Thai Education Min eyes cutting school hours to allow students to relax

[webfact]

Education Min eyes cutting school hours to allow students to relax

BANGKOK, 28 August 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Education is planning to reduce class time for students in the basic education system in a bid to allow them more time to be with family or to take up extracurricular activities.

In compliance with the policy given by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Education Minister Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan stated that he has instructed the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) to consider lessening the hours spent in some classes.

Through such a measure, he said students would be able to loosen up after school and spend more time with their families. More importantly, the extra free time could be invested in extracurricular activities, encouraging the students to learn by doing rather than by rote.

Initially, OBEC might allow schools to finish earlier at 2 pm. The measure could be piloted in the next school term, which will begin in November, and would apply to 10 percent of the 38,000 schools under the supervision of OBEC.

Should the change be made, Gen Dapong suggested OBEC to adjust its curricula and make necessary preparations ahead of time while also creating an understanding of the measure with the affected schools, teachers, students and parents.


-- NNT 2015-08-28

[lostinisaan]

I believe it when I see it. .

[EnzoRippo]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

Edited August 28, 2015 by EnzoRippo

[zaphod reborn]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

The emphasis on teaching Thai culture is ridiculous, and the students spend far too much classroom time on useless rote learning of this subject, rather than exercising their brains and bodies in real-life pursuits. However, to lay this problem on the doorstep of the Junta ignores the fact that the excessive brainwashing has been going on for decades.

I'm sure parents are not going to be happy that their children won't be kept by a babysitter until later in the afternoon. Freeing up the students for organized sports and organized extracurricular activities which stimulate creative thinking would yield better results.

[timber]

I am amazed at this. Younger students have a hard time with their memories and need repetition. The decrease in school time over the last five years

has made a repetition a laugh. The students have to have a tablet, laptop, or calculator to do basic functions that are required to function in society.

Making learning an enjoyable experience is a lot more important than giving young people more time to find ways to keep themselves busy.

What is the goal of Thai Society? When I was a kid it was to contribute to the community in a meaningful manner.

[aarontendo]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

Yep, and pretty much convinced that when I have kids if I can't send them to an international then I'll be taking them home. I'm not impressed with what I'm seeing here, nor in how the children are socialized.

I know two other fellas who went home once their kids were of school age, my hat off to them.

[thailand49]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the worl

+1

What should happen here is they need to evoke Article 44, on this guy and fire him along with the rest of the fools. Regardless, who is in charge or fighting to be in charge this is the way they all want it. To keep the average people down doing so allows them to continue the status quo.

[Cake Monster]

If the children were in an intensive learning situation, where they are learning stem subjects that will be required of them in their employed years, then I would agree.

However, TIT

The only people to benefit fom this will be the miriad of games shops that are home to many of these kids.

[gandalf12]

What are they relaxing from? They dont do anything in the schools except copy what they are told to. They doont need time to relax they need to start working on their studies like the rest of the world does.

[thequietman]

The schools will then just begin classes at 6:30 am or shorten the dinner break.

Recently when the government shortened classes from 55 minutes to 50, the directors just added an Xtra class onto the school day to make up for it. Nothings changes.

[Ianatlarge]

My students seem relaxed all the time. I would like to see them a little tense.

[DavisH]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

That's quite depressing. Is this a government school? My students do a subject called citizenship, but that's about it. This is a private school.

[maoro2013]

They will be needing a bit more time to walk to the bar

[DLang]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

Complete and utter indoctrination and nothing else.

Get your kids out of Thai 'School' now.

[DLang]

What are they relaxing from?

Chanting.

Marching.

Flag waving.

Similar to Munich in the early 1930's.

[madmitch]

Actually sounds sensible as kids' attention span can surely not tolerate the hours spent rote learning and copying.

The GF's 7 year old niece is picked up by he school bus at 6:30 am and she gets home at around 6:00pm, often too tired to do anything but sleep. My daughter who's at International School leaves at 7:30 and is back by 4. Big difference, and I know which one gets the far superior education, albeit at a cost.

[DLang]

Perhaps more teachers to lower the class sizes, scrap the rote learning system for all but math, and get the kids involved in the learning process, scrap the current grading system, scrap the no fail policy, you know, start completely again, copying the far superior Western methods while ditching the useless Thai ones.

I mean what do they want? A free thinking educated populace, or a nation of mindless indoctrinated drones?

