10,000 Retired Teachers to be rehired in Thailand Due to Teacher Shortage

[NextStationBangkok]

Some Grand Parents will get double salary!

[Andster 68]

It really wont make much difference if the teachers are new or ex retired.

The system is: Write on the board, speak, get students to repeat, tell students to memorize, then test.

Just don't ask any questions like what do you think.......? Or you will receive blank looks.

Quite often when asking students what they think the answer might be, they will become confused and say, Why are you asking us? Don't you know?

The older Thai teachers from my own experience are much more effective because they hold a lot more respect among the students.

So maybe not such a bad idea after all, especially if there are no plans to change this parrot system.

[duckmandon]

Generally speaking how do Military people know anything about Education? When will Thailand wake up & start to take advise from the world leaders regarding everything from human rights to education to road safety. This country is going to be in deep do-do if they don't embrace what other countries are doing. Countries that were devastated by war not that long ago (Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia) are progressing at a faster rate than Thailand, when Thailand should be leaps & bounds ahead because they haven't been overthrown,persecuted or decimated by a foreign country. They have always had an ongoing infrastructure but I suppose not much guidance including now.

[dirtycash]

did the same idiots not recently make teaching in thailand much harder and much harder to obtain ED visa etc scratching head in disbelief. again

[bbbbooboo]

Lol......just when you think you've seen it all

[thaibeachlovers]

Generally speaking how do Military people know anything about Education? When will Thailand wake up & start to take advise from the world leaders regarding everything from human rights to education to road safety. This country is going to be in deep do-do if they don't embrace what other countries are doing. Countries that were devastated by war not that long ago (Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia) are progressing at a faster rate than Thailand, when Thailand should be leaps & bounds ahead because they haven't been overthrown,persecuted or decimated by a foreign country. They have always had an ongoing infrastructure but I suppose not much guidance including now.

You obviously know sod all about the military. They train the military to instruct ( another word for teach ) the lower ranks on everything from combat to first aid. They know as much about how to teach as most teachers.

I certainly hope they don't take notice of NZ re road safety. The drivers there are terrible. Very few have any idea as to the safe distance between cars when driving, and they are the worst tailgaters I've ever seen.

[Basil B]

Teachers are forced into retirment at 60. Most dont want to.

agreed the whole idea one day you have a job the next you are on the scrap heap is wrong.

Better off with the older you are the more quality time you get by shorter working days and more days off you get.

[jesimps]

You really sure those foreign "teachers" were any better than these trained teachers?

Some maybe but I've met a number of foreign chancers who were clueless when it came to meeting the needs of their students.

I'll bet my shirt that any English foreign "chancer" is going to be better than the best Thaiglish teacher. Edited December 26, 2015 by jesimps

[Ace of Pop]

They didnt start before the World Finished a working life.

[Doc46]

It's not just about English Language teaching. It's also Foreign Languages (Chinese, etc) Thai language, sciences, and mathematics. Surely it's better to have somebody teaching the kids rather than nobody. Change in education is a very slow process, especially here. Give them a chance.

Give them a chance alright,,,As long as they use Qualified Teachers instead of the No Hopers what's floating around the Country,,,You know the ones who can't speak the language that they are trying to teach.

[FangFerang]

Shaking my head in disbelief, double face palm and finish with a belly laugh.

So they have a plan to reduce foreign teachers and now they have bring back dinosaurs because of a shortfall, yep reform Thai style,

(most western governments see a problem and make it worse)

here they create their own problems, expand on them, then make them worse

Education reform moving backwards at lightspeed, its a disgrace when you see the human potential going to waste.

It's not mentioned one place that they are speaking about English teachers, but there is lack of teachers in general

The article says they are recalling "teachers that teach foreign languages" and here that is English and Thai. Worst to me is that retired teachers retired with very fat paychecks, and to not lose face I am sure they will come back more expensive than foreign teachers.

[gandalf12]

You really sure those foreign "teachers" were any better than these trained teachers?

Some maybe but I've met a number of foreign chancers who were clueless when it came to meeting the needs of their students.

I agree with you but who's fault was that? The schools etc hired them. Yes many were incompetent but the schools couldn't see it, says a lot about the level of professionalism in the schools

[LukKrueng]

Shaking my head in disbelief, double face palm and finish with a belly laugh.

