Thai schools told to screen foreign English teachers for paedophilia

[oneday]

Yes, that’s right Thailand. Only foreign English teachers are capable of Pedophilia. A Thai man would NEVER, EVER think of doing something like that, would he?

"...to carefully screen the qualification and records of those British citizens..."

Oh, so it's not all foreigners, only British citizens. Well let's get more racists why don't we.

"...disguised themselves as English teachers..."

I wonder what that disguise would look like...a pair of glasses...beard...fake teeth...top hat?

The stupidity of these articles or the government officials spewing this stuff never ceases to amaze me. I don't know if the officials are really saying what the reporters are saying they are or if the reporters are screwing up the translations or just putting their own twist on this stuff.

[Jimlove]

Good.

Though I fear the Thai will be too lazy to do it.

Unfortunately I´m sure you are right ... Nobody do anything here unless for personal gain ...

[spectrumisgreen]

 

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

 

DOH!.. nice one Homer!! This is not about WHO might do such a thing like in comparison, Foreigners v Thais, but about foreign-teachers being screened properly when they come into the country asking to work with children.. would you suggest they don't check if these people have such criminally sick backgrounds, just so dolts like yourself can say, 'See, they're not finding any nice chaps from our neck of the woods up to anything sick/ perverted/ something you should be hung, drawn, and quartered for.. must be those bad Thai folks dressing and paling themselves up as them to do such deeds!!'...

[joebrown]

"Dr Thirakiat said the UK embassy recently notified that some British citizens who have child sexual abuse records have disguised themselves as English teachers and have arrived in Thailand to work as teachers."

If the UK Embassy is aware that the paedophiles have entered Thailand then surely they must know who they are? I would hope that the Embassy has 'named names' if this is indeed the case, and has advised the Thai authorities to use their immigration data-base to track them down. If however, no names have been handed to the Thai authorities, then the statement above has very little value other than advising them to tighten their background checks on ALL teachers/applicants (not just the English nationals)

[Yunla]

This is a positive small step, but paedophile teachers are a tiny niche group compared to the larger group of paedophiles who pay to exploit, exchanging large sums for access to children in poorer parts of South East Asia, Africa and the wider world. They are typically exploiting children in the poorest rural areas where big money is hard to refuse, no matter how many misgivings the adults may have about it.

For this reason it is the responsibility of the home nations to prevent their registered paedophiles from travelling to the poorest parts of the world where they can pay to exploit.

[roamer]

Very much suspect this is manufactured bs or at best a wild distortion of a conversation that may have occurred between Embassy & Education dept.

" He said all education institutes can either check records of all English applicants from the UK police’s website www.acro.police.uk/icpc,"

No they can't. Only the applicant can obtain a certificate relating to themselves.

What with this and the other thread running about foreign organisations abducting and brainwashing student activists I'm beginning to think "lets blame the farangs for everything" rhetoric is being stepped up.

[duanebigsby]

Qualified is the key word here. The vast majority of farangs teaching English fit one qualification, they speak English sort of. So, why is anyone surprised that simply speaking English will get you the job, that some perverts slip though the net. Upgrade the qualifications and stop short cutting on what Thai education needs most, good teachers with real qualifications. How about this idea, let farangs on retirement visas, teach part time. Most of us are not pedophiles and ready for this... we have qualifications.

Native English Teachers need a bachelors degree to teach here and you want to upgrade the qualifications, I'm assuming to B.Ed.

How many retirees have Education degrees? If Thailand demanded Ed degrees, English learning will plummet. The schools cannot afford to pay, and there aren't enough B.Ed.'s willing to work for peanuts.

Those of us teaching are here for listening and speaking, pronunciation and enunciation.

If our qualifications are good enough to teach ESL in language schools, community colleges, and other immigration organizations, why do so many on TV dismiss us as "unqualified" ?

I don't speak English "sort of" I bloody well speak it!!

[Srikcir]

Why should Thailand be only concerned about english teachers from UK and not the rest of the world?

[cdnvic]

Be VERY careful about accusations you throw around.

