Thai teacher's novel approach to stop students cheating in class

[webfact]

Thai teacher's novel approach to stop students cheating in class

 

Picture: Manager Online

 

HAT YAI: -- Take a good look at our picture this morning. It looks like a normal Thai class with the teacher instructing the pupils from the front.

 

There is just one big difference - all the students have umbrellas over their heads.

 

Now you could be forgiven for thinking that the establishment - a secondary school in Hat Yai, Songkhla - was having problems with a leaky roof in the southern rainstorms, reports Manager Online.

 

But no - it was actually the teacher's idea to stop the students copying each other and cheating in a test.

 

Reporters found that the students were less stressed than is normal for tests in most schools. And even the teacher was enjoying the moment with a broad grin.

 

And the school director said it was unusual but it was the individual teacher's idea to relax the students as well as stop cheating.

 

In addition to the umbrellas the students were all on the floor using chairs as tables to rest their papers on.

 

The pictures created a lot of comment online with most Thais seeing the funny side and suggesting that it was a worthy idea. However, some said it would not stop cheating at all.

 

Many believe that cheating in exams in Thai schools is endemic and institutionalized.

 

But at least the umbrellas brought a bit of color and a few smiles to an otherwise stressful day for the teenagers.

 

Source: Manager Online

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-11-29

[trogers]

Ahhh... the high moral fibre of society. They start young here, don't they?

[thai3]

Probably still not allowed to fail cheats though, sadly.

[CelticBhoy]

Bad luck to put an umbrella up indoors.

They will all fail  . . . . 

[tifino]

 

plenty o fumbrellas, but the sky willcome raining down on his head: (once the defamation cases roll in from the parents) ...

 

...he's accusing their children of being cheats, 

 

and if they don't Pass exams, because of the lack of assistance by cheating,

 

the kids will be deprived of future 'higher' income

 

[NongKhaiKid]

Character building isn't it as they learn at an early age to get on, get what they want by any means including cheating etc and encourage to do so by parents, teachers and the system.

In later years some of these children will be parents, have responsible jobs etc and will simply continue the cycle.

[Sphere]

Now I know why golfers use umbrellas.

[DaveE13]

I am disgusted.....................Not one Hello Kitty Umbrella

[dotpoom]

48 minutes ago, trogers said:

Ahhh... the high moral fibre of society. They start young here, don't they?

What are you on about... kids everywhere cheat at exams (and if they don't it isn't for the want of trying). 

[NongKhaiKid]

Just now, dotpoom said:

What are you on about... kids everywhere cheat at exams (and if they don't it isn't for the want of trying). 

Yes they do but there's also a chance of punishment, sometimes very serious punishment, for doing so but here it's likely just to be shrugged off.

Remember the Deputy Director of Ramkamheng Uni said cheating was no big deal and probably not just because it involved a VIP's son.

[tominbkk]

I am sure this is a standard multiple choice test like all tests in Thai schools.  In that case, make two versions.  Seriously, teachers here have a long ways to go.

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

HAT YAI: -- Take a good look at our picture this morning. It looks like a normal Thai class with the teacher instructing the pupils from the front.

Glad I,m told to "Take a good look" otherwise there's no waaaaay I would've have noticed the umbrellas. 

[GeorgeCross]

buckets work better.. and take up less room 

[KMartinHandyman]

Answer written on the underside of the umbrellas?

[rkidlad]

I remember teaching kindergarten level 2 (3 to 4 years old). We had to do exams for mid-term and final. This was my first experience so I was a bit shocked. Anywho, I just got on with it as instructed. In the test it asked the students to put a cross on the picture from the word above. So if it said chicken, put a cross on chicken. Now, the students were always used to putting a circle around pictures and not crosses (the person who wrote the test was a non-native high-so who studied in the US). I simply informed the students not to circle their answers, but put a cross instead. I used an example on the board that was not in the test. As soon as the Thai teacher saw, she went nuts. "No, no, no! No helping. No cheating. Cannot!" Another Thai teacher came in and explained no cheating, etc. I tried to explain, but they just very sanctimoniously tried to explain the core values of Thai culture. I just ignored them.

 

So, during the test, some kids had no idea. They knew the vocab, but being in a room with all the tables separate and the Thai teachers telling them to "shut up" really confused them. They were nervous. I felt really sorry for them. As a few of them struggled, I saw the Thai teacher walking around. She would erase some of their incorrect answers and walk off. If they still didn't have the right answer, she'd very clandestinely point at the right one. This whole process left me so confused. Why are we doing tests? So we can test the smart kids who we already know are smart, and give the same scores to the kids who weren't as smart?

