Are European kids smarter than Thai kids?

[Inspire]

Are European kids smarter than Thai kids?



Welcome to “Every Picture Tells a Story”; a weekly post about living in Thailand. Each week we’ll post a picture that illustrates some of the best parts about living in Thailand.

Every culture has issues with their younger generation. I’m no different. Kids from my home country seem lazy and unintelligent to me. They play too many video games, each too much junk food and have no idea what is going on in the world. How will they ever contribute anything to society?

Parents in Thailand are asking the same question. Much has been made about deficiencies in the Thai education system. It’s been said that the approach to teaching is an arcane process of learning by wrote. Thai kids simply repeat what they’ve heard over and over again. Consequently, they can sing “Hotel California” and have no idea what the lyrics mean … or even what the word “lyric” means.

RELATED: Thai Brains and the Education System

Over the past few years, I’ve seen several initiatives in this country to upgrade the education system. It appears they’ve started in the right place; by testing and culling teachers. When a system-wide English test was administered to Thai English teachers, it was revealed that a shocking percentage weren’t proficient in the language themselves.
I applaud their efforts and insight because it certainly isn’t the kids. Look, kids are kids … they take the path of least resistance and learn whatever is the most fun. It doesn’t mean they are stupid.

My stepdaughter’s first English word was “strawberry”. She learned it from me at Swenson’s ice cream shop. Now she wears me out with long conversations and a million questions.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/european-kids-smarter-thai-kids/

-- Inspire Pattaya 2016-03-27

[wow64]

You do realise the also learn other subjects besides English in thailand?

Sent from my c64

[BritManToo]

Journalist writing about educational standards & language proficiency who can't spell 'rote'.

Nice one!

What country did you go to school?

"Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning."

Edited March 27, 2016 by BritManToo

[Orac]

A 5 year old girl speaking english with this sort of proficiency should surely merit more questions about how she came by that ability from any writer/journalist rather than using it as an excuse for Thailands appalling education system where standardised international tests clearly show that there are serious problems. Me thinks the author of this piece needs to go back for another nostalgic viewing of Oliver Twist.

[SneekyPete]

Journalist writing about educational standards & language proficiency who can't spell 'rote'.

Nice one!

What country did you go to school?

Yes. "... learning by wrote." Too funny. It's unfortunate that the author will likely not understand the irony.

Edited March 27, 2016 by SneekyPete

[zyphodb]

Id say no they're not smarter than Thai kids until they've both been to school for a couple of years, but given the shocking state of the Thai education system all the Thai kids actually get more stupid year on year whereas the european kids get more intelligent, so very quickly this changes. it's disgraceful that the Thai government spends so much money on education & produces a system that actually makes the kids more stupid. Of course we all know that a lot of the money spent gets stolen by officials in the ministry of education & the directors & senior teachers. This corruption needs to be stopped before any improvement will be seen but of course TIT & this corruption is so deeply embedded in the culture that nothing will be allowed to happen, plus of course the government & the elite who pull their strings do not want an educated population as the more educated the population are the more likely they are to stand up against their exploitation by the elite.

You can't have educated serfs & peasants, they won't put up with the shit from their lords & masters for ever & sooner or later there would be a very bloody revolution....

[wow64]

Journalist writing about educational standards & language proficiency who can't spell 'rote'.

Nice one!

What country did you go to school?

Yes. "... learning by wrote." Too funny. It's unfortunate that the author will not likely understand the irony.

The writter is X-Special forces from the US just behind Thailand in education standards.

Sent from my c64

[bangon04]

Id say no they're not smarter than Thai kids until they've both been to school for a couple of years, but given the shocking state of the Thai education system all the Thai kids actually get more stupid year on year whereas the european kids get more intelligent, so very quickly this changes. it's disgraceful that the Thai government spends so much money on education & produces a system that actually makes the kids more stupid. Of course we all know that a lot of the money spent gets stolen by officials in the ministry of education & the directors & senior teachers. This corruption needs to be stopped before any improvement will be seen but of course TIT & this corruption is so deeply embedded in the culture that nothing will be allowed to happen, plus of course the government & the elite who pull their strings do not want an educated population as the more educated the population are the more likely they are to stand up against their exploitation by the elite.

You can't have educated serfs & peasants, they won't put up with the shit from their lords & masters for ever & sooner or later there would be a very bloody revolution....

Harsh but unfortunately very true.....

[lvr181]

One well spoken child does not make a country of high education.

As BritMan Too #3 bought to our attention, the journalist's English spelling leaves something (a better education?) to be desired.

