Term dates changing next year (maybe)

[SlyAnimal]

If you guys remember, a couple of years ago, they changed the University academic year to fall in line with the other ASEAN countries, so that it'd start in August. They were going to do the same thing for schools, but it didn't end up happening for whatever reason.

I've just been having a chat with my boss, who has told me he was talking to someone high up, and that apparently this year schools will have the option of changing to the new academic year, and that in the following academic year (2016) it'll become mandatory.

Which could mean that when your school finishes in March next year (Or this year if they decide to voluntarily change), it might not re-open until August. This is something which is obviously of some concern, particularly as how each school handles that, in regards to Farang teacher's contracts, will be different.

I don't know if this will necessarily come to pass, as they said this would happen previously but it didn't, however it's definitely worth being aware of, and would be worthwhile to ask your school what's likely to happen (They might not necessarily know yet though).

[jdinasia]

Not working in an OBEC school and with the school I work at having a different schedule from all others... I wonder how this will affect us?

I'll ask around tmw and see if anyone knows anything, but I doubt anyone will.

[lostinisaan]

I've just been having a chat with my boss, who has told me he was talking to someone high up, and that apparently this year schools will have the option of changing to the new academic year, and that in the following academic year (2016) it'll become mandatory.

Dude, if that's true, it will be a little catastrophe... .

[DavisH]

So students would have to attend school all through the hot season and also the peak of the wet season. I just don't see it happening.

[mogo51]

T I T anytjomg is possible.

[aarontendo]

I'd love to see this happen. Always irritated me how out of synch the Thai calendar is with other EFL destinations.

[otherstuff1957]

I already have the calendar for next school year and my school is opening on May 18.

If this does get implemented at some schools and not at others, I can see this creating some real problems. I guess that they have told everyone with school-aged children to not move for the next year, as the schools in their old and new districts may not be on the same schedule.

Also, can all private schools even afford to pay teachers for a 4 month holiday? If this does happen I would expect a lot of foreign teachers to get a long unpaid vacation and the Thai teachers to get a salary reduction for a few months.

[attrayant]

Normally my school's term starts in the first week of May. This year (SY15) it's been pushed back to the first week of June. We were all surprised and wondering what we're supposed to do in the office for three months between last term and next. Thank Og for the internet.

Edited March 19, 2015 by attrayant

[jdinasia]

I had 2 department heads in my "class" this morning. We have no change in the academic calendar for the coming school year.

[sprq]

So students would have to attend school all through the hot season and also the peak of the wet season. I just don't see it happening.

If they can make university students do it, they're stupid enough to make all the rest do it.

[LecheHombre]

I teach a lot of Matayom 6 classes. In the 2014-2015 Academic Year (the one that just finished), I was told that the Term 1 "midterm" tests (usually July-ish) were going to be midterms for M1 to M5, but for M6 they were Term 1 FINAL tests. Then M1-M5 stayed on the normal schedule for the rest of the year, but M6 was different. The long term break in October was "midterm" for them, and the late-December midterms were their "finals"... I was told that I should keep going to classes as scheduled after that in Jan-Feb, because "some students might come to class". As I figured, no students showed up (they already had final grades, are busy with Uni entrance exams etc., no surprise) so I went from a full schedule down to about half for those months.

That seemed like a very stop-gap solution to the issue of Matayom schedules being different from the new Uni schedules. Just moves the collision forward a year, doesn't actually solve anything. BUT, I was recently told that we'd be doing the exact same thing next year. To make up for the missing quarter, M5 students that are moving on to M6 are in the process of doing 3 weeks of summer class, which I guess is supposed to serve as their first quarter.

Personally, I think it is a stupid idea to force all schools into the International schedule just to keep up appearances for ASEAN. The vast majority of Govt. schools don't have AC in classrooms (very few if any), March is too bloody hot, and 99.9% of these students are going to be covered by one of two options, those being either A) further study at a Thai university, or not going to university. For the tenth of a percent that want to study in some other ASEAN country, a roughly 6-month break between Thai-schedule Matayom graduation in early March and starting up as year 1 Uni students in late August is probably a GOOD thing. It would be harder for students in other ASEAN countries to come and study here, but A) you'd have to be crazy to intentionally opt-in to this shambles of an education system, and they could presumably just start up in the second term instead of the first, giving them a break from May(ish, International end date) to November(ish, Thai term 2 start date).

