problems as teachers at small private schools often felt they lacked job security or had to make do with low pay and poor |welfare.

According to veterans in the field, thriving private schools are mostly big and have an efficient management system. Some school chains, for example, have even offered teachers a stake in the business to boost engagement, loyalty and work performance.

Bundit said Opec had been trying to help private schools tackle these problems through various measures.

"We are going to propose that the government increase the subsidy so that the additional amount goes directly to teachers' salaries," he said.

He said Opec, in addition, had been drafting a regulation that would award extra cash to private schools whose educational quality passed a set criteria.

"The criteria includes life skills, language abilities and literacy. This new regulation may take effect as early as May," Bundit said.

Jirapan said that several measures by the government had also adversely affected private schools.

She pointed out that private schools had also suffered from students dropping out to enrol in state schools.

"Many famous state schools have offered many rounds of [student] recruitment," she said. "At some schools, there are also as many as 20 classrooms for Pathom 1, etc. This is in addition to the many special programmes that have been launched."

On top of these factors, Jirapan believes that some private schools have management problems.

"When a school is run as a family business, it lacks clear direction," she said.

"Without efficient management in this regard, schools can't deliver an efficient curriculum."

Although Thailand has seen more than 1,000 private schools open in the past decade, Bundit said the |closure of some 400 schools could not be ignored.

"It should be noted that most schools open in the provinces," he said. "The |number of private schools in Bangkok and big cities is shrinking."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Private-schools-on-shaky-ground-30251681.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-12

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Many teachers trapped in miserable jobs
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- EACH YEAR HUNDREDS of private school teachers try to switch jobs because of heavy workloads and little job security or continue to endure difficult working conditions, sometimes being taken advantage of.

Sind, a private school teacher in her 40s, said that she took all the official recruiting examinations but her social science degree was a less-demand field by the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) and she was still waiting for a job in a public school.

Sind recently left a private kindergarten where she taught for over a decade and made less than Bt15,000 a month without welfare.

"I never received the living cost subsidy, which the government gave to ensure private schoolteachers' overall income would be nearly Bt15,000, because the money was all wired to the bank account of the school [kindergarten] owner," she said.

She said that the owner withdrew the money and paid staff in cash and at a lower rate.

No one dared protest, she said, after a teacher was fired for filing a complaint with the educational service area office.

Moreover, Sind said that the owner's ties to local and national politicians meant that teachers were obliged to help woo voters at election time.

"We had to woo voters during weekends. We were made to do so or else we would be accused of not co-operating, or be targeted or made to leave the job," she said, adding that the school never sent teachers to training programmes.

Sind currently works at a private school with good management. She said she was proud of this school, as it only required her to teach, and she also got a bigger cheque.

In a separate case, teachers in Songkhla reportedly filed complaints at the provincial private education office after some private schools withheld part of the Bt10,000 per head retrospect living cost subsidy to teachers.

The schools argued that they had the right to withhold the money.

The government also announced a new salary of Bt14,100 for teachers who completed the Graduate Diploma Programme in Teaching Profession. The old rate was Bt12,480.

Teachers who complete the four-year bachelor degree programme or the equivalent advanced certificate in Buddhist theology are meant to be paid Bt13,300, compared to the old rate of Bt11,680.

More than 100,000 private schoolteachers in the country cover 2.4 million students.

Wan, a teacher in her 50s, recalled how early last year her school said it was closing and promised to pay teachers compensation equivalent to 10 to 13 months salary, in accordance with labour laws, and fears her teaching career will be over when it shuts.

"At my age, what school would recruit me?" she said. "I will have to change to another freelance job, although being a teacher is my passion."

A holder of an education degree majoring in Thai, Wan taught Thai to students for three decades. "I had hoped that this private school would be the place I would work until my retirement," she said.

Wan's story and the negative experiences of many other private school teachers is in sharp contrast to what Private Education Commission head Bundit Sriphutthangkul has said.

He said the government backed private schools and increased teacher salaries so they stayed at one location as long as possible, while continuously developing teacher quality.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Many-teachers-trapped-in-miserable-jobs-30251683.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-12

[chooka]

They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

[kotsak]

Not to mention the forced "donations"..

[ldnguy]

They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

It's up to the teachers to accept or reject the salary they are offered. No-one is forcing them to work for "peanuts".

[ldnguy]

They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

Maybe you could open a school that charges less and pays teachers more. Or maybe you are too busy complaining.

[SABloke]

Not to mention the forced "donations"..

This happens at famous government schools. Most private schools will take anyone who is willing to pay.

[SABloke]

They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

This article is about PRIVATE not INTERNATIONAL schools. Fees in Bangkok are around 25 to 40 000 a term (same calendar as government schools so only 2 terms) Hardly HUGE fees as you describe.

International schools on the other hand start with a registration fee of around 50 000 and then you start paying...

[jlwilliamsjr18]

I worked International schools for many years. One certainty, once a local child enters the system, as time passes, there is no turning back. Many have their merit, but so many are sad and disgusting examples for an education. Parents are often sold a bill of goods that are worthless.

[charmonman]

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They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

It's up to the teachers to accept or reject the salary they are offered. No-one is forcing them to work for "peanuts".

