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Students to spend less time in class from next semester
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- IN THE upcoming semester, the number of class hours will be significantly reduced at nearly 3,000 schools across the country.

A total of 2,948 schools have registered for the pivotal phase of the initiative to push down class hours so that students have more time to pick up other skills outside the classroom.

"This initiative applies to both primary and secondary schools," Education Minister General Dapong Ratanasuwan said this week.

Currently, schools require their primary students to attend between 1,200 and 1,400 class hours a year, or between 30 and 35 hours a week.

The moves are based on a guideline that class hours for primary students should be no less than 1,000 a year. As for secondary students, they must now attend about 1,400 class hours a year or about 35 hours a week based on the guideline that their class hours should be no fewer than 1,200 a year.

The new initiative, however, prescribes that the class hours must be fewer than 1,000 a year for primary students and fewer than 1,200 a year for secondary students.

"The initiative aims to ensure primary students have between eight and 13 hours a week, and secondary students eight hours a week to pick up some other skills outside the classroom," Dapong said.

He was speaking after the Cabinet approved the initiative.

Activities outside the classroom will be prepared for students so they enjoy a boost to their learning capabilities, good value/characteristics, life skills and occupational skills.

"The activities, for example, will cover communications, IT usage, public-mindedness and loyalty to the monarchy," Dapong said.

The education minister said the revised class hours would not affect the core content of the curriculum, the Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet), which is organised by the National Institute of Educational Testing Service, and national tests held by the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec).

Dapong said Obec planned to organise workshops to help schools prepare themselves for the revised class hours.

"It will also form more than 300 teams of smart trainers for the purpose," he said.

Dapong added that his ministry would evaluate the results of the initiative twice during the second semester of this year or the upcoming semester.

"At the end of the semester, we will conduct another evaluation," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Students-to-spend-less-time-in-class-from-next-sem-30269437.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-24

[BSJ]

Did the teachers association come up with this? So now the amount of hours in front of a teacher have been cut can we expect a cut in teacher salaries?

[ajarnmarc]

This is most likely going to translate into more IT usage for the students;

as subtly noted...

As students are drove to hone in on their IT skills,

for a better tomorrow, while wasting through today

[Artisi]

Don't see all that much benefit, if any, considering the low teaching skills of the majority of teachers.

[Strangebrew]

More time to pickup other skills like how to steal a car or drug selling and the profit to be made?

[JAG]

IT usage - video games.

[fred Kubasa]

Coupled with the unique " No Fail Policy " and a kindergarden curriculum

guarantees that Thailand youth may not even qualify for a job stocking

7 - 11 shelves.

[MaxLee]

This is most likely going to translate into more IT usage for the students;

as subtly noted...

As students are drove to hone in on their IT skills,

for a better tomorrow, while wasting through today

Well I would say rather more opportunity to access social networks, chitchats, facebook, LINE etc, more window shopping and nasty nasty activities for the nasty nasty rowdies among those youngsters

[glasswort]

If these students are to have less time in classes they should be made to spend at least one hour per day clearing the trash that is routinely dumped in any convenient place all over Thailand. By doing this they might just learn that dumping trash is anti social and harmful to the environment as a whole.

[mrwebb8825]

"It will also form more than 300 teams of smart trainers for the purpose," he said. Well, there's my daily chuckle.

[seajae]

may as well seeing the teachers dont teach them anything, why make them sit in silence if they are not actually learning, better off doing after class schooling and learning what they are supposed to be taught in class.

[MrBrilliant]

so that students have more time to pick up other skills outside the classroom.

like walking the 301 Metres to the nearest boozer?

[jaiyenyen]

The new semester starts in little over a month, around 26th October. Good luck with getting training and after-school activities planned before then.

[Jonmarleesco]

'... the initiative to push down class hours so that students have more time to pick up other skills outside the classroom.' The reality is unlikely to bear any resemblance to the theory.

[Brer Fox]

Less classroom hours will be replaced by more excursion hours which are more relaxing and fun for teachers. Overnight excursions are every popular with teachers. Students parents normally have to pay nominal accommodation and food costs while teachers get kickbacks and free lodgings and meals for from the accommodation providers. The education system is up there with the Bill when it comes brown envelopes.