New school hours in Thailand to be effective on Nov 2

[diehard60]

Oh here we go. Giving the teachers more F- off time. Now they can go and drink more or go and visit girl or boy friends more. The regular teachers will all go home and will not be at school from 2:30 on.

[Ron19]

While I agree the school day for some children is ridiculously long especially in more rural areas where they use the school bus and are often out of the house for over 12 hours,but the other half of me is wondering what they shall do with the extra time,I suppose it will be iPads,telephones and Internet shops as always.

We will soon know when the already slow internet gets bogged down that little bit earlier with the advent of schools finishing earlier.

Could not agree with you more, all they will do with that is more games on their smart phones etc.

Just like two nextdoor are doing right now as they have been doing for most of the time during the

current holidays and using my wifi signal by the way.

[springheeled jack]

giving children more leisure time is not an answer in the west school hours are from 9,0am till 4,0pm

1 hour for lunch cutting school hours just means giving children more time to think of what to do next and that could mean mischief .

[nikster]

giving children more leisure time is not an answer in the west school hours are from 9,0am till 4,0pm

1 hour for lunch cutting school hours just means giving children more time to think of what to do next and that could mean mischief .

yes it is an answer, and more mischief may be just what the doctor's ordered

this education system is a relic of the past - it was invented to create compliant worker drones who do not ask questions, and who do not under any circumstances have any ideas. and i am talking about the west as well as the east - it's a prevalent madness.

abolish homework next and I'm happy

PS OK so we have to think what to do with our kids for that 1 extra hour - that's a bit challenging to be honest. school isn't just for learning it's also to socialize and to get the little ones out of our hair for the day. as they say it takes a village to raise a child.

[smurph]

There's some decent analysis of this here... http://asiancorrespondent.com/135288/thai-schools-are-reducing-class-time-in-a-bid-to-boost-academic-performance/

It's a good idea, but really up to the teachers and school administrators to make it count.

[Seastallion]

A lot of Thai teachers only go into school to recruit students for their after school private classes, these can be seen taking place in many venues around towns and villages from about 5pm to 9pm. At school many classes are missed, or the teacher just doesn't show up because breakfast and lunch or facebook take precedence. Many students feel they have to go to the private classes in order to keep up. Thai teacher gets to pay for her car and stupid gadgets that she bought on credit. It's a huge scam and takes place at every government school in the country. The new school hours will just make this business more profitable.

You are absolutely correct. This happens all the time in all schools, even private schools. Perhaps even more in private schools where the parents have money.

[LazySlipper]

Me believes there is a misunderstanding in regards to this new plan. People think the kids will be allowed to go home, but in fact as stated in the official statements so far the schools will have to keep the kids and they will have to implement new kinds of classes...

"Therefore, the Ministry came up with the measure to move up the school finishing time from 3.30 pm to 2.30 pm in a bid to give the students a chance to learn from useful activities after school."

I am sure most teachers revel at the idea, but if it smells like poo it probably is because it is poo!

[English 1]

Ha Ha More time to play Computer Games.

[crazydrummerpauly]

A lot of Thai teachers only go into school to recruit students for their after school private classes, these can be seen taking place in many venues around towns and villages from about 5pm to 9pm. At school many classes are missed, or the teacher just doesn't show up because breakfast and lunch or facebook take precedence. Many students feel they have to go to the private classes in order to keep up. Thai teacher gets to pay for her car and stupid gadgets that she bought on credit. It's a huge scam and takes place at every government school in the country. The new school hours will just make this business more profitable.

Libelous polemic. My wife works her xxx off in a gvt school doing far more than she could get away with, and then has TO TURN DOWN all the demands from parents for extra hours who are genuinely worried about their kid's progress. Not everything in LoS is corrupt, but if you start with that premise of course your views will be negative.

[Jeremy50]

A lot of Thai teachers only go into school to recruit students for their after school private classes, these can be seen taking place in many venues around towns and villages from about 5pm to 9pm. At school many classes are missed, or the teacher just doesn't show up because breakfast and lunch or facebook take precedence. Many students feel they have to go to the private classes in order to keep up. Thai teacher gets to pay for her car and stupid gadgets that she bought on credit. It's a huge scam and takes place at every government school in the country. The new school hours will just make this business more profitable.

Libelous polemic. My wife works her xxx off in a gvt school doing far more than she could get away with, and then has TO TURN DOWN all the demands from parents for extra hours who are genuinely worried about their kid's progress. Not everything in LoS is corrupt, but if you start with that premise of course your views will be negative.

