Special teacher degrees at ten Rajabhat universities

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Special teacher degrees at ten Rajabhat universities
Kantamanee Baingern,
Sirin Sampaothip
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Five-year initiative aims to create happy learners at happy schools, involves collaboration with the teachers council, Thai-health and institute for research on the education system.

THIS YEAR, 10 Rajabhat universities have started an initiative to produce a new breed of teacher.

The initiative, which will continue till 2019, seeks to ensure that graduates from special teacher-education programmes will be up to the standard laid down by the Teachers Council of Thailand.

The Rajabhat universities have undertaken the five-year project in collaboration with the Secretariat Office of the Teachers Council of Thailand, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and the Institute for Research on the Education System (IRES).

"Each participating university has chosen a different special programme, such as one about science, one about primary education, one about Thai language, and one about computers," said IRES president Assoc Prof Dr Prawit Erawan, who is also a lecturer at Maha Sarakham University's Faculty of Education.

His institution has joined the 10 Rajabhat universities participating in the initiative. They are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Maha Sarakham, Loei, Nakhon Ratchasima, Rajanagarindra, Muban Chom Bueng, Phuket, and Surat Thani.

The special teacher-education course at each of these universities has accepted just 30 students. The course is also based on the Sukhaphawa (wellness) schools, which are supported by ThaiHealth.

These schools focus on creating happy learners, happy schools, a happy environment, a happy family and a happy community.

"There are several differences between our initiative and the old methods. The former one was a content-based curriculum, merely concentrated on teachers' knowledge and integration in subject matter, whereas the updated version is a competency - and skill-building-based curriculum.

"In other words, this new syllabus aims to produce masters of the specific academic subject and teaching techniques that also have the teaching spirit. Students in our special teacher-education programme will get opportunities to strengthen and deepen their teaching skills and performance in actual schools throughout a period of five years," Prawit said.

Dr Poramin Aridech, dean of Chiang Rai Rajabhat University's Faculty of Education, said the new special programme was different from the old ones in that capabilities would be the highlight.

"Simply put, we aim to produce students with efficient skills and knowledge to truly become teachers," said the dean.

Assoc Prof Dr Banjong Jaroensuk, dean of Surat Thani Rajabhat University's Faculty of Education, said that for the new version of class duration, classroom time would be reduced so as to provide more time for practice.

"The old syllabus usually |teaches students four years straight and requires them to become teacher interns for only one year," he said.

His faculty will start including English as part of its entrance exam next year, in order to familiarise students with the language.

"We want to produce students who are excellent at both teaching skills and languages," he stressed.

Meanwhile, Loei Rajabhat University's Faculty of Education dean, Asst Prof Pradit Wichai, said all applicants to his faculty must have a grade point average of at least 2.5.

He also explained that his faculty did not offer any scholarship or job guarantee.

The number of graduates from the country's teacher-education programme stood at 61,000 this year.

Since 2010, the number of fresh graduates from the field has been no fewer than 50,000 annually, raising concerns that graduates with teaching degrees will have difficulty finding a teaching job.

Just a little over 10,000 teacher positions are available in the government sector each year.

If graduates from the field cannot land teaching jobs, they will end up either unemployed or working in jobs where their capabilities are not put to the utmost use, and their productivity can be affected.

Teacher-producing universities will soon need to address the issue and try harder to ensure that supply matches demand, according to a number of sources.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Special-teacher-degrees-at-ten-Rajabhat-universiti-30267265.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-24

[Scott]

Oh another experiment; another failure in education waiting to happen.

[thesetat2013]

If it is following TCT and RES then it is doomed to fail. They have the dumbest ideology as to how kids should be learning as well as curricular guidelines to be followed.

[lostinisaan]

These schools focus on creating happy learners, happy schools, a happy environment, a happy family and a happy community.

Haven't seen schools with emotions yet. Where are the sad schools at? If you study at a happy school, clap your hands, if your school is happy and you know it and the school really wants to show it..if your school is happy and you know it, clap your hands."

Happy campers.

"Just a little over 10,000 teacher positions are available in the government sector each year."

And those teachers were taught by happy teachers, who had a happier teacher before, who studied at a happy school.