That's ridiculous. Job opportunities are not unlimited. So you think they should just all decide to become bank presidents? Or you think the young female ones should just go out and work in a bar instead?

Every society needs a decent education system and teachers. If someone decides to pursue this worthwhile profession, you don't think they should be paid a fair wage?

[yankee99]

Just curious what is the distinction between a international school and a private school. I mean theyre both private right.

[ThaiFelix]

They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

I agree and speak from 10 years experience at a private school in Bangkok but I am speaking about Thai teachers here not farang. The hours they have to do is also horrendous. Its easy to say they dont have to accept it but they do as there is little alternative. Like most Thais many are in debt and have no choice but to take what they are offered. Many of the teachers at the school I worked had also taken out "cheap" car loans offered by the MOE which kept them trapped in the job. Thai teachers have my full sympathy.

[ABCer]

My personal background - teaching at Gov't schools.

My children never went through a Private school.

Both of them got excellent results at school and entered their first choice Uni (very competitive courses).

Well, I must admit it was not in Thailand!

I wrote the above not to wave the flag but to explain and support my firm belief:

- private sector provides better facilities at exuberant prices but not a better education;

- a good gov't school can and often does beat private 'elite' school in quality education delivered;

- the emphasis is on 'good' - meaning - academic orientation, dedicated teachers, motivated parents and students;

- to achieve the above the gov't school must be:

* strictly senior (last 4 years);

* unisex (boys or girls, but not mixed);

* entry by exams (judged strictly objectively);

* each year 5% of students showing weakest results must leave to allow mobility and maintain high standards;

* such gov't schools must teach to International curriculum.

Conditions above only can be achieved if the Gov't is serious about uplifting the Ed. Standards in their country.

[Johnnie99]

There's a number of points from these comments:

• Thai teachers attend school premises for long hours, but if they worked professionally during all of those hours they would complete their workloads within working hours
• International and private schools offer the same product - some schools have renamed themselves 'International' to obtain perceived prestige
• Many deductions are taken from Thai teachers in the form of loans, loan repayments (cars being the usual example)
• International schools are no better in the quality of education they offer than many government or other fee-paying schools
• The name 'International' appeals to those Thais and foreigners (for whom their company pays the fees) who consider themselves above the government system

Are there any International schools which command a huge bribe, for their quality? I think not.

I write from long experience.

[recom273]

They charge huge fees and pay the teachers peanuts

It's up to the teachers to accept or reject the salary they are offered. No-one is forcing them to work for "peanuts".

The teachers are a product of the university system that produced more teachers than government jobs, some private school teachers don't have a degree at all.

There are only so many government positions so teachers take these jobs then move to a better position when they pass the government exam.

They are often forced to work long hours from gate duty at 7.00 am to after school club until 5.30 pm, then clean classes until 6.30.

The sooner these local mafia / business family schools are gone the better in my opinion.

However I'm sure there are some out there that are run well, for the good of the kids, with happy staff and little profit. I wish them all the best.

[Briggsy]

The top government schools are effectively private schools but classed as government schools.

In order to get your kids into the top government schools, parents pay huge donations (=fees) to alumni associations.

These schools allow your children to mix with other middle class kids and only middle class.

These schools allow your children to have the best chance to get into the top Thai universities.

This is typically what the ambitious middle class parents expect and want. This is the typical customer for a private school but this market has been hijacked by a group within the state system. Therefore the private school system will continue to wither in Thailand.

This has nothing to do with international schools which cater to a different market.

Edited January 12, 2015 by Briggsy

[Briggsy]

Just curious what is the distinction between a international school and a private school. I mean theyre both private right.

International school has an "international school" licence from Ministry of Education. They teach in another language, usually English. They are not required to follow the Thai school syllabus. However, students holding Thai nationality have to do some compulsory subjects.

Private schools, that are not international or bilingual, teach in Thai and follow the Thai school syllabus.

[jalansanitwong]

Both my daughters go to the school mentioned in this article........Sesawech in Thapra. Siam campus directly opposite the school wants to buy the land for 800 million baht.

The owner of the school wants 1 billion. If neither side budges then the school may stay open this year.

Nothing in this country matters except money.. No-one cares about the schools expecially the greedy children who inherit these places from their parents and grand parents.

There used to be 6 farang teachers but no longer. They were ripped off on O/T apparently. One rolls up once or twice a week but ive never seen him.

The school has summer classes (English) just another money making scam. The education system here is a joke without qualified farang teachers.

Thailands future is bleak. I would prefer to pull my children out of the school system and hire a private teacher.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What an odd, Thai-journalism style article.

The top of the article and headline make it seem like private schools in Thailand are declining, with "nearly 400" (338) having closed in the past decade.

But the graphic accompanying the article, and then finally the article at the very bottom, makes it clear that during that same time, "more than 1000" (1006) such schools were newly opened. So in essence, though the article doesn't say it, new school openings about tripled existing school closings during the period in question.

That doesn't much sound like an industry in decline, given that the population of private schools grew considerably (an increase of 640+) during the period in question.