[cmsally]

Why don't they try using the hours to actually teach them. Also reduce the class size. That way they wouldn't need to spend additional hours on extra lessons after school hours.

Days are wasted on cutting out paper and making stuff for useless displays and parades.

[davyboy]

Stop giving students homework as this is a complete waste of time, especially when others do it for them!!!

[TEFLKrabi]

I think a combination of more teachers to reduce the class sizes would be a good start. I'm not sure stopping rote learning is the best way. A mixture of rote and practical learning is surely the way forward.

[passiflora]

Poor Thailand

[FangFerang]

The MOE is the most successfully corrupted branch of the government and make the RTP look like boy scouts. Teachers at government schools buy their jobs, to the tune of 60k or more, no one ever audits the budget against expenditures, and even the army is afraid of the MOE.

Only Singapore spends more in ASEAN on education, and no one is delivered a poorer product than Thailand.

They don't even teach Thai culture. They only teach the culture of the BKK river delta region. The other indigenous people have no rights or votes, and are delightfully considered ugly buffaloes by the children at most schools.

They do, however, make a decent tourist draw, but even the money from that -- you got it -- goes to Bangkok.

[newnative]

Seriously? They already get more holidays than almost all the other countries. Plus all the long school breaks--they never seem to be in school! They ought to be making the school day longer so there is more instruction time--seems like they need all the education time they can get.

[Benmart]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

It appears the current policy makers have read the handbook used by others to indoctrinate, subjugate and infiltrate.

[lostinisaan]

What are they relaxing from? They dont do anything in the schools except copy what they are told to. They doont need time to relax they need to start working on their studies like the rest of the world does.

Of course do they need more time to spend in the countless internet shops to play idiotic computer games.

My son's studying computer every day and he's pretty good at it. But not at school.

They should double the boy scout "lessons" and all will be fine in 248 years, or so.

Thailand is the hub of Illusions, but they'll will never understand it.

More soldiers in the MOE and TCT will make a total mess out of the already messed up mess.

Edited August 28, 2015 by lostinisaan

[DLang]

Poor Thailand

Poor Thais.

Everyday I am more and more grateful for not being born a Thai in Thailand.

17 years here and I am now very very grateful indeed.

[manhood]

This country don't want educated children as they know they quick will turn themself against this rotten establishment of Thai life!

I know older better educated thai students and they are sooo very unhappy about what they have to do in school and the way of learning so they better want to sleep rather listen the stupidness they get thought!

[HOOD Robin]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

Complete and utter indoctrination and nothing else.

Get your kids out of Thai 'School' now.

Thai schools/education = 1 big joke

300 m opposite my place there is a school with mixed students of (i assume) 12/13y - 17/18y

Since last Monday they are ALL day, starting from 7 am, all outside on the football field making noice like an army ! The girls are teached and drilled how to SCREAM and JELL, all day long... This is really annoying and embarrassing !

Besides that very loud drums and other cat noise is played all day long

Worst of all, some teachers (or what they are supposed to be) are parttaking in it by acting like an entertainer and screaming all day long together with the students via loudspeakers that can be heard 10 km down the road....

Is this what they call EDUCATION ??? it's not only this week, but on a regular base !

Or is this what the PM calls "keep them happy"... ?

And then they want to reduce class hours... WHICH class hours ???

[kaorop]

Perhaps more teachers to lower the class sizes, scrap the rote learning system for all but math, and get the kids involved in the learning process, scrap the current grading system, scrap the no fail policy, you know, start completely again, copying the far superior Western methods while ditching the useless Thai ones.

I mean what do they want? A free thinking educated populace, or a nation of mindless indoctrinated drones?

We know what "they" want and it aint the first one.

[Kannikapor88]

As a father of 4 (P3 to M5), I can tell that the real number of hours in front of a teacher to learn is decreasing dramatically since one year. Most of the time now focus on propaganda for Junta, Thainess, etc. My daughters spend hours and hours in traditional dance training, activities related to Mum, flags, religion, etc. The aim is clear: even if education level is one of the lowest in the world, Junta wishes it even lower => if young people are educated, know something about the world, can think by themselves, can express an opinion, they will obviously reject the current system which is absolutely unacceptable by any educated kid or adult in any country of the world.

Agree with you ... No Wonder Thai Degrees are not acknowledged in 1 World countries ...