World Bank zeroes in on Thai education

[quandow]

"Finance Minister Sommai Phasee admitted he has been reluctant to raise the problem in Cabinet . . . "I dare not speak up because there are three ministers responsible, and all are soldiers."

The Finance Minister should be SHOUTING this on a stage, then dropping the microphone and walking out. While wearing a hoody.

[Baerboxer]

Perhaps they should make them study and do their own work instead of the standard copy and cheat system they rely on today.

At my daughter's private international school they have a "homework club". For extra cost of course, children can stay and do their homework with teacher guidance. She just joined and confirms what my wife suspected - they also get very good "guidance" and coaching for upcoming tests and exams.

She is on a bi-lingual program so all lessons should be taught in Thai and English. Noticeably fewer Western teachers this year. Which my wife questioned at the recent parent meeting. Explanation - Western teachers are OK with subject knowledge, but can't grasp how to teach Thai children. Thai and Filipinos understand that better! What a joke. The CEO apparently was very embarrassed by this nonsense reply from several of the senior teachers. We are concerned with the ability of one Filipino teacher and my wife asked to see her teaching plan for the year. It was not available and neither was she. A follow meeting is arranged.

I like the CEO, who is American educated, and very professional. She has several schools in the group and has to rely on head and senior teachers. It's clear they don't follow the school rules and procedures now.

There are about a dozen parents who regularly meet and discuss things, as their children are classmates. I think they've realized that this group won't be fobbed off with crap like usual - but they keep trying.

So far they've blamed this years issues on the new curriculum from the Thai MOE, their international partners, the lack of "good quality farang teachers" (maybe they should look at their salary scales) and misunderstandings. Everyone else's fault but theirs, as always.

For the Thai teachers, many have not and will not change how they've always taught.

The World Bank is part of the UN, and about as effective. They are certainly not education experts.

[DLang]

First the low IQs, now we learn that a third of 15 year olds are functionally illiterate. All governments over he last 30 years share the blame. Reversing these trends should be the country's top priority... Even with an exceptional effort, it will take 2 generations.

Then they can start on teaching people how to use motorized vehicles in a manner fitting human beings.

[scorecard]

Perhaps they should make them study and do their own work instead of the standard copy and cheat system they rely on today.

At my daughter's private international school they have a "homework club". For extra cost of course, children can stay and do their homework with teacher guidance. She just joined and confirms what my wife suspected - they also get very good "guidance" and coaching for upcoming tests and exams.

She is on a bi-lingual program so all lessons should be taught in Thai and English. Noticeably fewer Western teachers this year. Which my wife questioned at the recent parent meeting. Explanation - Western teachers are OK with subject knowledge, but can't grasp how to teach Thai children. Thai and Filipinos understand that better! What a joke. The CEO apparently was very embarrassed by this nonsense reply from several of the senior teachers. We are concerned with the ability of one Filipino teacher and my wife asked to see her teaching plan for the year. It was not available and neither was she. A follow meeting is arranged.

I like the CEO, who is American educated, and very professional. She has several schools in the group and has to rely on head and senior teachers. It's clear they don't follow the school rules and procedures now.

There are about a dozen parents who regularly meet and discuss things, as their children are classmates. I think they've realized that this group won't be fobbed off with crap like usual - but they keep trying.

So far they've blamed this years issues on the new curriculum from the Thai MOE, their international partners, the lack of "good quality farang teachers" (maybe they should look at their salary scales) and misunderstandings. Everyone else's fault but theirs, as always.

For the Thai teachers, many have not and will not change how they've always taught.

The World Bank is part of the UN, and about as effective. They are certainly not education experts.

Well said BB.

I add another comment. Close western friend has just discovered the 'private' school his two kids (8 and 12 yrs old) attend have no western English teachers this year. His Thai, well educated, wife instantly asked why.

The comments from the school:

- Western teachers just can't teach Thai children.

- Western teachers waste too much time in the classroom trying to make the children talk and discuss.

- Why so serious about English, it's not important.

- English is too difficult and it damages Thai children's brains.

- School also proudly announced it is developing a 'Tinglish' program (broken English) which will be taught by Thai teachers. (Actually copied from another school which recently tried this and got shot down by the MOE in 2 seconds.)

- Friend says his wife lost her cool when one of the old female teachers said 'English not important because Thailand is the heart of AEC and all AEC countries are now teaching their children / business people to speak Thai'.

Friends wife challenged the comment with 'give me an example'. Another teacher stepped in and told the wife to be more polite to the old teacher who by this stage had fled.

Friend and his Thai wife now doing the rounds to look for new school.

Edited June 5, 2015 by scorecard

[ExPratt]

The holidays they get are ridiculous. My kids had 10 weeks of went back to school for a week and then had Monday off. Kids cannot get into a learning routine when they are constantly having national holidays They have a total of about 16-17 weeks a year off or 4 months

[Lupatria]

[connda]

This is from the World Bank?

By golly, what is needed is sub-prime, zero-interest, 'non-dischargable' student loans handed out to the masses.

That should to the trick!

If you don't understand what I said, you should be one of the first to apply!!!

Edited June 5, 2015 by connda

[Srikcir]

Maybe Gen. Prayut can invoke Article 44 to make everyone a college graduate.

Problem solved.

[Torrens54]

What can we expect when alleged ENGLISH Teachers, can hardly hold a conversation in the English language?

Even some of the supposed English Teachers, who contribute to social forums, have difficulties with written English.

[LindaLovelace]

"Sommai said he agrees with the bank's assessment that education and human resources are critical to the future of Thailand's economy and political stability. However, he needs to understand that he has a moral obligation to speak up, regardless of the type of government in place. After all, the matter at hand - the future of the country - far outweighs the egos of a few generals."

