Thai schools ordered to improve scrutiny of foreign teachers after Walbran arrest

[webfact]

Thai schools ordered to improve scrutiny of foreign teachers after Walbran arrest
Lindsay Murdoch

BANGKOK: -- Thai authorities have ordered schools to carry out urgent background checks on the country's foreign teachers after Australian convicted paedophile Peter Dundas Walbran was discovered teaching children in north-eastern Thailand.

Education officials admit that some foreigners applying for teaching jobs falsify their credentials and many schools fail to carry out proper background checks on applicants.

Fairfax Media revealed last week that a simple Google search would have found that 59-year-old Walbran raped and sexually molested children as young as eight on the Indonesian island of Lombok over a nine-year period.

The Sydney man turned up teaching at Narinukun international school in Ubon Ratchathani, 630 kilometres from Bangkok, in April.

Suthep Chittayawong, deputy secretary of Thailand's Office of Basic Education Commission, said notices have been sent to all schools ordering background checks, including on any criminal convictions and the authenticity of academic qualifications.

Full story: http://www.smh.com.au/world/thai-schools-ordered-to-improve-scrutiny-of-foreign-teachers-after-walbran-arrest-20151214-glmxr3.html

-- Sydney Morning Herald 2015-12-14

[scorecard]

Two points:

1. Farang teachers have made the news dozens of times re this matter over many years and various authorities have quickly said there backgrounds etc., should be checked. Why is it still not happening?

2. Hope Thai teacher candidates are also checked re the same subject. You can hear / read about plenty of stories of Thai teachers who also touch / molest / rape Thai students.

The education ministry needs to be dismantled totally and re-birthed with completely different objectives, principles, and values. And hopefully 90% of the staff would be new and highly capable.

[Always18]

I'm glad the authorities are at last showing some efficiency here in only checking the "foreign" teachers.

Everyone knows it would be a fruitless exercise checking Thai teachers as they are known to be incapable of such appalling behaviour...................

Edited December 14, 2015 by Always18

[Somtamnication]

And so the witch hunt begins. Again.

[jspill]

They're supposed to carry out CRB checks on teachers already, always have been. Headline should be 'Thai schools ordered to check if they've done what they were supposed to do'.

[Lingba]

...and Thai teachers???

[klauskunkel]

the problem, as I see it, is that these schools simply cannot undertake background checks competently on English language websites.

[jaltsc]

"Thai authorities have ordered schools to carry out urgent background checks..."

While they are at it, how about carrying out background checks to see if ALL the teachers are qualified to teach their subjects in the first place.

[mogo51]

Two points:

1. Farang teachers have made the news dozens of times re this matter over many years and various authorities have quickly said there backgrounds etc., should be checked. Why is it still not happening?

2. Hope Thai teacher candidates are also checked re the same subject. You can hear / read about plenty of stories of Thai teachers who also touch / molest / rape Thai students.

The education ministry needs to be dismantled totally and re-birthed with completely different objectives, principles, and values. And hopefully 90% of the staff would be new and highly capable.

I agree with No. 1 that should happen all the time for ALL teachers.

No. 2 the answer is 'I a Thai' end of discussion

As for 90% of current teachers being inadequate, that is an insult to many foreign teachers (and indeed Thai teachers) that are hard working and competent.

The Thai Education system currently is a disgrace, it has the worst English literacy in ASEAN countries. Yet the current PM wants English to be taken over and taught by Thai teachers. Can't figure that one - oh yes I can, TIT.

The Education hierarchy and ground level school operational managers, are grossly incompetent. They change their minds every day on ciriculum direction, provide inadequate material for teachers to prepare lessons and testing papers. There is no such thing as failing, irrespective of the level of effort of the student. That is just some of the issues.

Your statement is ill informed.

[smotherb]

Two points:

1. Farang teachers have made the news dozens of times re this matter over many years and various authorities have quickly said there backgrounds etc., should be checked. Why is it still not happening?

2. Hope Thai teacher candidates are also checked re the same subject. You can hear / read about plenty of stories of Thai teachers who also touch / molest / rape Thai students.

The education ministry needs to be dismantled totally and re-birthed with completely different objectives, principles, and values. And hopefully 90% of the staff would be new and highly capable.

Just arrived, eh?

Re: #1, laws are not fully enforced here, do you really think regulations and procedures would be?

Re: #2, refer to #1

[kiwikeith]

Two points:

1. Farang teachers have made the news dozens of times re this matter over many years and various authorities have quickly said there backgrounds etc., should be checked. Why is it still not happening?

2. Hope Thai teacher candidates are also checked re the same subject. You can hear / read about plenty of stories of Thai teachers who also touch / molest / rape Thai students.

The education ministry needs to be dismantled totally and re-birthed with completely different objectives, principles, and values. And hopefully 90% of the staff would be new and highly capable.

To many faces to loose face here, should it not be the immigration who are checking falaang teachers backgrounds rather than a school teacher derrrrrr.

[smotherb]

the problem, as I see it, is that these schools simply cannot undertake background checks competently on English language websites.

Ah, you better watch out, some numbnut will probably accuse you of Thai bashing--see my posts in another forum on this subject a few days ago which drew criticism when I stated that Thais have poor English proficiency which may hamper the checking of teachers' credentials.

Edited December 14, 2015 by smotherb

[oneday]

I guess Thai teachers are as pure as the driven snow.

[simon43]

The background checks should not be performed by the schools. Each country has a different CRB system and access requirements. How is a local school meant to know the correct procedure to check up on a foreigner's background?