[spectrumisgreen]

 

So.......there I was sitting at home, minding my own business when up pops her (Thai Wife) who must be obeyed and said, "you speak pretty good English, can you go and talk to the Uni Students for five days and they will pay you XXXbaht". The salary was very good, but I said, "I don't have a work permit". The Uni Official said you don't need one, we will just put you down as a Guest Speaker. Do I need a background check? Do you need a what? You know to make sure I won't molest any of the Students? No-o-o-o that's not a problem, we know your Wife well.

So there you are, if they know pan-ra-ya well, your obviously a good upstanding Dude who needs neither qualifications, work permit, or background check.

 

Get your point but if it was what you'd think of as an otherwise reputable school, then it was just a case of they knew some farang already in-country, via a Thai wife, and so they also knew you were settled here and likely okay for the job.

Still shouldn't be so straight forward but if you're really trying to point to a 'corrupt establishment', then.. doh!.. as end of the day anyone who goes 'under the radar' is risking their visa status anyway, regardless of Thai wife or retirement or anything else.. so that's YOUR lookout obviously. Facts are that a school who's willing to be so 'shady' probably isn't 'otherwise reputable' in the first place, and just wants a quick-fix teaching session or period, hence no great checks on you, but again, knowing this, it's YOUR backside on the line.. they will NOT back you if immigration calls NOR vouch for you in any way, so it's just another form of 'under the table' business.. basically MY POINT IS that the route you considered/ was offered was a distinctly dodgy one anyway, and shouldn't be considered in any other light.. a 'no questions asked' scenario in ANY school ANYWHERE is hardly worthwhile considering unless you're into that sort of thing, those sort of risks.. and overall, your post is akin to you coming on here to say a dope dealer offered me some illegal marijuana, (and didn't check me out properly first!).. mmm.. really?.. go figure!

[jackanapes]

this should have been dealt with years ago paedophiles are always in close proximity to children and in my opinion they should not be allowed to leave their own countries .

[TechnikaIII]

I would turn this around and check the history of the person/people inventing this finger pointing.

There have been politicians, closet homosexuals, who have been outspoken in a very public, homophobic way attacking gays, later to be found out, in stead of 'coming out'

And remember this? Rolf Harris, the once celebrated entertainer in a video clip talking to children about people improperly "touching" them. Here he creates the image of 'parental concern'. For those who don't know, he now languishes in prison for his long history of sexual assault, most of that on vulnerable young people.

Always take a good look at the accuser, before rushing to form a lynch mob. ;-)

[attento]

_{Why put the onus on the schools to check criminal record status, and why only for educational establishments ? Why not make it a part of the work visa application process for any work visa? But, , , only if they treat applicants from all countries equally. Too bad on work visa applicants from countries which cannot or will not produce criminal record checks.}

Edited July 7, 2015 by attento

[TimmyT]

Good.

Though I fear the Thai will be too lazy to do it.

oh so you believe that foreigners in general are not lazy and Thais are lazy?

is it a racial superiority idea?

[ratcatcher]

Some examples to be made....castrations then send them back to there countries to tell there pals.

There, there're their !

There're many teachers out there who will feel their reputations are being questioned and they're absolutely correct..

[RaoulDuke]

I think everyone who has a problem with this policy should be forced to undergo a background check. Honestly, why would you get so riled up about something like this if you are not trying to hide something? And we all know that SE Asia is an international magnet for western pedophiles, so stop pretending like this is not a legitimate issue that the poor farang are being victimized by.

[Derek M]

I am just wondering if it escaped the MOE's mind of the Thai Janitor that repeatedly raped a 14/15 year old student?

It is not that foreign teachers should be screened, all teachers and employees that have constant contact with children should be screened!

[robblok]

How about this idea, let farangs on retirement visas, teach part time. Most of us are not pedophiles

Hardly a ringing endorsement of us retirees....

but I do get the gist of what you are saying.

What a stupid remark.. (of jwilliamsjr18)

As if being older excludes one of being pedophile.

Most of the current English teachers are also not pedophiles.

[chainarong]

I understand that at present police checks are only required for teachers at International Schools... obviously to protect children of the connected few. It makes sense to require it for all schools, although I agree with an earlier poster that many smaller ones are unlikely to follow it through. I imagine there will soon be a ripe trade in police clearance certificates at Kao San Road. Also, what about all those private schools that illegally hire foreign teachers and do not provide work permits? A lot more to be done here if this is not just the usual hot air press release to make someone look good.

