SURVEY: Will Thailand be successful in becoming the regional education hub?

[BigBadGeordie]

Not even if everyone else in South-East Asia dies of ebola!

Try to keep up Thailand already has the cure for Ebola, which they shared with the WHO many months ago ;-)

[MockingJay]

I don't understand the question

[pogal]

Next seriuos poll please

This question is borderline trolling isn't it!?

[NickJ]

They would have a better chance landing on Mars first.

[BigBadGeordie]

They would have a better chance landing on Mars first.

And in other news, the Thai Space Agency announced plans to ensure the country will become the "hub" of intergalactic travel. The Minister announced that this was in addition to plans to travel up to Uranus in the short term.

[ableguy]

This question is so funny it must have been dreamed up by a real clown, the only thing this place can become a hub of must be training clowns, but methinks the profession is over crowded.

[kannot]

seems 217 of us need "attitude adjustment", the other 2 are true upstanding Thai citizens

[kannot]

They would have a better chance landing on Mars first.

And in other news, the Thai Space Agency announced plans to ensure the country will become the "hub" of intergalactic travel. The Minister announced that this was in addition to plans to travel up to Uranus in the short term.

Talking of which Id like to congratulate the New Horizons team on a truly stunning achievement.

[kannot]

I don't understand the question

Congratulations A+++ u passed "Thai style" now go forth and educate

[IamNoone88]

They are delusional.

[Dario]

This is for laughing out loud. And the hub goes to ... Singapore. Ever been there and hear the young kids talk perfect English?

[soalbundy]

Yes ! it's possible, oh dear i've forgotten to take my medication again

[12DrinkMore]

Can anybody who voted "yes" please explain?

Mouse slipped, they were laughing too hard.

[spidermike007]

This is not a serious post. The education minister should start, by insuring that all teachers in Thailand are fluent in the material they are teaching. When the english teachers can pass a TOEFL level test, and score at least 80%, when the math teachers can score 80% on their own tests (instead of the average of 20% they currently score) and when the science teachers, can pass their own tests, without cheat notes, and when 80% of Thai students can actually pass their tests without cheating, maybe Thailand will be ready for a campaign like this. Oh, and did I mention english proficiency at the high school level? Until then, it is simply the manifestation of a clinical level delusion.

Edited August 6, 2015 by spidermike007

[fred Kubasa]

Let us review their status : Lowest ranking Number 10 of 10 S.E. Asian nations in all curriculum categories and, probably Number 143 of the global 167 nations so YES, resoundingly YES, they should go on to back up this ranking !

[Muirton]

I have 4 kids in Thai schools (P3, P5, M4, M5). Some in public, some in private schools. I have a extended knowledge of the local system. Today, I'll just answer the question and it's "NO". The reason, beside the weakness of the teachers, is that, since a few months, they don't learn anything at school, anymore => they spend all the time is propaganda activities related to Thainess (IMO this is "how to become dumb in 90 lessons"). How could a Vietnamese come here to learn to be a Thai dumb?

Thanks. You speak from considerable experience. But, hey, Thailand has 12 Commandments, 2 more than any other ASEAN nation.

[Shaunduhpostman]

What were they saying last week about developing their nuclear capabilities...that also sounded highly promising...

[Muirton]

The government can be specific and put the Education Hub in a building alongside the Space Exploration Hub it has already in Hua Hin.

[bobbymack]

The "hub of stupidity is more apt". Thailand will never have a good education system until its students are taught to have critical thinking and to ask why and question anything. This will certainly never happen in the present regime which is based even more based on compliance and blind obedience. I doubt it would matter even in a more democratic regime as the culture is one of patronage, corruption and reluctance to question those in power.

What makes me laugh is Thailand's belief that they were special because they were never colonised by a European power. The only reason they were not was because they were used as a buffer state by Britain, who had Burma and Malaysia, and France which has Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It had nothing to do with Thailand's skill at diplomacy.

[Linzz]

I spent a few years on the School Boards of both my sons' primary and secondary schools in the UK. Even back then I advocated strongly that foreign languages should be tought by their respective native speakers.

Here it is clearly even more important and critical to the learning and effective use of English as, particularly, the principal language of commerce in ASEAN.

The standard of English in Thailand, on the rare occasions that it is actually used, is absolutely atrocious compared to Singapore and even Malaysia.

Errors in grammar and pronunciation in particular are compounded by Thai English teachers who can barely speak the language they are supposed to be teaching. Many of us here have similar stories of trying to engage Thai teachers of English in conversations that invariably grind to a halt after just a few words of greeting.

Whenever I receive a phonecall, or even have to speak face-to-face, with 'English' speaking Thais I invariably have to hand the conversation over to my Thai wife. The few exceptions shine in their rarity.

And this is only one aspect of the lamentable education here, although a very important aspect.

So, a very emphatic NO!

But both Singapore and Malaysia were both British colonies and English was taught in schools from an early age. Thailand of course was never "colonised" and is proud of that, fair enough, but the standard of English taught ranges from not very good to atrocious.

Yes Thais are proud of not being colonized and according to my wife the then king resisted the introduction of the English language because Thailand had it's own language and did not need anything else. This type of unenlightened thinking still persists today

[Linzz]

It wont happen in my life time.

The Thai attitude and arrogance is the killer.

My step daughter 13 YO. I have been at her to learn English as she wants to be a Doctor.

Her reply is always the same "I am Thai I live in Thailand I don't need English"

What chance do they have with that attitude?

Same answer:

Yes Thais are proud of not being colonized and according to my wife the then king resisted the introduction of the English language because Thailand had it's own language and did not need anything else. This type of unenlightened thinking still persists today

[timber]

I think the teacher could have the time if they make the commitment. In our schools down south, the kids spend 30% of there time

in sports days and the teachers spend 30% of there time in seminars or field trips. If 60% of the time they are in a non-teaching role

maybe the government can rent them out for some extra income to put develop better prisons to hold the criminals that are there for lack of education.

[Linzz]

I think the teacher could have the time if they make the commitment. In our schools down south, the kids spend 30% of there time

in sports days and the teachers spend 30% of there time in seminars or field trips. If 60% of the time they are in a non-teaching role

maybe the government can rent them out for some extra income to put develop better prisons to hold the criminals that are there for lack of education.

Sorry to be pedantic Timber, but while we are speaking of education do you know the difference between "there" and "their" ? Two wrong one right, please try to do better.

[Keesters]

They'll have to educate the educators first.

[AZBill]

No

[AloisAmrein]

Thailand an education hub - you must be joking!