So they have a plan to reduce foreign teachers and now they have bring back dinosaurs because of a shortfall, yep reform Thai style,

(most western governments see a problem and make it worse)

here they create their own problems, expand on them, then make them worse

Education reform moving backwards at lightspeed, its a disgrace when you see the human potential going to waste.

They are not talking only about English teacher (I hope you are not a teacher - failing to comprehend this article...), but teachers in general as the OP says: "They are teaching foreign languages, Thai language, sciences, and mathematics"

Wow, it's a miracle in Thailand!

Out of nowhere, the country faces an increase of a few hundred thousands of students that an educated Education Ministry could not have foreseen and planned ahead...

I hope you too are not a teacher - they are talking about a shortage of teachers, not an unforeseen increase of students. They also explain the reason for the shortage showing the number of teachers to be retired in the next few years.

"Education Minister Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan yesterday that the Education Ministry plans to bring about 10,000 retired teachers back into the education system on a part-time basis over the next year to solve chronic teacher shortages."

As though incompetency weren't enough. Now one can teach while also being feeble. How does this fit in with: "Prime Minister Gen Prayut has called on all ministries to work out national strategic development plans for the next 20 years in an attempt to strengthen education and produce quality youths."

There is no one who can produce quality youths than former incompetent teachers who now need to have their home addresses pinned to their shirts so they can have someone help them find their way home.

There is a compulsory retirement age for government employees in Thailand which has been set to 60 since 1941. A 60 years old person is hardly a senile that "need to have their home addresses pinned to their shirts so they can have someone help them find their way home. ".

As for being incompetent - that is usually (I admit - not always, but usually) is from inexperience whereas those retired teachers have years of experience. Yes, I know that an older experienced teacher is not necessarily a good teacher, but I think the government has a big enough pool of retired teachers to choose from.

[Thian]

The only Thai who speak decent english have been abroad or a farang partner.

I met a chinese salesman last week and his english was better then mine, he learned that in China. He is learning Thai now because they positioned him in BKK.

Also i bought a new grassmat last week, the guy who helped me was from Myanmar and spoke very good english.....

Edited December 26, 2015 by Thian

[LukKrueng]

Generally speaking how do Military people know anything about Education? When will Thailand wake up & start to take advise from the world leaders regarding everything from human rights to education to road safety. This country is going to be in deep do-do if they don't embrace what other countries are doing. Countries that were devastated by war not that long ago (Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia) are progressing at a faster rate than Thailand, when Thailand should be leaps & bounds ahead because they haven't been overthrown,persecuted or decimated by a foreign country. They have always had an ongoing infrastructure but I suppose not much guidance including now.

Yeah, right. Like learn from the US system where they have metal detectors at the entrance of most (or all??) public schools, where the there is a deputy sheriff stationed at the school to discipline school kids as young as 8 years old by handcuffing them as the teachers and principals can't do it.

Thailand IS Thailand, and not has to be copied from other countries. Sure, improvements can and should be made, but not necessarily by copy/paste from other cultures and societies.

[trogers]

The only Thai who speak decent english have been abroad or a farang partner.

I met a chinese salesman last week and his english was better then mine, he learned that in China. He is learning Thai now because they positioned him in BKK.

Also i bought a new grassmat last week, the guy who helped me was from Myanmar and spoke very good english.....

The Chinese salesman is probably learning Thai from a fellow Chinese teacher...?

[bazza40]

Increasing pay and benefits, more teaching colleges, might work too in the long run.

Yes the Thai expert in my family my g/f firmly believes the same. Her brother a mechanic and his g/f just left for Korea to work on a mushroom farm. His pay here was 15,000 bahts a month plus all the "free" overtime he would/could work. If he did this they would somewhere down the line make him a manager yeah sure. Now he and his g/f are making 39,000 bahts a month each with room and cooker and basic rice provided free. As they gain experience they will move up to 75,000 bahts EACH. All they have to do is keep their head down.

A mushroom farm? Thought they had plenty here, they just call them government offices.

[trogers]

Shaking my head in disbelief, double face palm and finish with a belly laugh.

So they have a plan to reduce foreign teachers and now they have bring back dinosaurs because of a shortfall, yep reform Thai style,

(most western governments see a problem and make it worse)

here they create their own problems, expand on them, then make them worse

Education reform moving backwards at lightspeed, its a disgrace when you see the human potential going to waste.

