Major Education shake-up

[Lite Beer]

PUSH FOR EDUCATION REFORM
Major Education shake-up
The Nation

NATIONAL COUNCIL for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha has introduced a big shake-up at the Education Ministry in the push for education reform and greater efficiency.

Several top education officials, including the ministry's permanent secretary, have been reshuffled.

With Article 44 giving him across-the-board power, Prayut signed an order to transfer several high-ranking education officials on Thursday.

The order will take effect as soon as it is published in the Royal Gazette.

Under the order, Education Ministry permanent secretary Suthasri Wongsamarn will be removed and appointed as secretary general of the Office of the Education Council. He will be replaced by Kamjorn Tatiyakavee, secretary-general of the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec).

Piniti Ratananukul, head of the Office of the Education Council, will become the new chief of Ohec.

Through the reshuffle, Office of the Private Education Commission secretary general Bundit Sriputtangul will swap posts with Education Ministry inspector general Adinan Pakbara.

In another move, Office of Basic Education Commission deputy secretary-general Rattana Sriherun will be made secretary-general of the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Education Personnel Commission.

The PM also removed all board members of the Teachers Council, |the Office of Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Education Personnel and the office's business organisation.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Major-Education-shake-up-30258215.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-18

[Dannyboy666]

Much Needed, They Need To Get Tough... And that does not mean corporal punishment for the children.

[jerojero]

Reshuffled? How about replace top four or five layers of Education bureaucracy, top down! Bring in qualified farang consultants and put together a strategy that will set the country forward. Reshuffle, my as*

Edited April 17, 2015 by jerojero

[Lunchbob]

One must assume these were impediments to progress now removed. Very bold. Well done.

[greenchair]

One must assume these were impediments to progress now removed. Very bold. Well done.

Did you not read the post? I'm

They were not removed, merely changed from one position to another.

[issanaus]

The higher levels of the Education Department need to be sent back to school as there is much that they need to learn - OK an overseas school

Edit for spelling

Edited April 17, 2015 by issanaus

[rametindallas]

Since Thaksin came into office in 2001, proclaiming himself an education PM, little has improved in the field of education. It must be because the civil service hasn't changed. Thaksin and all of his 'puppet' governments used to change Educations Ministers at least every six months to give each of them some time to feed at the trough. It's kind of impossible for a Education Minister to get the civil service to respond when the civil service knows the minister will be replaced soon. There was no expectation of change. Now, utilizing Article 44 of the interim Constitution, Prayut has put the fear of losing their jobs on the table if things don't improve. That is something the complacent civil service is not used to. As for inviting Farangs, who, admittedly, generally do a better job at education, they wouldn't be listened to so it is best to have Thais reform Thais. Motivation is the key and job security can be a good, if harsh, motivator.

[zaphod reborn]

I would have rather seen the entire Ministry and all administrators investigated and prosecuted for corruption. The remaining "educators" should be evaluated for competence, and mostly terminated, not transferred.

[SoilSpoil]

The director of my school asked us foreigners firmly to step forward with ideas to improve the overall performance of the school. When some of usdid, the standard answer was that things are not done that way in Thailand.

[Manbing]

Now that's all fixed then. We can expect that BKK will top the lists for prestigious academic institutions.

And next for reform will be...

'Lets play spin the wheel...'

Cue corny organ music

[Manbing]

The director of my school asked us foreigners firmly to step forward with ideas to improve the overall performance of the school. When some of usdid, the standard answer was that things are not done that way in Thailand.

just a hint of the school would be nice?

Udom Suksa?

[Manbing]

I would have rather seen the entire Ministry and all administrators investigated and prosecuted for corruption. The remaining "educators" should be evaluated for competence, and mostly terminated, not transferred.

So education reform idea 1. Sack all the teachers?

Whats 2? - Close the schools and chain kids to factory tables

I have to ask did Zaphod really think this idea through?

[NongKhaiKid]

The shake up needs to go down all the way to grass roots where, for many reasons, school principles and teachers actively resist all change.

Any new people at the ministry will have to be determined even ruthless in forcing through necessary changes but that's not how things are done here. What's the point of new ideas when they can't or won't be implemented ?

The PM may want to project a dynamic no nonsense image but he can't visit every school in the country to wield the big stick.

To get things done in so many ministries and agencies he's got to really shake things up and get people out of their lethargy or automatic resistance meaning he'll be the only man left standing as he'll have to have sacked almost everyone else.

[rijb]

Since Thaksin came into office in 2001, proclaiming himself an education PM, little has improved in the field of education. It must be because the civil service hasn't changed. Thaksin and all of his 'puppet' governments used to change Educations Ministers at least every six months to give each of them some time to feed at the trough. It's kind of impossible for a Education Minister to get the civil service to respond when the civil service knows the minister will be replaced soon. There was no expectation of change. Now, utilizing Article 44 of the interim Constitution, Prayut has put the fear of losing their jobs on the table if things don't improve. That is something the complacent civil service is not used to. As for inviting Farangs, who, admittedly, generally do a better job at education, they wouldn't be listened to so it is best to have Thais reform Thais. Motivation is the key and job security can be a good, if harsh, motivator.

And if this doesn't work, it'll still be Thaksin's fault...