How do you make a school happy?

Edited August 23, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Somtamnication]

These schools focus on creating happy learners, happy schools, a happy environment, a happy family and a happy community.

Haven't seen schools with emotions yet. Where are the sad schools at? If you study at a happy school, clap your hands, if your school is happy and you know it and the school really wants to show it..if your school is happy and you know it, clap your hands."

Happy campers.

"Just a little over 10,000 teacher positions are available in the government sector each year."

And those teachers were taught by happy teachers, who had a happier teacher before, who studied at a happy school.

How do you make a school happy?

By buying gifts for the school director!

[laurenrebecca]

While a small step, this may be a step in the right direction.

The happy schools I don't know about, but specializing in the subject area and working on technique not just knowledge would be great. The teachers in the area where I live mostly know their subjects (let's not talk about English though, that's a whole 'nother can of worms), but many just sit at the front of the class and lecture to primary students, expecting them to absorb 100% of the material. Actually being able to adjust teaching style according to student learning styles would be an immense improvement...

I'm not holding my breath by any means, but sure would be nice to see a positive change..

[thaimelody]

In short the surplus teachers must be recruited, bring down the number of kids in a class to 30 max and watch the results improve. Right now 48 kids in a class - crowd control rather than teaching.

[TEFLKrabi]

While a small step, this may be a step in the right direction.

The happy schools I don't know about, but specializing in the subject area and working on technique not just knowledge would be great. The teachers in the area where I live mostly know their subjects (let's not talk about English though, that's a whole 'nother can of worms), but many just sit at the front of the class and lecture to primary students, expecting them to absorb 100% of the material. Actually being able to adjust teaching style according to student learning styles would be an immense improvement...

I'm not holding my breath by any means, but sure would be nice to see a positive change..

It's a positive change and hopefully will lead to bigger and better things. What's really good is that they've acknowledged the problem which was the biggest obstacle previously.

[piersbeckett]

In short the surplus teachers must be recruited, bring down the number of kids in a class to 30 max and watch the results improve. Right now 48 kids in a class - crowd control rather than teaching.

Couldn't agree more and the joy to be gained from education is, surely, the understanding or grasping of something one was unable to understand or grasp prior as well as the accumulation of broad based knowledge. The joy of teaching is in the success of enabling and imparting same made significantly more difficult by high pupil numbers so less pupils (students), more happiness.

[reptile91602]

These schools focus on creating happy learners, happy schools, a happy environment, a happy family and a happy community.

What the f...................................?

[Rykbanlor]

The initiative, which will continue till 2019, seeks to ensure that graduates from special teacher-education programmes will be up to the standard laid down by the Teachers Council of Thailand.

And those teachers who qualified from other programs and represent the majority of new teachers in any given year, will be below the standard required by TCT. Right then.

[lostinisaan]

I was just asking my school if it's happy. But didn't get an answer yet.

But the director seems to be happy with his new palace. No more money to get the only printer fixed this term.

"Wait for next term was the coordinator's message"..

Edited August 24, 2015 by lostinisaan

[stubuzz]

Meanwhile, Loei Rajabhat University's Faculty of Education dean, Asst Prof Pradit Wichai, said all applicants to his faculty must have a grade point average of at least 2.5.

Very low standards.

[bangmai]

The only time of seen everyone that "happy," the Sinaloa Cartel was in control. Those girls at UDRU are so hot, though.

[doremifasol]

"These schools focus on creating happy learners, happy schools, a happy environment, a happy family and a happy community".

They are missing an important point..........creating happy teachers!

Without happy teachers there will be no happy learners, no happy schools, no happy environment, no happy family and no happy community".

It is all connected, so why not considering the happiness of the teachers as well?

Good luck with the project, positive changes are welcome.

[bigt3116]

I was just asking my school if it's happy. But didn't get an answer yet.

But the director seems to be happy with his new palace. No more money to get the only printer fixed this term.

"Wait for next term was the coordinator's message"..

Poor English aside, how do you expect a bricks and mortar building to answer your question ?

Plus, this does not affect you, you do not teach at a university.

[Rhys]

How about this one for the TC.. retain the senior teachers that do make a difference and have not retired on the job..