They are not talking only about English teacher (I hope you are not a teacher - failing to comprehend this article...), but teachers in general as the OP says: "They are teaching foreign languages, Thai language, sciences, and mathematics"

Wow, it's a miracle in Thailand!

Out of nowhere, the country faces an increase of a few hundred thousands of students that an educated Education Ministry could not have foreseen and planned ahead...

I hope you too are not a teacher - they are talking about a shortage of teachers, not an unforeseen increase of students. They also explain the reason for the shortage showing the number of teachers to be retired in the next few years.

"Education Minister Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan yesterday that the Education Ministry plans to bring about 10,000 retired teachers back into the education system on a part-time basis over the next year to solve chronic teacher shortages."

As though incompetency weren't enough. Now one can teach while also being feeble. How does this fit in with: "Prime Minister Gen Prayut has called on all ministries to work out national strategic development plans for the next 20 years in an attempt to strengthen education and produce quality youths."

There is no one who can produce quality youths than former incompetent teachers who now need to have their home addresses pinned to their shirts so they can have someone help them find their way home.

There is a compulsory retirement age for government employees in Thailand which has been set to 60 since 1941. A 60 years old person is hardly a senile that "need to have their home addresses pinned to their shirts so they can have someone help them find their way home. ".

As for being incompetent - that is usually (I admit - not always, but usually) is from inexperience whereas those retired teachers have years of experience. Yes, I know that an older experienced teacher is not necessarily a good teacher, but I think the government has a big enough pool of retired teachers to choose from.

And the number of teachers retiring in the next few years was kept top secret until a few weeks ago?

[2fishin2]

Generally speaking how do Military people know anything about Education? When will Thailand wake up & start to take advise from the world leaders regarding everything from human rights to education to road safety. This country is going to be in deep do-do if they don't embrace what other countries are doing. Countries that were devastated by war not that long ago (Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia) are progressing at a faster rate than Thailand, when Thailand should be leaps & bounds ahead because they haven't been overthrown,persecuted or decimated by a foreign country. They have always had an ongoing infrastructure but I suppose not much guidance including now.

Yeah, right. Like learn from the US system where they have metal detectors at the entrance of most (or all??) public schools, where the there is a deputy sheriff stationed at the school to discipline school kids as young as 8 years old by handcuffing them as the teachers and principals can't do it.

Thailand IS Thailand, and not has to be copied from other countries. Sure, improvements can and should be made, but not necessarily by copy/paste from other cultures and societies.

So you are saying the party line, TIT and everybody else is wrong? Sure sounds like it.

Since you brought the US into the conversation, they turn out thousands of QUALIFIED doctors, lawyers, engineers and a host of other professions. Lets compare their qualifications to Thai people of same profession. Everybody here knows the answer to that.

I guess you dont know (probably went to school in Thailand) that the US has some of the highest ranked universities in the world. Actually at the top of the list. Thailand has how many? Ill give you a hint, google it. [emoji3]. Thailand's education system cant and isnt keeping up with the rest of the world. And with the Junta in charge, they are falling even further behind.

[willyumiii]

Shaking my head in disbelief, double face palm and finish with a belly laugh.

So they have a plan to reduce foreign teachers and now they have bring back dinosaurs because of a shortfall, yep reform Thai style,

(most western governments see a problem and make it worse)

here they create their own problems, expand on them, then make them worse

Education reform moving backwards at lightspeed, its a disgrace when you see the human potential going to waste.

I agree.

I also wonder how much it would cost to convince a retired teacher to return to the workforce?

[tonray]

Wow, it's a m

And the number of teachers retiring in the next few years was kept top secret until a few weeks ago?

Even if they knew it...they cannot force college entrants to study Education in foreign languages. The problem BTW has also existed in the west, with various periods seeing a shortage of teachers, engineers, nurses, etc. This is not unique to Thailand. Demographics change, college majors change, you can never stay ahead of the curve unless you are a completely controlled society like North Korea where they have plenty of teachers but they can only teach from one book.

[willyumiii]

did the same idiots not recently make teaching in thailand much harder and much harder to obtain ED visa etc scratching head in disbelief. again

An ED visa is for being educated, not for teaching!