My views are only that, and stem from 15 years experience at many schools. I am glad that you are able to see things differently, of course there are some teachers with their hearts in the right place.

[HerbalEd]

So their answer to "reforming" Thai education is to teach less hours?? I'm sure the teachers and students love this.

[bbbbooboo]

Lol...... Another hour a day to drink and take more drugs

[rodknock]

more time to play on the phone!!!!

[ray23]

u

[amerasianex]

really good idea the school day for my kinder gardener was 12 hours long. Ridiculous. It would be very very good is the school calander matched as close as possible to all the other schools in the world also. Just saying

[sanuk711]

Bit sad though, when good teachers get sacked wen they prove their methods and standards are hgher than those in charge.

Pity Thailand, bcoz those in power hate new ideas and different approaches that would improve the kids' perfomances.

Ignorance is bliss to those in charge. Imagine the consequences if Jo public reallly knew the troof about wot is going on. .

Heaven forbid, or the house of cards would definitely fall down.

Tell us the troof.......you don't happen to teach English do you bcoz I just wondered..................

[lee b]

A full extra hour on Facebook. The kids will be so pleased.

[selftaopath]

While I agree the school day for some children is ridiculously long especially in more rural areas where they use the school bus and are often out of the house for over 12 hours,but the other half of me is wondering what they shall do with the extra time,I suppose it will be iPads,telephones and Internet shops as always.

We will soon know when the already slow internet gets bogged down that little bit earlier with the advent of schools finishing earlier.

They're actually not leaving school early, rather core subject curriculum (Math, Science, Thai, English, Social Studies etc) will finish by this time, and then the afternoon 2-3 hours will be spent with Art, P.E., Music, etc. My school is also offering supplementary Computer, Thai and English classes (with no extra fees - it is calculated into our weekly hours).

This is the plan, anyway, at my school being one of the 4,100 that will pilot this program. It is a primary school in a very rural location. We are not cutting down on the core subject teaching hours, but rather the government is cutting out all the "extra curricular" activities and making them elective in the afternoons.

Either this will be the greatest thing since sliced bread, or will be an absolute abysmal failure. I have a feeling that some of the teachers have no desire to teach above their standard 12-14 hours a week, and these classes increase that by 3-4 hours. I have gone from 19 hours to 23, but that's ok, because I'm the foreign teacher and get paid so much, so mai bpen rai....anyway, these old school teachers will not want to do any extra activities and will probably instead send the kids out t oplay.

I hope not, but speaking with teachers at other schools, this is the general fear. The kids will just have open reign of school grounds every day from 13.30 to 16.00....

WOW. Teachers "work" all of 12-14 hours A WEEK????? Unbelievable.

[Jonathon]

More time for extra-curricular activities such as internet games, lazing around or just making a nuisance of themselves.

Extra learning? Never! Many can't even summon up any interest for their school-time lessons.

[thailanddogerator]

Yes ! they are are all smart enough and teachers good enough to spend less time at school ! hahaha...

[Sparkles]

The school I teach at is using this as a money spinner. They are offering, for a price, supplementary lessons. They have to offer activities, which they will do, but they will push parents to "make the most of this wonderful opportunity for their kids to get cheap extra tuition."

This practice,especially in Government schools has been going on for a while.Teacher tells parents.... "oh your child is slipping behind other students, he/she needs more private tution" I can help him/her,not expensive.When you look at the poor salaries of Thai teachers its understandable and for foregners extra pocket money

Having worked in the education "system" here not hard to realise why Thailand lags so far behind other Asian counties in academic achievement.

Nothing changes ,for the ruling power its a low priority.Of course familes with money send their kids to international schools

[SPB65]

My 8 year old daughter moved from Thailand to UK this summer. She is learning far more in a much shorter day here than she ever did in Thailand. The same can be said for one of her problem classmates who also relocated to UK last year. It's hard to overstate how poor a Thai education is compared to developed countries. The curriculum to the standard of teaching staff and methods. If you have kids in Thai schools my advice would be get them out as quickly as possible. It will be the best thing you ever did for them.

[Kasset Tak]

A lot of Thai teachers only go into school to recruit students for their after school private classes, these can be seen taking place in many venues around towns and villages from about 5pm to 9pm. At school many classes are missed, or the teacher just doesn't show up because breakfast and lunch or facebook take precedence. Many students feel they have to go to the private classes in order to keep up. Thai teacher gets to pay for her car and stupid gadgets that she bought on credit. It's a huge scam and takes place at every government school in the country. The new school hours will just make this business more profitable.

