Thai teachers in south call for educational reform

[webfact]

EDUCATION
Teachers in south call for educational reform

BANGKOK: -- Teachers in the deep southern provinces are calling for educational reform, saying better education will help restore peace and prevent violence in the region.

Boonsom Tongsriprai, Chairman of the Southern Teachers Federation, on Wednesday handed a petition to the second vice president of the National Reform Council (NRC), Tassana Boonton.

The petition requested that the NRC promptly push for educational reform in southern provinces, given that better education would help bring peace and unity among the residents, and is believed to help resolve and prevent violent acts taking place in the area.

Boonsom said a large number of people have been affected by the unrest during the past decade, with educators being the group targeted the most. Many teachers have lost their lives while those still alive have to live in fear.

The federation has also called for educational equality, saying every individual must have equal access to education and that the curriculum offered in the Deep South must meet the same requirements as those offered in other areas.

Furthermore, teachers in the south should also be entitled to welfare, benefits, and other privileges, all of which can encourage them to carry on their daily routines educating and fostering the youngsters, he said.

Tassana said the reform body would emphasizes on the significance of welfare and more importantly the safety of the teachers working in the south.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Teachers-in-south-call-for-educational-reform-30251944.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-15

[cup-O-coffee]

I don't understand it. The teachers have the tools to behave (morals, ethics) and yet they can't pass that on to their own students in and out of the classrooms?

The problem is that they are asking for things they don't have (and will likely never get), and letting the things they do have lie dormant and go stale.

This is stupid because they cannot even do that much, and it is so very little, yet so valuable of a foundation to being a decent person.

Without it, education lacks substance.

[SlyAnimal]

I don't understand it. The teachers have the tools to behave (morals, ethics) and yet they can't pass that on to their own students in and out of the classrooms?

The problem is that they are asking for things they don't have (and will likely never get), and letting the things they do have lie dormant and go stale.

This is stupid because they cannot even do that much, and it is so very little, yet so valuable of a foundation to being a decent person.

Without it, education lacks substance.

I'd be reasonably sure, that the teachers would be trying to discourage the students from building bombs and shooting people, particularly as the primary targets of the bombs, assassinations and other terrorist activities in the deep south, are government employees (Which of course includes teachers).

I'm sure that even with the limited time and resources which teachers have available, they are doing everything possible to guide the children towards being responsible adults. The article is probably more referring to the fact that, if they had smaller classes, better technology and better remuneration, that they may be able to do a better job.

But whether they receive better educational resources or not, teachers aren't the only role models that children grow up with, and it's likely that the role models closer to home are the ones whom guide them down the path towards terrorism.

[nami]

How about letting the students chose if they want to study Buddhism, Islam, or social ethics instead? That and giving parts of the classes in the local language would be a gesture appreciated by many there...

[lostinisaan]

Many teachers have lost their lives while those still alive have to live in fear.

This one sentence is really scary. Reminds me of a GI who had something carved into his Zippo lighter:

"If I had a farm in Vietnam and a home in the hell, I'd sell my farm and go home."

Edited January 17, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Rhys]

How about letting the students chose if they want to study Buddhism, Islam, or social ethics instead? That and giving parts of the classes in the local language would be a gesture appreciated by many there...

Part of the issue and complex manner of the problem. Podoks, teach a secular education. Some attempts to integrate Business and more liberal arts curriculum have been tried...

However, it is still distrust, bias, and lack of will to move forward... End result status quo.. both sides... 0 to 0.5

[garrya]

I don't understand it. The teachers have the tools to behave (morals, ethics) and yet they can't pass that on to their own students in and out of the classrooms?

The problem is that they are asking for things they don't have (and will likely never get), and letting the things they do have lie dormant and go stale.

This is stupid because they cannot even do that much, and it is so very little, yet so valuable of a foundation to being a decent person.

Without it, education lacks substance.

Thai teachers and morals and ethics????????

Nope