You need to employ a central organisation to undertake these checks. An organisation that deals with foreign teachers every day.

So, I propose that most-expert of organisations ==> Krusapa

[Colabamumbai]

After having taught for approximately 5 years in Thailand with a Degree in Education and proper documentation to work with Non B and W.P.'s, nothing will change.

"Native English Speaker", we want you to teach.....

Never had a background or education, or police check.

[Saan]

And so the witch hunt begins. Again.

I don't care if there is a witch hunt. These deviates ruin young lives and you think the should be protected?

Gaol them, make them the pariahs they are.

But whatever you do protect the children.

[kaorop]

The background checks should not be performed by the schools. Each country has a different CRB system and access requirements. How is a local school meant to know the correct procedure to check up on a foreigner's background?

You need to employ a central organisation to undertake these checks. An organisation that deals with foreign teachers every day.

So, I propose that most-expert of organisations ==> Krusapa

You mean the organization that set up the culture test for foreign teachers that no one could pass because of its ambiguity

that has now been set in limbo?

The one who ignore grandfathering of teaching experience over another piece of paper?

The one who has set the bar high enough that makes it more probable of fake quals being accepted than before just to fill positions that cant be filled by education degreed personal?

Yeah they are the experts of seeing a problem, analyzing it, and making it worse

Good job boy and girls

[thailand49]

If Thailand is serious about education and protecting their greatest resource they first need to required the applicant (teachers) to have real credentials in teaching. Required certification of their background check from their own country like an enforcement agency like the FBI, that all documents be notorized by such agencies. And it doesn't stop there then the Thais need to do the same. Put up fences for applicants that would be a start.

[kaorop]

And so the witch hunt begins. Again.

I don't care if there is a witch hunt. These deviates ruin young lives and you think the should be protected?

Gaol them, make them the pariahs they are.

But whatever you do protect the children.

I guess you dont really know what a witch hunt means, I'll give you a hint, it means innocent people are accused and persecuted.

[simon43]

If Thailand is serious about education and protecting their greatest resource they first need to required the applicant (teachers) to have real credentials in teaching

A non-starter suggestion. No licenced teacher would consider teaching in Thailand, (other than at 'real' international schools), because the salaries and overall employment packages are so lousy.

[otherstuff1957]

The background checks should not be performed by the schools. Each country has a different CRB system and access requirements. How is a local school meant to know the correct procedure to check up on a foreigner's background?

You need to employ a central organisation to undertake these checks. An organisation that deals with foreign teachers every day.

So, I propose that most-expert of organisations ==> Krusapa

For those of you who don't get the joke above, unscramble this sentence:

couldn't Krusapa ass find both their with hands

[JAG]

the problem, as I see it, is that these schools simply cannot undertake background checks competently on English language websites.

It's OK, they will ask the foreign teachers to help them.

[Saan]

And so the witch hunt begins. Again.

I don't care if there is a witch hunt. These deviates ruin young lives and you think the should be protected?

Gaol them, make them the pariahs they are.

But whatever you do protect the children.

I guess you dont really know what a witch hunt means, I'll give you a hint, it means innocent people are accused and persecuted.

As opposed to innocent children having their lives destroyed because there is no background check on those who teach them.

Your priorities seem out of order. You seem more interested in protecting these predatory teachers than the children.

Why is that?

[Jeremy50]

An uncomfortable few weeks coming up for dozens of KSU graduates who are now wishing they had gone for the 1000 baht 'with transcript' option instead of the 500 baht cheapo degree certificate which still sports Dean Somchai's greasy thumb prints all over the handsome university crest. While others still, will perhaps decide to postpone moving in on that pretty M3 girl.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

AFAIK, we've been down this road before quite a few times, and obviously, not much has changed in the way things are (not) done here.

It seems to me that expecting local schools officials to uniformly enforce requirements for and/or perform criminal background checks from agencies in foreign countries is pretty much a non-starter.

The Thai government could make providing both certified/notarized criminal background clearances and degree/transcript verifications part of the work permit issuing process for teaching positions. In other words, applicants seeking work permits for teaching would have to provide those documents to the Labor Ministry as part of their application.

Or, they could get Immigration involved on the home country criminal background checks issue, though I doubt they'd have much luck in handling degree/transcript verifications.

[jacky54]

Should also be checking on their qualifications, or lack of. Anyone teaching without the required degree should be immediately deported, teaching is meant to be a vocation and not a licence for nightlife lovers to stay here.

[tominbkk]

the problem, as I see it, is that these schools simply cannot undertake background checks competently on English language websites.

Require teachers to complete the check before they are hired. The report can be sent directly to the school from the agency.

[taony]

How about someone at the ministry of education, in their crisp army type uniforms, get iff their fat ass and do a background check before giving them a teacher's license?

[crickets]

Background checks are expensive and have differing levels of difficulty in getting them from each country. An australia. State and federal is about $60.

[arrowsdawdle]

Two points:

1. Farang teachers have made the news dozens of times re this matter over many years and various authorities have quickly said there backgrounds etc., should be checked. Why is it still not happening?

2. Hope Thai teacher candidates are also checked re the same subject. You can hear / read about plenty of stories of Thai teachers who also touch / molest / rape Thai students.

The education ministry needs to be dismantled totally and re-birthed with completely different objectives, principles, and values. And hopefully 90% of the staff would be new and highly capable.

No Thai would do such a thing.......and if they should it would be the student's fault.