[teacherpaul]

Ladies and Gentleme - the winner of the Retarded Question of the week award!

[smotherb]

Journalist writing about educational standards & language proficiency who can't spell 'rote'.

Nice one!

What country did you go to school?

"Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning."

I hope he rote that down so he doesn't forget.

[phitsanulokjohn]

Doesn't matter where or from what nationality children stem from.They all have one thing in common,it's called a brain.

The key is education.In a perfect world where all kids had access to good education,I think no matter the nationality,they would all be playing on a level playing field.

[khunyod]

So, this 5 year old, clearly violating child labor laws, is not supposed to learn English all day from the tourists? How this is supposed to be surprising, I have no idea. Sounds like the author is the one with limited intelligence, or at least learning.

[Roomuck]

I dont think the OP is a good righter. I can't really understand what he rote this for. It sounds like the same thread that the other inspire righter also rote about today, just ritten differently.

Sounds to me like it was ritten to encourage a bit of Thai bashing, but has backfired. Badly.

So funny.

I wonder if he can right Thai?

[GOLDBUGGY]

Smarter is really a bad word to describe this. Smarter as in Intellect, and who can add numbers faster? Or Smarter, as in Intelligence as in more worldly wisdom for there age and knows hard work at an early age?

In think Thai Girls for example learn at a much earlier age how to take on more adult responsibility while European Girls just play with Dolls. Thai Girls learn early respect and responsibility and often help out in the family income or the raising of there little brother and future family. So in ways, Thai Girls or more mature for there age and thus can be considered Smarter.

But who says playing with Dolls is bad for you as a child? It opens the mind to imagination and also creativity! None of the inventions we have today could be achieved without that. None of the inventions at all would have happened until Man had time and food from farming, and not spending it all in hunting for food. So European Girls are Smarter when it comes to imagination and creativity.

[BritManToo]

But who says playing with Dolls is bad for you as a child? It opens the mind to imagination and also creativity! None of the inventions we have today could be achieved without that. None of the inventions at all would have happened until Man had time and food from farming, and not spending it all in hunting for food. So European Girls are Smarter when it comes to imagination and creativity.

It's generally men that invent stuff, and you don't often find them playing with dolls as children.

[SOTIRIOS]

..................writing for the sake of writing....practice...or a paycheck.......

[chicowoodduck]

The ladies are smart as whips.....have taken me for a ride on so many different occasions...God bless them all...???

[timber]

There are a lot of smart kids in Thailand. A lot of the kids take education very seriously, and do very well when they move to another country. A lot of these kids start serious education a lot earlier than their western counterparts, and spend a more time in studies, and after school, weekend classes and tutoring. A lot depends on the parents of which a lot don't take education that seriously, as the opportunities are there. Creative learning is a much needed thing in Thailand as a lot of the learning is rote. What makes a smart kid, ability to create or knowledge? Asia has many of the same problems, and that parents attitude make a big difference.

[kiwikeith]

Id say no they're not smarter than Thai kids until they've both been to school for a couple of years, but given the shocking state of the Thai education system all the Thai kids actually get more stupid year on year whereas the european kids get more intelligent, so very quickly this changes. it's disgraceful that the Thai government spends so much money on education & produces a system that actually makes the kids more stupid. Of course we all know that a lot of the money spent gets stolen by officials in the ministry of education & the directors & senior teachers. This corruption needs to be stopped before any improvement will be seen but of course TIT & this corruption is so deeply embedded in the culture that nothing will be allowed to happen, plus of course the government & the elite who pull their strings do not want an educated population as the more educated the population are the more likely they are to stand up against their exploitation by the elite.

You can't have educated serfs & peasants, they won't put up with the shit from their lords & masters for ever & sooner or later there would be a very bloody revolution....

I find that Thai kids educated in NZ in a good school are very smart.

Nz kids as with any kid of any nationality educated in a poor area or school in NZ are street smart but enducated, I suppose you would say stupid because of upbringing and poverty.

I have sent my 4 year old Luk Krin boy to a private school here, he used to know the english alphabet backwards, now he hardly knows it.

I think he is not progressing in a Thai school , not only him all the kids don't seem to know much.

The education system is to Blame and the attitudes in the upbringing of Thai children particually boys by their grandparents and mothers gives then attitude.

I am not the only one to say this as many posters have said similar in the past.

The schools are overcrowded and not very efficient.

But as for smartness goes the world would be flooded with geniuses if society, world wide offered equal opportunity.

Society today seems quite content with keeping people Stupid.