Unfortunately, it does not. The generals' egos are the only thing that matters.

[Cake Monster]

With this World Bank estimating there are a third ( 331/3% ) of 15 year old Thai students " functionally illiterate ", when these children enter the jobs sector of the economy, that will mean an estimated 471/3% of the Thai adult society are " Illiterate " in some way, as 14% of adults are already considered to be illiterate.

I guess that the push into the modern digital world that Prayut is asking for will not be a good one for the Country.

[mikebell]

'Raising the number of teachers per class upcountry to Bangkok levels could also be achieved by recruiting 160,000 more teachers.'

Because money is number 1, 'Education Colleges' are allowed to produce a huge surplus of 'qualified' teachers annually. The market is saturated each year and only those with friends/relatives in high places or those prepared to slide money under the desk get jobs. The rest serve in 7 - 11s.

The Education Courses themselves are a money spinner for colleges through fees and the practice of renting students out to Companies to exploit on minimum wages.

[khunpa]

Here in Thailand, I have seen examples of people with university degrees in business, who could not even put together a simple Sales budget. I have met people with university degrees in English, who could not understand or speak a word of English and certified accountants, who knew basically nothing about e.g. the VAT-law og basic accounting rules.

I have often asked myself "How the hell can you get a university degree in English and not understand a word of English? or how can you become a certified accountant and not even know the tax-law?" Of course I know the answer, but its still totally unreal sometimes - and very sad...

At the same time, we see Thailand claiming they will be on Singapore-level in short time and a hub for Information Technology etc....

Is there really anything else to do than just Smile?

Edited June 6, 2015 by khunpa

[worzel]

EDITORIAL

World Bank zeroes in on Thai education

The Nation

But the government is still placing the emphasis on saving face rather than securing the Kingdom's future prosperity

BANGKOK: -- A recent report from the World Bank titled "Thailand's Economic Monitor" shed light on a number of weak points the Kingdom needs to address. Among the most disturbing was the state of the education system here, which clearly requires substantial reform.

According to the report, one-third of 15-year-old Thai students are "functionally illiterate" - they lack the basic reading skills to manage their lives in the modern world, leaving their chances of finding well-paid jobs slim to non-existent.

World Bank Southeast Asia director Ulrich Zachau pointed out that Thailand's export growth has been slowing since 2012, part of a long-term trend. To change that trend, the Kingdom must launch structural reform to bolster the skills and productivity of its labour force. "The single most important thing for Thailand is to improve its education and skills outside Bangkok," Zachau said.

The suggestion is not new. Successive governments have vowed to make education reform a priority, yet student performance has not improved. The World Bank's findings are the latest evidence of that failure. Obviously the gap between what we know of the issues and how to fix them remains as yawning as ever.

Finance Minister Sommai Phasee, presiding at the unveiling of the World Bank report, admitted he has been reluctant to raise the problem in Cabinet because he didn't want to offend the ministers who oversee education.

"I dare not speak up because there are three ministers responsible [for education and skills], and all are soldiers," he said. "We are still not walking the right path and we are still walking slowly."

Sommai said he agrees with the bank's assessment that education and human resources are critical to the future of Thailand's economy and political stability. However, he needs to understand that he has a moral obligation to speak up, regardless of the type of government in place. After all, the matter at hand - the future of the country - far outweighs the egos of a few generals.

This involves more than the quality of our children's education. It extends to the economic well-being of the nation as a whole.

Here, the trend in recent years has been alarming. From 2012 to 2014 exports grew by an average of just 1 per cent annually. This represents a precipitous drop from the 13-per-cent growth between 2006 and 2011.

The World Bank points out that the decline was partly due to eroding competitiveness and slow improvements in productivity compared to other countries.

Moreover, the disparity between public schools in the cities and those in rural areas must be addressed if we are to move forward. This means we need to improve resources for schools in the provinces.

It's wonderful that we can produce a few students who excel in international competitions but, if the majority of their contemporaries are "functionally illiterate", it reflects poorly on Thailand as a nation. More significantly, this disparity will have a negative impact on the country's economic future, as the World Bank report notes.

One of the recommendations the bank offers the government is that smaller rural schools be reorganised and merged into larger institutions. This would optimise teaching efficiency and offer better-quality education in the classroom.

Thailand could slash the number of classrooms with less than one teacher per class from the current 110,725, to 12,600 simply by merging its 9,421 "non-isolated large schools and 16,943 non-isolated small schools", the World Bank says. That would mean the total number of schools dropping to 14,252.

Raising the number of teachers per class upcountry to Bangkok levels could also be achieved by recruiting 160,000 more teachers.

There are no easy decisions, but all constructive measures must be taken into consideration if we want genuine reform that improves education. We can make a start by getting our priorities straight.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/World-Bank-zeroes-in-on-Thai-education-30261651.html

-- The Nation 2015-06-05

lak of you mean

[Thian]

And please teach them also how to swim, many Thai can't swim so they are hiding under a tree if they ever make it to a resort with pool.

[BSJ]

"Purely illiterate persons cannot read or write in any capacity, for all practical purposes. In contrast, functionally illiterate persons can read and possibly write"

I was taking about literacy with the wife a few weeks back and I said 'I would write the name of the item I wanted on a piece of paper in Thai, take it to the shop and show it to the person there. Often they would take it to the boss to read' and her reply was 'They not Thai, they from Cambodia or Myanmar and don't know Thai language....'.

I am not so sure she is right! With one in 3 Thai's not knowing their own language as they should, maybe there are a lot of shop drones who are Thai but don't read or write well...if at all!

BTW, I switched to taking pictures and it's a lot less stress all round!

[lujanit]

Here's a radical thought. Give Mechai the education budget and watch the situation change very rapidly.