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CHALK TALK
Cutting class hours needs to be well thought out
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

BANGKOK: -- STARTING IN November, classes at more than 3,500 schools across the country will finish at 2pm each day.

Does the move delight or scare Thais? What do educators and education analysts have to say?

General Dapong Ratanasuwan, the new education minister, has proudly said the big cut in class hours is in response to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha's policy to imbue children with happiness, echoing the National Council for Peace and Order's promise to return happiness to the people.

"After the class ends, schools can arrange happy activities for children to do in the afternoon. Parents and teachers will be happy too," Dapong said.

But does this sound too good to be true?

Critics can't help wondering why the measure was implemented so suddenly. They are afraid Dapong has not yet looked into all relevant research before allowing such a big measure to go ahead? This general, after all, was sworn in as education minister less than two weeks ago.

Dapong has been trying to dismiss such criticism by suggesting that the class-hour reduction had been planned long before he rose to the helm of the Education Ministry.

He was also quick to point out that only the schools that are ready to implement the policy will start reducing class hours in the second semester.

He put that number at just 10 per cent of the total schools under the Office of Basic Education Commission's supervision.

Dapong, who said a man from a military background like him had a teacher's spirit, insisted the cut in class hours would not hurt children's learning.

"We've reduced the class time, not the learning time. With the cut in class hours, children will have time to learn from other activities. They can learn how to play music and sports after the class schedule ends each day. It's good for brain development," he said.

He even expressed confidence that the new schedule will not affect parents, because those who cannot look after their children in the afternoon can simply allow them to stay at school to join various activities that the schools will provide.

But will teachers be able to prepare new course syllabus and design extracurricular activities in time?

According to Obec secretary general Dr Kamol Rodklai, chiefs of the educational-services area offices and school directors will be invited to meetings in the middle of next month to decide what those outside-class learning activities will be.

"We plan to draw up six to seven options for schools to choose," Kamol said.

He, too, insisted that these activities would stimulate children's social skills, and encourage their physical and emotional development.

If things go according to Dapong and Kamol's plan, students would be happy learning and enjoying well-rounded development thanks to the policy to cut a huge number of class hours.

Scepticism, however, prevails among the many people who have closely watched Thailand's educational sector during the past few decades.

Many policies that seemed excellent at the time were mentioned before. But in practice, only a few were good enough. And sadly, the good ones are sometimes abandoned as soon as a new education minister comes to power.

Dapong is the 17th education minister in the past 14 years. And like his predecessors, this new man at the helm has pushed for a big idea.

When Jurin Laksanawisit served as the education minister in 2009 and 2010, the authorities launched the Tutor Channel in response to his policy.

A few years later, Suchart Thadathamrongvej became education minister. Encouraged by his keen interest in Mandarin, the ministry agreed to hire more than 1,000 Chinese teachers for Mandarin classes at schools.

While these initiatives may have been implemented with good intent, there is the need for all stakeholders to focus on the overall picture, a holistic approach and the continuity needed to achieve intended results.

Some projects, when not sustained, may deliver few, if any, benefits. Young children who attended Mandarin classes for a few hours each week for just one or two semesters were prone to quickly forget basic Mandarin after the special project ended.

Most of the time, the new man heading the ministry is keen on pushing his own ideas rather than continuing projects introduced by his predecessors. Officials, meanwhile, are prone to oblige the wishes of their new boss.

Recent activities at the ministry suggest the same old pattern is going to repeat itself again.

This is despite the fact that during the age of reform, which the NCPO has preached so much about, the education minister should introduce efficient system-based thinking for others to follow.

If Dapong plans to push for any idea, he should use a holistic approach to implement it and think long-term.

And his successors should do the same.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Cutting-class-hours-needs-to-be-well-thought-out-30267779.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-31

[thesetat2013]

I love it! The MOE thinks that cutting class hours will help Mr. P's policy on imbuing children with happiness. Heheee! What about making sure the children have a happy future with a career that will make them rich or famous or help them to land a good job and improve the country for future generations? Since when does cutting hours of classes give students happiness?

[lostinisaan]

General Dapong Ratanasuwan, the new education minister, has proudly said the big cut in class hours is in response to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha's policy to imbue children with happiness, echoing the National Council for Peace and Order's promise to return happiness to the people.

"After the class ends, schools can arrange happy activities for children to do in the afternoon. Parents and teachers will be happy too," Dapong said.

Too many generals are making too many problems. How can you return happiness to people who were never happy?

There're still 2,000 schools without electricity, are the teachers there happy, or the students?

​ It seems that they're planning to have some happy soldiers in positions where they shouldn't be, because they know nothing about their field.

An Army guy as the new minister of education? An Army guy as the president?

Edited August 31, 2015 by lostinisaan

[BAYBOY]

Absolute rubbish. Cutting back the number of hours of teaching during the school day and replacing those lost hours with" happiness classes" will result long term in the low standards of today going lower.

The amount of time wasting which happens at every school in Thailand is getting way out of balance.

My son is in M3 at the local High School. Here is his class timetable for the last 23 days of schooling.

July 30 &31st No school as these days are Buddhist holy days.

August 3,4,5,6,7,No Classes as 5 days of sport. Optional attendance if no personally active in the sport events.

August 11 Classes closed so the students can pay respect for the Queen's Birthday.

August 12 No school as Queen's Birthday.

August 20 & 21st. School closed ... Teachers attending Training course.

August 24 & 25th. Son absent due to recovery from dental repair.

So for a 13 days out of 19 he had no classes and learning..To read that they want to further reduce class hours makes one wonder.

I have been teaching here at Primary level for 15 years, and often turn up to school to find the morning classes are changed to some non learning activity.Dancing, singing,some sport,art activities, Boy scouts,half day trips to a temple, day trips to Bangkok all eat into actual hours of class these days. The hours spent learning as such would have fallen by at least 15% over the time I have been teaching here. Now we will have more' junk' taught and far less learning .Dear oh dear.

As the days progress I despair as to how Thailand will ever progress if the education systems are going backwards. Ask why do so many children do extra classes after school, it is so they can at least get some further learning to make up for the poor amount they get in school from 8.30 to 3.30.Sixteen years ago my school did not have any 'extra' classes. Today 2 thirds of the students are at school now till 5.30 every day attending extra classes. Some do work and learn further , most it is just a baby sitting exercise for the parents.

BAYBOY

[glasswort]

"After the class ends, schools can arrange happy activities for children to do in the afternoon. Parents and teachers will be happy too," Dapong said.

For those not interested in the school arranged activities and remembering my school days these this will not be the majority, they can spend more time hanging around shopping malls and internet cafes, smoking, drinking, riding their motorcycles without crash helmets and this increasing the possibility of road accidents, getting involved in inter school gang hostilities etc. etc. Yep yet another brilliantly conceived Thai Government initiative.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Don't cut the hours down. Cut the freaking class! No need to study when you have Google.

[whatproblem]

Well if it's got to be " well thought out " that's the end of that . Teachers are only in the class just before home time getting ready for the extra lessons££££

[Emster23]

"In response to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha's policy to imbue children with happiness," OMG this is soooo messed up! I suppose they want children to be happy now because when they get in adult world with not even minimal skills they will have frowny faces. My Thai GF went to regular school and her math level is appalling. She is not stupid, just never taught. I've been doing a bit of remedial ed with her, teach her how to divide, fractions, etc. She picks it up quickly, given right instruction. So cut the crap and do what schools in most parts of the world are there to do: EDUCATE the students!

[doremifasol]