The answer therefore is NO>

[little mary sunshine]

I doubt European kids are any smart her than Thai children.

However, I believe European children have more and better

Educational opportunities than the Thai children and they

Are more worldly in their studies.

I feel Thai children have a better sense of family and are less

Needy; and more accepting of family limitations than European

Children who want everything.

[sanukjim]

When a nation or nations have even fair to great education systems teaching not only academics but the ability to use that education as logic to be used in the world that we live in as Europe has been for many generations then ,yes the European children will be much educated or "smarter" if you will then children from an education system as f laud as the Thai system is teaching the never fails graduates with suspicious degrees.

[khunyod]

There are a lot of smart kids in Thailand. A lot of the kids take education very seriously, and do very well when they move to another country. A lot of these kids start serious education a lot earlier than their western counterparts, and spend a more time in studies, and after school, weekend classes and tutoring. A lot depends on the parents of which a lot don't take education that seriously, as the opportunities are there. Creative learning is a much needed thing in Thailand as a lot of the learning is rote. What makes a smart kid, ability to create or knowledge? Asia has many of the same problems, and that parents attitude make a big difference.

You are kidding about education, right? Sure there are some people who excel, but the performance of Thai students is abysmally low, and has remained that way for decades. That said, intelligence or "smarts" is something more innate. The OP gets it all wrong when encountering a 5 year old Thai who has good sales English. Thats not smarts, or education, it is child labor exploitation, and all too common. And what exactly is smart about that?

[balford]

Hmmm, wrote instead of rote and the subsequent criticism from our regular barstool commandos and masters of the English language - I guess that would be similar to the bastardisation of English by the Americans in using 'z' instead of 's' and writing paycheck instead of pay cheque; just two examples in this thread alone.

Bob A. Relaxed in Lampang

[Khon Kaen Dave]

I hate to say this,but generally,yes.When i taught at a private school i found that it was the mixed Thai/Ferang kids that excelled,every time.The 100% Russian kids and the Korean kids,did the same.I had two very brilliant Thai/English brothers and a Thai Swedish boy that was way out in front.These kids always were at the top if the class.I taught Prathom 9 to M6.Even in their other classes,such as computer and Thai language.These were the kids that were sent to other schools to visit and give examples of their attributes.and they were assured of university places.

I did my Thai culture course at Mahidol University and during one lunch break i chatted to a lecturer about these children and his conversation amazed me.He told me that the mixed race kids would never be accepted as 100% Thai citizens,no matter what.The reason was that the powers that be would never allow a Mixed race kid would never be allowed to be elected to a government position because his position might lean toward seeing points of view from the Foreigners angle,and if more were elected over the years,this could cause problems for the country.The lecturer said it never happen in the foreseeable future,but one should consider it food for thought.I have to say that it was one point i never even considered.

[uthaithanirules]

I think the motor skills of young tbai children are noticeably better. Mums in europe still pushing their kids around in prams, not such a good thing.

But then everything else catches up and it all doesnt make a difference in the end

[mikiea]

me thinks the sealt belts on the bar stools are a wee bit to tight .

[Jingthing]

It's a can of worms question and such questions can get into racism.

Cultures and education systems vary, so actual realization varies.

[Orac]

I hate to say this,but generally,yes.When i taught at a private school i found that it was the mixed Thai/Ferang kids that excelled,every time.The 100% Russian kids and the Korean kids,did the same.I had two very brilliant Thai/English brothers and a Thai Swedish boy that was way out in front.These kids always were at the top if the class.I taught Prathom 9 to M6.Even in their other classes,such as computer and Thai language.These were the kids that were sent to other schools to visit and give examples of their attributes.and they were assured of university places.

I did my Thai culture course at Mahidol University and during one lunch break i chatted to a lecturer about these children and his conversation amazed me.He told me that the mixed race kids would never be accepted as 100% Thai citizens,no matter what.The reason was that the powers that be would never allow a Mixed race kid would never be allowed to be elected to a government position because his position might lean toward seeing points of view from the Foreigners angle,and if more were elected over the years,this could cause problems for the country.The lecturer said it never happen in the foreseeable future,but one should consider it food for thought.I have to say that it was one point i never even considered.

Although It is much more difficult to succeed when of mixed race here it is not impossible and some have reached senior positions such as Mechai Viravaidya who was a deputy minister under Prem and Minister for Tourism under Anand.

[KarenBravo]

Yes, higher IQ.

http://www.photius.com/rankings/national_iq_scores_country_ranks.html