Regardless of what the teacher teaches all teachers should have working with children Clearance and that also includes anybody else that work with Children in other area's , Thailand is about 20 years behind the times on this little topic.

[willyumiii]

Maybe they also should check if the local English teachers can teach English...

Why do that?

The thai English teachers can not speak or teach English.

You ting to mut!

[willyumiii]

Good.

Though I fear the Thai will be too lazy to do it.

oh so you believe that foreigners in general are not lazy and Thais are lazy?

is it a racial superiority idea?

If you had ever worked at a Thai school, you would agree with him.

A good many Thai teachers put more energy and time into finding reasons to cancel classes and not teach than they put into teaching.

Classes are canceled at least once a week for some foolish reason.

Western teachers tend to bring their western work ethic with them and get very frustrated at all of the excuses not to teach their classes.

Many resign as a result.

[Shaunduhpostman]

"The Education Ministry has warned education institutions across the country to be aware of unqualified English teachers having child sex abuse records in their home countries but coming to work in the country."

So if they are qualified and have sex abuse records, they're still good to go?

[wabothai]

I wonder what prompted the English emassy to all of a sudden come up with this warning. Anything changed recently?

No need for Thai bashing here.

[Maroon Watcher]

So stop the Paedos

And the Gays (M+F) who target jobs with young people... (Fact)

There would be "NO" teachers... (100's instead of 1000,s)

AND!
If they sacked every one who had their hand in the till... (any form of corruption/rip off)

They would be "No" one in any job!!!

[casualbiker]

Qualified is the key word here. The vast majority of farangs teaching English fit one qualification, they speak English sort of. So, why is anyone surprised that simply speaking English will get you the job, that some perverts slip though the net. Upgrade the qualifications and stop short cutting on what Thai education needs most, good teachers with real qualifications. How about this idea, let farangs on retirement visas, teach part time. Most of us are not pedophiles and ready for this... we have qualifications.

You have an education degree?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

Where did they say that? Acting on a warning from the British embassy would be a good enough reason for the story to focus on foreigners wouldn't it?

You don't think they should be doing this as a matter of course? Bizarre..

Except it doesn't focus on foreigners in general, just the English. (Read the article carefully, they are actually just checking on the English. )

I wonder what prompted the English emassy to all of a sudden come up with this warning. Anything changed recently?

Especially as it seems to have been a general statement, not about any specific individuals. So the British government is issuing them with passports and letting them leave, then drop a very wide steaming pile on the plate of Thailand to go check up on their citizens.

Actually quite ridiculous if you think about it.

[casualbiker]

I wonder what prompted the English emassy to all of a sudden come up with this warning. Anything changed recently?

No need for Thai bashing here.

What prompted them is simple. The UK sex offenders register, unfortunately there are no restrictions on travel!

http://www.nacro.org.uk/resettlement-advice-service/support-for-individuals/travelling-abroad-and-immigration-to-the-uk/travelling-abroad-while-on-the-sex-offenders-register,1638,NAP.html

[Benmart]

A solid background investigation seems a prudent measure, regardless of nationality.

[DM07]

 

Foreign English- teachers...because Thais could never do such a thing!

 

DOH!.. nice one Homer!! This is not about WHO might do such a thing like in comparison, Foreigners v Thais, but about foreign-teachers being screened properly when they come into the country asking to work with children.. would you suggest they don't check if these people have such criminally sick backgrounds, just so dolts like yourself can say, 'See, they're not finding any nice chaps from our neck of the woods up to anything sick/ perverted/ something you should be hung, drawn, and quartered for.. must be those bad Thai folks dressing and paling themselves up as them to do such deeds!!'...

No, dude, who wouldn't know sarcasm, if it had its bare a$$ in your face: I suggest they screen ALL teachers for paedophilia!

ALL!

Like in: all of them! Thais and Foreigners alike!

But that seems to go way over your head!

Projection much!?

[tominbkk]

Schools can easily check, but it will cost a little money. Sooooooo.