Thai editorial: Reducing classroom hours is a double-edged sword

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EDITORIAL
Reducing classroom hours is a double-edged sword
The Nation

The Education Ministry's decision to end school days at 2pm only makes sense if students have productive ways to fill the free time

BANGKOK: -- Many parents are unwilling to even consider the notion of "free time" for children, but the subject is under debate again with the Education Ministry announcing plans to reduce classroom hours.

Students have naturally greeted the news with joy, and motorists are looking forward to less traffic congestion during morning and afternoon rush hour. But parents' reactions are mixed. While some welcome the move, others are worried about how to keep their kids occupied in their time away from school.

What is less discussed is whether the notion will do anything to remedy the poor quality of Thai education.

New minister Dapong Ratanasuwan, an Army general, seems to think so, saying cutting down class hours "will reduce students' stress". In a bold first move in office, he has instructed schools across the country to end lessons at 2pm each day starting next semester. More than 3,500 schools will begin implementing the policy in November.

The idea is to give students an extra hour per day to spend on extracurricular activities that also build their knowledge and skills. At present they are subject to long hours of low-quality study in schools that do not foster efficient learning.

If judged on the time students devote to schooling, Thai education quality would rank among the best in the world. Thai students spend 1,200 hours a year in class, but their exam results are proof that study time does not correlate with quality. Students in Finland spend 626 hours a year in school - half as much as their Thai counterparts - and yet consistently score high for academic excellence. Thai schoolchildren stay in class longer than most of their counterparts in developed countries, but fail to outperform them in international rankings.

Observers have long criticised the education system for its focus on rote learning rather than encouraging children to think for themselves. As such, reducing class hours could be a spur to this much-needed independent thinking, as well as enabling them to pursue innate talent in sport and music. However, there is no guarantee that schools will be able to fulfil the ministry's wishes by instilling children with extra skills or knowledge outside of normal class hours.

The Office of the Basic Education Commission now has the urgent task of designing a course syllabus to suit the reduced study time and an extracurricular blueprint for the free time. Both are tough challenges rendered at short notice.

It would be unfair to predict whether those challenges will be met - and even whether schools will be able to dismiss students at 2pm. If parents and teachers fail to find worthwhile free-time pursuits for youngsters, the whole scheme will have been in vain. The initiative has potential, but the outcome depends largely on support from schools and parents.

Cutting classroom hours offers the freedom of open space, but that will be wasted if there is nothing to fill it. Thai education has for decades suffered from short-term policies and aborted efforts. As such, serious doubts remain over whether the "free-time" policy will bear fruit.

It is no surprise that public opinion is split on the move, which has the look of a double-edged sword that could cut either way. If the students' additional free time doesn't add up to new knowledge, then it will fail. But if it encourages independent learning and self-development, it could be a crucial step towards the quality education so desperately needed in this country.

The biggest challenge now for the ministry and related agencies is to lay the firm foundations necessary for this initiative to succeed. If they can help students benefit from the free time available to them, all the blunders that preceded it can be forgiven.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Reducing-classroom-hours-is-a-double-edged-sword-30268449.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-09

[worgeordie]

This measure is going to cause so many problems,kids wandering the streets,

malls,when they should be in class learning,how are children where both parents

are at work,going to manage,its not rocket science to realize that less hours in

class learning,is going to lead to an inferior education.but maybe thats what its

all about,an uneducated population is easier to control.

regards Worgeordie

[Hayduke]

Juggling hours and other feel good 'silver bullets' aren't likely to solve much of anything. At best, it's a cosmetic fix to a much bigger problem.

Children don't learn life essentials like character, morality, work ethics, etc at school; they learn them at home. If parents don't take these things seriously then their children probably won't either.

On the other hand...when I was nine years old I would have been more than happy to recite twelve of anything to get out of school at 2:00.

[Lunchbob]

The decision acknowledges that leadership understands some of the basic challenges. It is a huge step forward. Just having this discussion is incredible and proves we are heading in the right direction. Many things and people are very screwed up so it will not be easy.

[sawadee1947]

Brilliant idea. Decline the IQ of Thai students even more....Devoting sheep in sight. Well done PM.

[NickJ]

All those No Alcohol for Sale between the hours of 2pm and 5pm signs will need to be changed as well.................creating more jobs.

[CMBob]

The public education systems in many Asia countries (a few examples: China, India, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) have vastly improved over the last couple of decades and the economic success and output of those countries reflects those efforts.

Thailand's public education system has languished in the meantime and now the Thai government mandates that the kids spend less time in school??? Brilliant! (and perhaps reflective of the quality of the public education received by the government morons who came up with this idea).

[Orac]

The public education systems in many Asia countries (a few examples: China, India, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia) have vastly improved over the last couple of decades and the economic success and output of those countries reflects those efforts.

Thailand's public education system has languished in the meantime and now the Thai government mandates that the kids spend less time in school??? Brilliant! (and perhaps reflective of the quality of the public education received by the government morons who came up with this idea).

The Thai public school system is run for the benefit of its own bureaucracy rather than the students. Though shortening the hours and therefore giving students less exposure to this bureaucracy is an interesting approach it is not addressing the main problem but rather circumventing it.

[Thai at Heart]

No. Doing it without a proper plan is just stupid.

[Emster23]

As very little education seems to take place in Thai schools, perhaps it is a good thing to get them out early. Basically warehousing, taught never to question anyone deemed higher status, rote learning uber alles. Slight possibility they could learn something from a different venue.

[razer]

Got to change the culture of getting something for nothing for any education program to work in Thailand.

[GeckosDiving]

If your child wants to learn and likes going to school, it doesn't matter if their in school from 7 to 5 or 7 to 2 they are going to learn. The one's that don't want to go to school and act up in school because they just don't want to be there, wouldn't matter if thier were there from 7 to 7 they still won't want to learn. What I'm trying to say is if your child wants to learn they will do what they can to educate them selves, by listening, paying attention and asking questions in school and out of school. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink !!

[ikke]

Its a move to keep the people stupid, educated people are difficult to control .......

[Labpooch]

Less hours in school means more time for private tutorial classes...a boon to teachers' sideline!!

[NOC]

I see a lot of pregnant teenagers in Thailand's future. Call me a psychic.

[Jonmarleesco]

'What is less discussed is whether the notion will do anything to remedy the poor quality of Thai education.' As opposed to the almost certain outcome - that it will decline even further, if that is possible. By way of comparison, my 8 year old grandson has just started Saturday classes in the UK, from 8.00 until 3.00, his school working to a six day teaching week.

Thostriches might be an appropriate name for the tossers who thought this up, and for those intent on actioning it.

[willyumiii]

They are barking up the wrong tree.

If you want to improve the quality of education in Thailand, first you need to improve the quality of teachers in Thailand and use the "critical thinking" method of teaching.

Now repeat after me...

"Rote learning is obsolete"

Good, now again..

"Rote learning is obsolete"

Very good, again......

[speedtripler]

They are barking up the wrong tree.

If you want to improve the quality of education in Thailand, first you need to improve the quality of teachers in Thailand and use the "critical thinking" method of teaching.

Now repeat after me...

"Rote learning is obsolete"

Good, now again..

"Rote learning is obsolete"

Very good, again......

teachers are the laughing stock of developed nations never mind thailand

the are barely paid more than the unemployed in some countries

until the salary is "attractive" compared to other jobs the smart people could get

nothing will change

i have met some incredibly smart thais .........but ive also met some incrediblly stupid

ones and theyre often the ones who teach an english class even though they would struggle

to order a coffee at any airport other than thai