I have seen this in several secondary schools (matheum). The students finish about 30-50% of what they should do in class so the teacher basically force them to take the extra classes if they want to pass the final and national exams. I know that parent's are paying 2-6000 a month just for their kids' tutoring.

For many farmers (like the families of most of my students) that's just not possible so I offer all students at my school (including children of the teachers and workers here studying at other schools) to study 1h extra Monday to Thursday for free. If someone want to study on the weekend I charge B50/h for students from my school, B100/h for students from other schools and B250/h for adults.

[dominique355]

Make it 1.30pm and they could pick up a drink on the way home to fill in the extra leisure time?

Yes, they need more time to get to the bar which had to relocate at least 300m away from the school.

[rethaier]

Methinks this will allow the teachers to do more extra learning classes and rake in more money making up for what they cannot seem to teach in regular school classes.

[TPI]

I believe that Ministers in general are probably mutants....they have to be born with two fundemental appendages, they couldn't become that stupid manhandling one!!!!

[TPI]

The school I teach at is using this as a money spinner. They are offering, for a price, supplementary lessons. They have to offer activities, which they will do, but they will push parents to "make the most of this wonderful opportunity for their kids to get cheap extra tuition."

This practice,especially in Government schools has been going on for a while.Teacher tells parents.... "oh your child is slipping behind other students, he/she needs more private tution" I can help him/her,not expensive.When you look at the poor salaries of Thai teachers its understandable and for foregners extra pocket money

Having worked in the education "system" here not hard to realise why Thailand lags so far behind other Asian counties in academic achievement.

Nothing changes ,for the ruling power its a low priority.Of course familes with money send their kids to international schools

I don't believe that you're correct in assuming that Thai teachers are underpaid, with the new pay rises over the last couple of years a lot of teachers (older, more experienced) are getting anything from B40-B60K, not chicken feed in this country!!

[wabothai]

Great job minister of education. I am sure you and your staff have really thought this out well. Second agenda perhaps?

7 hours less of education every week.

How about some more English (or Chinese) lessons?

[Krataiboy]

School hours in Thailand are unnecessarily long. My youngest daughter (eight) has to be up at 6.30 to get ready for school, which starts at 8.30. Classes officially finish at 3.30, but until recently she did what most infant and junior school kids do and stayed on until five for extra, paid-for lessons. She'd get home about six. That's nearly a 12 hour working day, which, if kids had a trade union, would be grounds for industrial action for exploitation.

My elder daughter, who is 16 and won a place at a prestigious Bangkok school with a special Engllish/Chinese programme, has an even more punishing schedule and masses of homework which result in her routinely having to burn the midnight oil (she has to get up at five in order to ensure she gets to school on time) and whenever she comes home she spends days catching up on sleep.

The present school regime ensures that millions of Thai children spend much of their school lives either knackered or bored (or both - Thai teaching methods are not exactly geared to encourage participation and creativity) and explains their poor achievements compared with their counterparts in most other ASEAN countries.

A cut in school hours is long overdue, but one can't help feeling cynical about the "useful activities" which will allegedly be used to coral them from 2.30 until their parents - often both out at work - are available to pick them up. Sounds like a nice little earner for teachers, but frankly I would rather have my little girl home early, so her mother and I can help her with any homework, I can polish her English a little more, and we can enjoy some extra family time together.

[cooked]

The school I teach at is using this as a money spinner. They are offering, for a price, supplementary lessons. They have to offer activities, which they will do, but they will push parents to "make the most of this wonderful opportunity for their kids to get cheap extra tuition."

This practice,especially in Government schools has been going on for a while.Teacher tells parents.... "oh your child is slipping behind other students, he/she needs more private tution" I can help him/her,not expensive.When you look at the poor salaries of Thai teachers its understandable and for foregners extra pocket money

Having worked in the education "system" here not hard to realise why Thailand lags so far behind other Asian counties in academic achievement.

Nothing changes ,for the ruling power its a low priority.Of course familes with money send their kids to international schools

It doesn't necessarily work that way. It's more an unspoken out loud case of 'give me some money (for 'extra tuition') or your kid gets lower grades'. I have seen classes where the kids having extra tuition are crowded around the teachers' desks while the kids trying to study alone / do their homework are deliberately disrupted by kids from other classes. The teacher does nothing to stop this. My own granddaughter suffers from this, and that in a private school. She is very quick and bright but only comes up in the middle of the class gradings. We were asked if we wanted holiday tuition also. I said no, we are definitely heading for the beach.