 

Kids with low grades had their scores bumped up. Some parents who would often see their kids licking windows were absolutely jubilant to see that little Som Chai aced his exams. Not one parent ever said "Hang on a minute! My kid chews pencils. How did he get 90%?" Parents were happy and thought the school was wonderful. The whole thing was just a huge waste of the kids' time - all so the school and parents could feel good about themselves. The kids were used. 

[darren84310]

Just getting the kids ready for life under the big umbrella.

[BlindMagician]

Typical modern sh+#e surface treatment, like putting a plaster on to cure cancer.

 

Nothing wrong with the old methods. Fail the test if caught. Inform parents. If that has no effect, as the parents might not fit to real education methods and principles, have a name a shame list published for max loss of face. Do it again, and family called in for a chat, etc, get the idea, yawn.

Penalise.

Teach.

Learn.

[Scott]

The issue of cheating is a complex one in Thailand.   In my experience, foreign teachers aren't suppose to allow cheating, but Thai Teachers can.   I have never seen a Thai Teacher get into trouble for allowing/helping with cheating, but as someone posted above, if a foreigner does anything, the reaction is quick.

 

I think this has a lot to do with the patronage system and students subtly  learn that if you are obedient, you can get by with such behavior.   I have seen many, many Thai Teachers 'help' students during exams, including foreign teachers' exams, with no consequences.   The help given was very, very obvious.

 

I know one foreign teacher who did two versions of the same test.   The questions were identical, but the questions were in a different order.   After the exam, when this was discovered by the administration, she was told it was 'not fair' and had to give the same exam to all the students again.  

 

It's a problem because it's tolerated and it's tolerated because, by and large, education is a joke.  

[Emster23]

I like it. We used to have "study carrels" kids with focusing issues. Sitting on the floor may also be a. more familiar way of planting themselves, given Thai culture. Chairs get pretty darn hard after awhile, even if raised in chair culture. One way to cut down on cheating is to have "produce answer" instead of "Circle answer" format.

"... kids everywhere cheat at exams (and if they don't it isn't for the want of trying). "

I guess I was  never a kid, because I didn't cheat.  Or try to cheat.

 

 

[NextStationBangkok]

May be he is making it easy for them with out embarrassment of being get caught.

 

In fact, inside umbrella they can easy give signals to exchange the answer sheet, or give signal to show the answer sheet to a neighbor or even discuss the answers.

 

By looking at this, students making love in the park should start using big umbrellas.

 

[trogers]

46 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Yes they do but there's also a chance of punishment, sometimes very serious punishment, for doing so but here it's likely just to be shrugged off.

Remember the Deputy Director of Ramkamheng Uni said cheating was no big deal and probably not just because it involved a VIP's son.

 

Why would the university take all the trouble to have exams?

 

Just registered the students, and then tell them to come and collect their degrees after X years...

[NongKhaiKid]

5 minutes ago, trogers said:

 

Why would the university take all the trouble to have exams?

 

Just registered the students, and then tell them to come and collect their degrees after X years...

I seem to remember a private uni in Khon Kaen was closed down a few years back for selling diplomas etc.

[williamgeorgeallen]

to stop their skin going brown? dont think it will work for that either.

[bitcoinforever]

asian mindset is it is ok to cheat just do not get caught.

[bitcoinforever]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-11-27/visualizing-worlds-most-unequal-countries

[trogers]

9 minutes ago, bitcoinforever said:

asian mindset is it is ok to cheat just do not get caught.

 

Sounds like the professionals at Wall St.

[George Graham]

33 minutes ago, Scott said:

The issue of cheating is a complex one in Thailand.   In my experience, foreign teachers aren't suppose to allow cheating, but Thai Teachers can.   I have never seen a Thai Teacher get into trouble for allowing/helping with cheating, but as someone posted above, if a foreigner does anything, the reaction is quick.

 

I think this has a lot to do with the patronage system and students subtly  learn that if you are obedient, you can get by with such behavior.   I have seen many, many Thai Teachers 'help' students during exams, including foreign teachers' exams, with no consequences.   The help given was very, very obvious.

 

I know one foreign teacher who did two versions of the same test.   The questions were identical, but the questions were in a different order.   After the exam, when this was discovered by the administration, she was told it was 'not fair' and had to give the same exam to all the students again.  

 

It's a problem because it's tolerated and it's tolerated because, by and large, education is a joke.  

The issue of cheating is a complex one in Thailand. All right here we go...

[cardinalblue]

Like speeding w/o enforcement and punishment the volume of cheating is systemic and institutionalized...

 

again, another topic that isn't taken seriously. And the topic crosses into the moral compass as well...

 

cheating is normal here

[Kabula]

To funny....

 

Writes notes on the arm and hands and tilt the umbrella so the teacher can't see! ?

 

Test scores will probably increase! ?

[Bluespunk]

Stupid idea.