Pilot project set to slash school hours

[tuanku]

Too many classroom hours spent learning the wrong thing in the wrong way may be a small part of the problem - but tackling that in isolation it is not the key to education reform. Its what actually happens during those 1200 or 840 or 750 hours that counts and this may be much harder to address. The good thing is perhaps the students get to waste their time in new and more entertaining ways.

[sawadee1947]

well, good idea. Maybe only twice per week. Makes the sheep following much easier.

[Cake Monster]

For sure, it will be the most useless subjects that will be hardest hid in cutting the hours.

Subjects like Maths, Science, English, and Computer Skills will defineatly be affected.

After all ! What possible use do all these subject matters have in the modern world ?

[Thai at Heart]

I have mixed feelings about this, but on the whole, if it is handled correctly it may be a good idea. The current problem is that schools frequently use quantity over quality, which promotes inefficiency in the learning environment. There is a lot of non-essential learning incorporated into the school day and some of this could be in the afternoon programs, but I doubt that it will. This includes things like Scouts but that is almost a core subject.

Another problem is that it will not reduce the hours for teachers, but may add a fair amount of work because the teachers will be required to help, set up programs and supervise activities.

If there were enough teachers of quality in the right facilities you might be right. Alas, where are all these outstanding teachers sitting with class sizes of 15?

Nowhere.

[cmiuc]

"a pilot scheme to free up more time for extracurricular activities that could better promote students' learning capability." extracurricular usually means outside of normal learning... "Extra"...

but the way it is even now.. as a teacher... it is so hard to stay on topic because they are gone so much in crap "extra programs" so i don't know how this will help in their normal learning... right now with the normal program and all these extracurricular programs... students are less educated and more lazy... so you can't expect more out of them when the 'pot is calling the kettle black' expression... so Thailand's educations sinks deeper and deeper into the mire of lack of education... thus a lack of society functions... yet "we are ASEAN?" Dang! Singapore needs to get involved before the education system sinks out of sight and Thailand becomes the LOI(Land of of Illiteracy)

[bangon04]

How long does it take to memorize the Twelve Values, the defeat of the Burmese and some Thai "history"?

"Sufficiency" education.

"The minister said having fewer classroom hours would not affect students' academic capability as the core subjects will remain unchanged."

not to forget the other core values which cannot be reduced:

Saluting the Flag, singing patriotic songs, dressing up, dancing and parades and saluting the flag all take up lots of time. Sitting in the playground in straight lines takes up a lot of effort and practice to get it right.

At least lunch time can start at 2pm now....oh wait....

[farangmick]

Interestingly, an English school tried an experiment which was filmed for TV. They hired five Chinese teachers to teach maths, sciences and Mandarin to one group of students using methods that were the norm in my schooldays, and still practised in China. The other group were "taught" in the current British fashion of buggering about all day with "child centered learning." The school head was critical of the Chinese method. At the end of term exams, the Chinese-taught students scored around 10% higher across the board. The groups hadn't been streamed on ability.

[Brer Fox]

Undoubtedly a teacher initiated reform. Less hours at school and more hours at home.

[dao16]

What gets me is the insane amount of time they already spend on "activities" during the day. Classes are easily and frequently cancelled so the kids can do some sort of extra thing related to anything under the sun unrelated to learning. This really just codifies it, I guess.

[Dogbreath]

According to my teacher friends and acquaintances here in LOS, the kids are already spending too much time in award ceremonies and other feel-good activity and too little learning. following that line of reasoning, This pilot project is a step in the wrong direction. When ASEAN gets up and running, thailand is in for some tough sledding; especially insofar as English speaking ability where the Thais are near the bottom. Like it or not, English is the language of commerce worldwide.

[Doc46]

They are kidding are they? The kids are learning nothing now so they might as well stay home altogether and stay dumb the same as they are born and bludge on the family and on anyone they can,and be criminals as a full time job!

[car720]

I have mixed feelings about this, but on the whole, if it is handled correctly it may be a good idea. The current problem is that schools frequently use quantity over quality, which promotes inefficiency in the learning environment. There is a lot of non-essential learning incorporated into the school day and some of this could be in the afternoon programs, but I doubt that it will. This includes things like Scouts but that is almost a core subject.

