Govt set to match education reform with students’ needs

[thailand49]

One, you need to teach yourself how to except constructive criticism, and then teach it to all the Thai teacher that it is a good thing.. Now, where are you going to find all those so call good English teacher? I hope not from the drunken expat community.

You need to required the school system to force the kids to attend high school and not it be a alternative after middle school (M-3). It would help the kids also to have a curfew 9pm? Kids are coming and going without any adult supervision. The have's in this country need to start giving the have not's real opportunities instead of throwing out sound bite idea's that never bare any fruit for them. Until I see it, most likely not in my life time I just do not believe the people in government now will ever give up their entitlement to the good life by keeping the people poor and stupid

[Estrada]

Quote: "English teaching at basic education level will be adjusted to serve the needs of students and society".

Translation:

Despite English being the second language of ASEAN, it looks like children of the less fortunate will not be learning English. That should ensure the children of the well off and ruling elite, continue to get a better education.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Estrada

[affen02]

The fact is that the thai school system is terrible. Home work and more home work, about subjects the students dont fully understand, a sure way to make the student dislike school now and forever. I have personally experienced head of the English department refusing to talk to me, why, because she did not speak English other then hello but she sure knew how to smack the children over the head and fingers. Tried to take up this, but the other teachers who knew about this, probably did likewise themself, was ruled by fear from the top. What a system. When i lived in the countryside the english teachers did not speak English at all, and gave my children homework to translate Shakespearian English they probably had found on internet, and nobody uses to day.

[selftaopath]

These education reforms are being instigated by a (former) military general. Should a teacher run the army? Would you ask a hairdresser to mend your car?

While I can appreciate your sentiments, from what I've observed along with an appealing "product" all the ed mps and "educators" would better serve Thailand if they became used car sales persons.

[hugh2121]

Education and student needs should not be used in the same sentence. Students don't have a clue what they need as far as education goes. It is up to the educated adults to determine advancement and education standards that not only prepares them for the world but also to prepare them for a University and for their futures in the modern workforce. Discipline in moderation and better study habits as well as curriculum also needs to be changed. Their "no fail" system needs to be scrapped and students need to be taught to be responsible for their learning.

The only problem I see with your post is finding "educated" adults as, no doubt, Thainess would not allow looking for them outside of Thailand.

[timber]

Any change in a program regards a buy in by the people being effected. The students, and the teachers don't seem to really understand what the goals should be.

Obiously the administration hasn't done their job, and I see nothing changing at the local level. To fast track I think some advisors outside Thailand

should be making recommendations. The problem is who should recommend these advisors. There are accepted practices for teaching and learning.

Some are better than others, but my experience indicates that the system has to be viable and modified to the Thai student. Don't buy into a system which

is superior because of the quality of teachers and resources that are available.

[timber]

Another comment is that there has to be some streaming in
Thailand. There are a lot of smart kids that are being held back\

by there classmates who really shouldn't be in the same classroom.

They should be in Trade Program, supplemented by general math,

science, and Thai Language.

[Balance]

I will give the PM the benefit of the doubt concerning his "Education and Student needs" reference that he did not intend to suggest that the students will tell everyone what their needs are. Certainly, the statement, as translated, does not imply that the thought used to discern the "needs" meaning came from students.

I would add add a few item for consideration:

A way, or ways to remove electronics from the school day (classrooms and study times)

Fail students who should be failed. Loosing face is a much better outcome than not being able to get a job.

Introduce come competition for a race for good grades with appropriate CASH prices. Children with very short attention spans and no thought of the future need some NOW incentives for trying. This might even put some pressure on the teachers to get of their asses and teach better.

Fire teachers who do not, or cannot, teach and give outstanding teachers more money. Meritocracy needs to be re-introduced. If Rama 5 could do it, I am sure this government can also do it.

Give kids some early and frequent real life views of jobs, the people who do the jobs, how much money different jobs pay, etc.

My son was/is dyslexic, which was discovered when he was in the 3th grade. We were fortunate to be able to get him good schooling specific to his disability. However, when he was 15, he got frustrated about the fact that he had to spend 2 to 3 times more time studying than is friends because he read very slowly. He come home one day and told us he was going to quit school when he turned 16 (legal then). The next week we had to go get some chicken breasts at the processing plant and we took Kevin. He stood there in the cold, wet room watched the dead chickens flying around on the conveyors and the people very busy cutting them up. Driving home I asked him how he would like to work there. After the loud and lengthy protest that he could never do that, I simply said that that is the kind of job people who drop out of high school get. We never heard another word and decided being a law professor was a better job.

[DavisH]

Another comment is that there has to be some streaming in

Thailand. There are a lot of smart kids that are being held back\

by there classmates who really shouldn't be in the same classroom.

They should be in Trade Program, supplemented by general math,

science, and Thai Language.

A number of school do stream students, all 13 classes of them! Can you imagine trying to teach the bottom set? The problem is that for any particular course, the kids have to study the same stuff and do that same test. We had been streaming some classes for a number of years, but it wasn't working. The weak class just got worse and worse every year. This year we mixed the students and they are all much happier and the weaker students are doing much better.

[wabothai]

Yeah, good intentions during boring friday night's speech, nobody is listening to.

I believe when I see.

[connda]

There's enough hot-air in that article to push the Mayflower across the Atlantic.

[orpheus454]

Hope World History is added to the curriculum, we might see less people dressing up like Hitler.

Terrible, isn't it...?

[mmh8]

that picture above shows someone of german descent, it is good that all are reminded of germanies errors, they are very good at engineering though, good to remind them of this and they should be forced to make a payment to all invovled every time its mentioned or a photo appears