Flakes were getting ED visas and not attending any classes, or enrolling in fake schools with no classes just to buy an "easy visa".

An ED visa has nothing to do with being a teacher!

You have me scratching my head, again!

[Thian]

Generally speaking how do Military people know anything about Education? When will Thailand wake up & start to take advise from the world leaders regarding everything from human rights to education to road safety. This country is going to be in deep do-do if they don't embrace what other countries are doing. Countries that were devastated by war not that long ago (Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia) are progressing at a faster rate than Thailand, when Thailand should be leaps & bounds ahead because they haven't been overthrown,persecuted or decimated by a foreign country. They have always had an ongoing infrastructure but I suppose not much guidance including now.

Yeah, right. Like learn from the US system where they have metal detectors at the entrance of most (or all??) public schools, where the there is a deputy sheriff stationed at the school to discipline school kids as young as 8 years old by handcuffing them as the teachers and principals can't do it.

Thailand IS Thailand, and not has to be copied from other countries. Sure, improvements can and should be made, but not necessarily by copy/paste from other cultures and societies.

So you are saying the party line, TIT and everybody else is wrong? Sure sounds like it.

Since you brought the US into the conversation, they turn out thousands of QUALIFIED doctors, lawyers, engineers and a host of other professions. Lets compare their qualifications to Thai people of same profession. Everybody here knows the answer to that.

I guess you dont know (probably went to school in Thailand) that the US has some of the highest ranked universities in the world. Actually at the top of the list. Thailand has how many? Ill give you a hint, google it. [emoji3]. Thailand's education system cant and isnt keeping up with the rest of the world. And with the Junta in charge, they are falling even further behind.

Yes but Thailand has far more university's then the US

[connda]

Well, last year my wife's youngest brother graduated with an degree in education from one of the Sathaban Rajapbhat universities with a 3.6 GPA. Every month he goes to apply for teaching jobs. There are hundreds and hundreds of applicants for every open position, and he has yet to get a job. However, he has been told that a job could be "arranged" for 125,000 baht. Maybe that's why there is a "shortage" of teachers - not enough applicants with sufficient ready cash.

I believe you hit the nail square on the head. There's nothing much more that can be said. Corruption outweighs any real concerns with educating the current generation of kids. And the country will pay for it in the long run. C'est la vie. Best luck to your brother-in-law. He sounds like the type of candidate they need, but some puiyais in the MoE need to become rich at the expense of a generation Thai children. Karma...it will catch up to them in the long-term. Thanks for sharing that!

[mancub]

I guess reducing the hours of attendance might help.....oh, wait !

[bark]

Most Foreign teachers are only here for the visa work permit. And many are not real teachers.

Only can teacher because English is first language. If they cannot also speak Thai, they are not as good as locals, who can explain in Thai also. So bring back the teachers who were forced to retire. They will be happy to work 2-3 days each week and also get their pension.

[jaywalker]

Life is great, see the west self destructing with bullshit from afar and get first row entertainment from Thailand.

Yes, for people to even dream that a government anywhere is the solution, instead of the problem, west or east (both Thailand and the US are called the Land of the Free), is not only hopeless, it's hilarious.

Individualism and voting with your feet is the ONLY way to defeat the government stupidity.

[Thian]

I've been asked if i want to be teacher at international scools a few times, just on the street. I told them i don't have TEFL and am not native but gave my businesscard.

Some months later i got email from the director but in very bad english. I corrected her english and wrote "this was lesson one" without any answer from me.

Never heard of them again haha.

But they asked me because i look good is what my friends say.

[gemguy]

OK....So they will bring the retired teachers back and have them teach the students the: "Same old, Same old doctrine"

That sounds about right.

[trogers]

Wow, it's a m

And the number of teachers retiring in the next few years was kept top secret until a few weeks ago?

Even if they knew it...they cannot force college entrants to study Education in foreign languages. The problem BTW has also existed in the west, with various periods seeing a shortage of teachers, engineers, nurses, etc. This is not unique to Thailand. Demographics change, college majors change, you can never stay ahead of the curve unless you are a completely controlled society like North Korea where they have plenty of teachers but they can only teach from one book.

Adam Smith solved much of this problem a long time ago...

And periodic shortages would not number to 10,000 for a population of only 60+ million.