[Somtamnication]

He just moved the raisins from the left to the right. Close krusapha to, while he is at it.

[timber]

Glad to see that they know there is a problem. Changes are needed, but there has to be accountability, and monitoring and advice from outside of Thailand.

There are recognized experts in the field with a proven history. .

[willyumiii]

I hope this means that money allocated for education will actually be used to educate the students and not buy new cars and land for administrators.

Thailand spends more money on education than any other country, but fails to educate very well.

It's a crime.

[givenall]

Why it is called permanent when can be changed or replaced.

[clockman]

One of the biggest budgets. And the worst education results. In Asian. Corruption all the way. From top to bottom.

[kaorop]

wow the secretary generals have been replaced with the general secretaries

why cant they just sack the most corrupt and incompetent, note i said "the most"

[yellowboat]

The reshuffle is meaningless without a substantive plan. Real education reform would threaten the elitist grip on the country. This is not going to happen under the good general's watch.

[h90]

Reshuffled? How about replace top four or five layers of Education bureaucracy, top down! Bring in qualified farang consultants and put together a strategy that will set the country forward. Reshuffle, my as*

I am sure there are also enough foreign educated Thais who could do a better job than now.

There are good models, Finland, South Korea....just copy them. Might not be perfect but better than what they do now.

[ggt]

Teachers and administrators excessive use of corporal punishment needs to be addressed and changes made...the beating some children must endure borders on criminal abuse...not to mention the fear of having to go to school for the abused children...

[arthurboy]

I simply cannot believe that the majority of educators, administrators, civil servants, teachers and school directors have the capacity or the will to change for two reasons.

One, they will have to completely change their thinking and attitude.

Two, they will have to stop being corrupt.

Both of which are impossible.

[Just1Voice]

Thailand needs to sit up and take notice of what Vietnam did a few years back. They closed all schools for 1 year, then sent the teachers back to school. They brought in foreign professionals to completely retrain all the Vietnamese teachers. Once that was done, they reopened the schools and sent everyone back. Within a year, Vietnam's international scores showed a definite increase, and they have been improving ever since then. Bold move for a Communist country.

But would Thailand even consider something like that? We all know the answer to that question.

[MaxLee]

Preserving and saving face is killing equal opportunities for centuries in the favor of the elite.......

[scorecard]

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Thailand needs to sit up and take notice of what Vietnam did a few years back. They closed all schools for 1 year, then sent the teachers back to school. They brought in foreign professionals to completely retrain all the Vietnamese teachers. Once that was done, they reopened the schools and sent everyone back. Within a year, Vietnam's international scores showed a definite increase, and they have been improving ever since then. Bold move for a Communist country.

But would Thailand even consider something like that? We all know the answer to that question.

I can add to the comments about Vietnam.

Two years back I had the permanent secretary for education for Vietnam in an English language MBA class in Ho Chi Minh City. Local campus of a very good offshore uni. The guy already has a Ph.D. in Education from a Scandinavian country.

Very credible young man, a visionary, 'can do' guy, highly intelligent and very rational, very pragmatic and practical, good listener, perfect English, very pleasant, a natural leader. He was highly motivated and his enthusiasm motivated the whole class. His personal goal: 'the educational inputs needed to build a balanced successful civil society'.

Their role model for their education renewal is Singapore, and as said above they are making great progress.

Thailand does have people like the guy I've mentioned above, plenty of them. The sad fact is that:

- The political approach - These folks have avoided politics in the past because they didn't want to be associated with the scaly incapable dishonest folks who owned, operated / joined the political parties of the past.

- The bureaucratic approach - These same folks didn't get involved because the people who end up in the high ranking positions are mostly political appointees who struggle to know what day of the week it is and have zero interest in the subject matter at hand.

Hopefully some changes in the pipeline.

Edited April 18, 2015 by scorecard

[Jim walker]

So does this now mean now junta are going to educate the children rather than brain wash them as they have been doing for the last few hundred years.

[Fullstop]

So this guy is going there and that guy is going over there...BUT WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO CHANGE? Details?

[SoilSpoil]

Who needs reform? Again? They have copied the Western curricula ages ago and there are many foreign experts working here. Stop all the changes and administrative paperwork that comes along with these changes.

The only overhaul that is necessary is to hold students, teachers and parents responsible for student learning. In other words fail those who are not good enough or are lazy, or use different curricula for the different ability levels. Group students based on their ability. The most likely answer you will get is that the better students can be role models for the weaker students. They can learn from each other.

True, but the way it's going now is that the weaker students are role models for the better ones. Why put in the extra mile if Somchai can play video games whole weekend, watch loads DVD's and still get about the same grade?

Learning or studying is hard work and a no fail policy is only benefiting the weaker ones. And as we all know a chain is as strong as its weakest link.

Also, why is there so much corruption at the schools. I loved to see rows of nervous parents sitting outside the directors office with little white slips indicating the amount of money they would donate the school (for improvement of course). Needless to say that the school director walked around as if he was the creator himself, drove a big Benz with driver and went on study trips to the local and foreign golf courses as much as he could. Maybe hard to believe, but I am not exaggerating.

Edited April 18, 2015 by SoilSpoil