I've tried to find a real link to this article, and I'm happy to give credit to the site (www.bangkokpost.com)- but the REAL link seems to be broken. If someone can find it I will repair the link in this post and shorten the article. As things stand, here's a link to the cache:

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:2B69tH...t=clnk&cd=2

And the gist of the article, which could be quite important from the point of view of foreign teacher hires:

Schools to get much greater independence

Ministry hopes move will improve standards

SIRIKUL BUNNAG

The Education Ministry is preparing to authorise public schools nationwide to direct their future teaching and educational plans independently, in a fresh attempt to upgrade schooling standards. At least 1,000 elementary and high schools are expected to start exercising their new power by the end of the year after education officials put a new ministerial regulation into effect, according to Surapol Nitikraipot, a legal adviser to Education Minister Wijit Srisa-arn.

Under the new regulation, schools would not only be allowed to design their own courses and teaching methods, they would also be allowed to plan their own budget, recruit teachers and even punish teaching staff without having to wait for the ministry's approval.

''This is a historic move as far as education management is concerned as it grants almost total independence to our public schools,'' he said.

"Steven"

Under the new regulation, schools would not only be allowed to design their own courses and teaching methods, they would also be allowed to plan their own budget, recruit teachers and even punish teaching staff without having to wait for the ministry's approval.

My understanding is that the English programs already do this anyway with the School often leaving it up to the English teachers to make it up as they go along. let's face it the Schools are pretty much lax at any kind of forward planning, often leaving the foreign teachers to be the last to know about what's really going on.

"punish teaching staff without having to wait for the ministry's approval"

I presume by this it means 'Thai teachers' rather than the foreign ones because my understanding is that the foreign Englisg teachers get punished enough on a daily basis as it is and that's without ministry approval.

Edited November 28, 200619 yr by Casanundra

'recruit teachers... without the ministry's approval'

So the 'new' regulations concerning teacher licences are out the window? Or do they still apply.

Another layer added to the confusion?

As with the new teacher requirements, no specifics and no real timetable.

It sounds a great idea in theory, doesn't it, freedom and independence for schools - but then, this is Thailand.

It's a recipe for confusion. Directors of public schools have never had to run anything by themselves before, they won't know how to choose or plan or where to start. Unscrupulous ones may even be tempted to 'reserve' money for themselves or their chums. And, as Loaded says, where does this leave the much-touted new teacher licencing scheme?