And, if you look at the year to year closure numbers in the info graphic, the larger numbers of closures all occurred during the prior 2005-2009 period, while the year to year closures in the more recent years since then have been much smaller and declining on an annual basis in comparison. I.e., fewer schools have been closing in recent years compared to in the past.

Edited January 12, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Neeranam]

I worked International schools for many years. One certainty, once a local child enters the system, as time passes, there is no turning back. Many have their merit, but so many are sad and disgusting examples for an education. Parents are often sold a bill of goods that are worthless.

How true. I know parents who have unselfishly given so much for the best education of their kids and if they had gone to the local temple school they'd have turned out no worse.

Snobs, addicts, and basically spoiled brats.

I worked as an English teacher for 13 years and the private schools in BKK were a total rip off for the parents.

[Suradit69]

Both my daughters go to the school mentioned in this article........Sesawech in Thapra. Siam campus directly opposite the school wants to buy the land for 800 million baht.

The owner of the school wants 1 billion. If neither side budges then the school may stay open this year.

Nothing in this country matters except money.. No-one cares about the schools expecially the greedy children who inherit these places from their parents and grand parents.

There used to be 6 farang teachers but no longer. They were ripped off on O/T apparently. One rolls up once or twice a week but ive never seen him.

The school has summer classes (English) just another money making scam. The education system here is a joke without qualified farang teachers.

Thailands future is bleak. I would prefer to pull my children out of the school system and hire a private teacher.

"The education system here is a joke without qualified farang teachers."

Having qualifications on paper & a pale complexion hardly equates to quality teachers or a sudden leap in student performance. Read through some of the threads in the education/teaching forum on TV. If that's at all representative, you'd realize that "quality" farang teachers are pretty thin on the ground whether or not they could be described as qualified.

[chotthee]

This is exactly why government school is the best, as it strictly follow Prayuth 12 core Thainese value.

Thai government school now even have Farang teacher.

Not sure if they managed to get the full 15,000 Baht / month or not.

[bangon04]

"Wan's story and the negative experiences of many other private school teachers is in sharp contrast to what Private Education Commission head Bundit Sriphutthangkul has said."

Hands up everyone who is surprised / shocked by this revelation....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Teachers who complete the four-year bachelor degree programme or the equivalent advanced certificate in Buddhist theology are meant to be paid Bt13,300, compared to the old rate of Bt11,680.

The Thai government is paying private school teacher salary bonuses to teachers who have completed an advanced certificate in Buddhist theology????

And anyone wonders why the education system here is c**p...

[ChrisB87]

At our (private) school, Thai teachers haven't had a summer holiday for years, not even a day. Now, they are being told they must work weekends as well until the start of the new semester (through summer).

[Jasun]

"Jirapan Pimpan said there were now about 4,000 private schools in the country and fewer than 1,000 of them were famous."

That's a lot of famous private schools. I can only name three.

[gemini81]

Mass production, low quality and way overpriced. Sent mine to a bilingual school, as the international ones are just a marketing scheme and the absorbent fees are totally arrogant and a rip off.

[petercool]

A racist post and a reply quoting it both removed

[jbauer]

At our (private) school, Thai teachers haven't had a summer holiday for years, not even a day. Now, they are being told they must work weekends as well until the start of the new semester (through summer).

But the farang teachers don't? Why not? Is it because they have complained in the past and the management knows they can't strongarm them?

Just a guess, but if that is correct, it goes to show that, if you don't complain about something and just accept it, you deserve to have to put up with it. Thai teachers like this don't get much sympathy from me on this matter, as they won't do anything to change it. Sounds like your school's teachers have to do work for work's sake, probably to fulfill some management power trip, and are completely whipped; harsh, but if you don't stick up for yourself, what do you expect?

It's not just about them, either; the stress they let themselves be put under probably affects their performance and reduces their effectiveness in the classroom, and the students often don't want to do these after school/weekend/summer course extra-curricular activities and complain of being tired/bored. (It must be said, though, that many of the Thai teachers I know do actually get paid for extra work; off the official books, of course).

Edited January 12, 2015 by jbauer

[lensta]

There's a number of points from these comments:

• Thai teachers attend school premises for long hours, but if they worked professionally during all of those hours they would complete their workloads within working hours
• International and private schools offer the same product - some schools have renamed themselves 'International' to obtain perceived prestige
• Many deductions are taken from Thai teachers in the form of loans, loan repayments (cars being the usual example)
• International schools are no better in the quality of education they offer than many government or other fee-paying schools
• The name 'International' appeals to those Thais and foreigners (for whom their company pays the fees) who consider themselves above the government system

Are there any International schools which command a huge bribe, for their quality? I think not.

I write from long experience.

"International and private schools offer the same product - some schools have renamed themselves 'International' to obtain perceived prestige"

I have to disagree with this point that you made. Private schools use a Thai Curriculum and usually run an English program using mainly Thai Teachers with a few foreign teachers (many from the Philippines)to teach English . International Schools use an international curriculum such as the IB, Singapore, English,or Australian Curriculum. They use mainly foreign teachers (from western countries)to teach all subjects with a few Thai Teachers to conduct the compulsory Thai Classes.