This whole mess with adjusting the schedules solves a problem that didn't really exist by replacing it with problems that really DO matter. Not that I'm surprised; pretty much par for the course here.

Edited March 19, 2015 by LecheHombre

[mango66]

many schools in rural areas dont have AC, so how they will teach in the hot months,

on which now are the school holidays ?? ( all of them will get ACs

and october was the most raining month, streets sometimes not passable,

( so they will get boat transport and helicopters ??

I think schoolterms have to be adapted to the local culture and conditions;

Also in Europe we have the summer vacation in the hottest months,

and winter school holidays when is cold and snow and transport more difficult;

[bangon04]

So students would have to attend school all through the hot season and also the peak of the wet season. I just don't see it happening.

Yes, those pesky foreigners again, with their private international school system. It is a mystery how they get anything done at all with their weird system. And they even get parents to pay more for it and put up with the prestige too....and as for the results, well....

Edited March 19, 2015 by bangon04

[SlyAnimal]

Although bear in mind, this has been proposed before, and didn't get implemented, so it's not a sure thing (Which is why I put "maybe" in the title). Also I only heard it from my boss (Who's reasonably well connected/informed, but it's still secondhand information).

[DavisH]

So students would have to attend school all through the hot season and also the peak of the wet season. I just don't see it happening.

If they can make university students do it, they're stupid enough to make all the rest do it.

I think the point is to make university calendars across ASEAN on the same schedule, so university students can easily move between countries. This is not necessary for school students. M6 graduates now have a long gap until they start university. This will be a money spinner for universities as they can run extra programs for their new intake (for extra cash).

[DavisH]

So students would have to attend school all through the hot season and also the peak of the wet season. I just don't see it happening.

Yes, those pesky foreigners again, with their private international school system. It is a mystery how they get anything done at all with their weird system. And they even get parents to pay more for it and put up with the prestige too....and as for the results, well....

International school schedules are not important as the students make up a very small minority of the total number of students here. They follow a Brit/US schedule because they have to.

[Scott]

Our school calendar starts in May, but it wouldn't be the first time they changed their mind.

As soon as someone figures out who actually runs the country, perhaps they could ask the right person.

In the meantime.....

[Somtamnication]

Not trying to inject logic into the Thai train of thought.

But, they could have easily implemented this calendar change by slowly moving each school year up a month, every year, until we reached August.

[Scott]

What a lovely thought, but doesn't that entail some sort of planning?

[puchooay]

The problem being Songkran (13th -15th April), Chakri Day (6th April), Labour Day (1st May) and Coronation Day (5th May).

These public holidays are currently incorporated in the long summer holiday.

If the school holidays are moved then students will have even more time off. Think about the years when Songkran falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday and the government give the whole week off.

[bangmai]

The American school year was designed so kids could work on their families' farm during the busy season.

[Scott]

The American school year was designed so kids could work on their families' farm during the busy season.

The point is, it was designed and planned. I am not sure that the Thai system was.

[casualbiker]

The American school year was designed so kids could work on their families' farm during the busy season.

The point is, it was designed and planned. I am not sure that the Thai system was.

It was designed so that kids didn't have to sit in stuffy school rooms during the hottest period of the year.....

[Scott]

I have worked many summer sessions at school. The classrooms have fans and actually reasonably comfortable. It is much hotter outside than in the school.

They are hardly 'stuffy'.

It is becoming more common to have Air conditioned classrooms.

[casualbiker]

I have worked many summer sessions at school. The classrooms have fans and actually reasonably comfortable. It is much hotter outside than in the school.

They are hardly 'stuffy'.

It is becoming more common to have Air conditioned classrooms.

Fair enough. It still the hottest time of the year.. It's why they call it "hot season" !

[claffey]

The American school year was designed so kids could work on their families' farm during the busy season.

The point is, it was designed and planned. I am not sure that the Thai system was.

The Thai system was obviously planned to close schools during the Hot Season!

[jdinasia]

The school I work at the most (primary employment) has not announced any changes. Since they only accept M4-M6 student will meet rigorous criteria (mostly from put schools), it indeed appears that this was a false alarm