Another problem is that it will not reduce the hours for teachers, but may add a fair amount of work because the teachers will be required to help, set up programs and supervise activities.

Not inefficiency but the contrary.

Seriously, consider any warlord in this area and consider how they have been able to maintain their power.

Always by eliminating the intelligencia. Hitler did it so why not here? The buffoon in North Korea is doing it, so why not here?

The best place to start is in the schools which are already incapable of educating the citizenry.

Leave the brainless kids at home with their brainless parents, with nothing to do, and it is so much easier to maintain power.

Who is there to be a dissident?

[ozyjon]

Quoting Nice Boyd (thank you)

'' Keep em Stupid,So they won't notice how bad Law Enforcement and Corruption is in in Thailand ''

I read somewhere that the way World Governments control their citizens was in fact to

'' Keep em Stupid,'' also if you analyze the majority of US Army soldiers, the majority are in fact

'' Stupid '' it's deliberate, why ? because stupid people don't know better, don't ask questions and

do what they are told, maybe we who pass judgement quickly should look at it through a diferent

perspective. Also less school hours = more TV, mobile phone time.

[gyrosman]

For some who agree with this insane Idea have never been a teacher. After 3 years (25 years in 4 countries), reaching from M1,2,3,4 in seven subjects, school for most kid is a way out of poverty . Now, more free time to play combined with so many holidays here and sports week, teachers day, etc.. it goes on and on. I guess this way of thinking keeps the villages uneducated and poor to maintain control. But, on the bright side, the internet cafes will have more business, more cigs sold more time for teen pregnancy to take place. Do homework, please, more time to copy. This direction only amplifies the downward spiral of brainpower in Kingdom.

[krdowney]

According to my teacher friends and acquaintances here in LOS, the kids are already spending too much time in award ceremonies and other feel-good activity and too little learning. following that line of reasoning, This pilot project is a step in the wrong direction. When ASEAN gets up and running, thailand is in for some tough sledding; especially insofar as English speaking ability where the Thais are near the bottom. Like it or not, English is the language of commerce worldwide.

First off, we are likely still five years away from the ASEAN Economic Community taking effect. The original agreement made at the 2003 Bali Summit named 2020 as the starting date. It was pushed back to 2015 at the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2007. I have a funny feeling the 2015 date was set as a warning buzzer to really get moving. Thailand likely has some time.

Nonetheless, I also believe that it is more likely that Thailand will opt to not meet the requirements and allow the AEC to proceed without them fully participating until they are ready. The country is not interested in broad English language skills, and is terrified of opening up their labor market to English-proficient groups from other ASEAN countries. Thailand has already effectively withdrawn from the initiative for all ASEAN states to unify their school calendars to promote educational exchange; the Thai government simply said it wasn't interested.

Thailand will not be constrained by ASEAN, and will simply fall further outside and behind their ASEAN neighbors. Mai pen rai.

[phiti]

Too much lesson time is currently disrupted doing other activities. As a result students lose focus and it's difficult to get it back. The proposal to have a shorter day could work well as long as the hours up to 2 o'clock are devoted to study. Activities could then be conducted after 2 pm.

[phiti]

Too much lesson time is currently disrupted doing other activities. As a result students lose focus and it's difficult to get it back. The proposal to have a shorter day could work well as long as the hours up to 2 o'clock are devoted to study. Activities could then be conducted after 2 pm.

[peter48]

Thailand is considered lower than many Eastern nations in schooling which drags their economy down and limits mobility for poorer kids such as leaving too young so do not know if this best really.

[peter48]

Quoting Nice Boyd (thank you)

'' Keep em Stupid,So they won't notice how bad Law Enforcement and Corruption is in in Thailand ''

I read somewhere that the way World Governments control their citizens was in fact to

'' Keep em Stupid,'' also if you analyze the majority of US Army soldiers, the majority are in fact

'' Stupid '' it's deliberate, why ? because stupid people don't know better, don't ask questions and

do what they are told, maybe we who pass judgement quickly should look at it through a diferent

perspective. Also less school hours = more TV, mobile phone time.

In the UK we have better schooling but we have tabloids like the SUN and Mail which keep our people simple, very Conservative and behind Germans, French, Swedes, Danes ,Dutch etc. Same thing you keep the rich elites in power oppose change and dumb down many Brits.