Thai Education Minister ignores concerns on unlicensed teaching aides

[webfact]

Minister ignores concerns on unlicensed teaching aides
By Keskarn Boonpen
The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- EDUCATION Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin has gone ahead with the plan to allow people without teaching licences to apply for assistant teacher posts, despite cautions from several academics.

 

Applications can be submitted from March 29 to April 4.

 

“There is a shortage of teachers in some fields. So there is no point complaining. You had better recommend solutions,” Teerakiat said yesterday.

 

He spoke up after several academics attacked the plan, arguing that teachers should only be recruited from teaching institutes that conduct five-year programmes, including one year of training.

 

The plan, which was introduced by the Office of Teachers and Education Personnel Commission and supported by Teerakiat, has offered successful applicants without teaching licences to teach first and take training courses to seek teaching licences later.

 

It is designed to attract capable people to the teaching profession, regardless of whether they are trained teachers.

 

Dr Amornwich Nakornthap, a prominent educator, complained yesterday that the plan was far from being a solution – but would be the cause of big problems that would soon emerge. “This plan would affect children across the country,” Amornwich said.

 

Asst Prof Athapol Anunthavo-rasakul, who teaches at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, said at a seminar that Thailand was going to be the first country in the world to allow people without teaching training to teach first and get training later.

 

“In other countries, where there is shortage of teachers in a particular field, capable people from the field may get teaching training and then apply for a teaching job. But what Thailand is going to do will be the other way around,” he said.

 

Dr Pavinee Sothayapetch, also a lecturer at the CU Faculty of Education, said it was not right to send persons without basic teaching background to walk into classrooms and conduct classes.

 

The faculty hosted the seminar to discuss the new rule, which was introduced earlier this month, and its possible ramifications.

 

“I can’t agree with the move,” Prof Sompong Jitradub said, “Graduates from the fiveyear education course are instilled with ethics and teaching philosophies,” Sompong said. “These qualities are not something anyone has and are important to teachers.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30310098

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-03-24

[Deez]

Who would have thought that the education system could get worse? 

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“Graduates from the fiveyear education course are instilled with ethics and teaching philosophies,” Sompong said. “These qualities are not something anyone has

Thus explaining why 2015 Pisa test rankings place Thailand near the bottom of Asia.

 

[Kasset Tak]

And still they let those who have a teacher degree teach even though their knowledge is lower than where the students should be after they finished studying. Thai teachers with degrees in teaching English is one of the best examples... many of them can't even communicate in English so how are they supposed to teach the subject! Another example here in the college are some of our animal husbandry teachers: one teacher that usually teach about chicken and has a degree in animal husbandry from Kasetsart could not take care of ducks and gees. They are all birds so they should be some what similar and then you have internet and books to find information if you don't know what to do... in the end almost 300 ducks and gees died last semester because he didn't know how to take care of them!

That is the real problem with the that educational system!

 

[MaxLee]

9 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

And still they let those who have a teacher degree teach even though their knowledge is lower than where the students should be after they finished studying. Thai teachers with degrees in teaching English is one of the best examples... many of them can't even communicate in English so how are they supposed to teach the subject! Another example here in the college are some of our animal husbandry teachers: one teacher that usually teach about chicken and has a degree in animal husbandry from Kasetsart could not take care of ducks and gees. They are all birds so they should be some what similar and then you have internet and books to find information if you don't know what to do... in the end almost 300 ducks and gees died last semester because he didn't know how to take care of them!

That is the real problem with the that educational system!

 

 

Face and Status is killing the education for centuries and decade centuries.... 

[Anthony Loh]

Education is very important to kids for they future, I do believe that only a good and experience teachers can fulfill this job as we all know that, teaching is not a easy job. My own kids sometimes also don't listen to me and how to expect others people kids to follow us.

 

Is true that the education minister must come up some plan to upgrade the local teacher so that it will improve they teaching skills for the future but what about now? The kids can't wait at the moment, is a very good idea to employ foreigner to teach in this situation as time don't wait. 

 

 

[sanukjim]

Where else in the world would the government allow a foreign person to "teach" english simply because they are of a white face and can"utter" some sort of english even without any background in education.Laughable at best.

[Destiny1990]

Very nice boring old fashioned placement of tables and chairs..i seen classes here with only 5 students about 6 years old range who were still supose to sit in that manner duh!

[thai3]

They could hardly be any worse than some of the teachers I have met over the years here, and I do not mean the tefler brigade. 

[ozmeldo]

5 hours ago, sanukjim said:

Where else in the world would the government allow a foreign person to "teach" english simply because they are of a white face and can"utter" some sort of english even without any background in education.Laughable at best.

What tripe. There are all sorts of people here teaching English of any number of colors and ethnicities. Some do an excellent job.

 

We could discuss all day long the inadequacies of the system but at the end of the day, students need teachers.

 

There are MANY alternative programs in US that feature teachers learning in the classroom while doing their credential not to mention the mandatory six mid to one year in class prior to credentialing.

 

Yup, it's not US, UK or Germany but it is what it is.

 

A few of us have very solid educational backgrounds far beyond any Thai or Filipino. What we lack is the Pedagogical training and education. We do our best.

 

Truth to tell, the system is so hobbled many of us are the stronger link in the chain.

 

Thailand still does not have a MEd or training program for Westerners. This is a scandal.

 

But your comments are unwarranted and bigoted - uneducated.

 

Absolutely love to see you do a month in a public school.

[Rhys]

Not to worry, soon he will leave this revolving ministry....

[Rhys]

3 hours ago, ozmeldo said:

What tripe. There are all sorts of people here teaching English of any number of colors and ethnicities. Some do an excellent job.

 

We could discuss all day long the inadequacies of the system but at the end of the day, students need teachers.

 

There are MANY alternative programs in US that feature teachers learning in the classroom while doing their credential not to mention the mandatory six mid to one year in class prior to credentialing.

 

Yup, it's not US, UK or Germany but it is what it is.

 

A few of us have very solid educational backgrounds far beyond any Thai or Filipino. What we lack is the Pedagogical training and education. We do our best.

 

Truth to tell, the system is so hobbled many of us are the stronger link in the chain.

 

Thailand still does not have a MEd or training program for Westerners. This is a scandal.

 

But your comments are unwarranted and bigoted - uneducated.

 

Absolutely love to see you do a month in a public school.

 

Agreed with most of your thesis...that is the state of affairs with MOE..   

However, there are a few program that do have MATEFL program for westerners.... Sadly, the premise includes Thai  MATEFL students to study along side with native speakers, and the results are a disappointment.  Discussion class is one sided, as a result of ability to discus higher thought in English and the ability to read and comprehend Language learning theories .  Simply do to learning cultural style , Thai students  do not engage learning...Nice try to include the upgrade of local teachers, but sadly they are not up to the task, and they drop.  Readiness and capabilities to learn are compromised... 

 

Try up-country schools, there is a difference some of the students actually do make an effort to .... public school, private schools, will always have those cool aid loving, rocks in their head students.  

 

 

[muzmurray]

On 3/24/2017 at 9:22 PM, Rhys said:

 

Agreed with most of your thesis...that is the state of affairs with MOE..   

However, there are a few program that do have MATEFL program for westerners.... Sadly, the premise includes Thai  MATEFL students to study along side with native speakers, and the results are a disappointment.  Discussion class is one sided, as a result of ability to discus higher thought in English and the ability to read and comprehend Language learning theories .  Simply do to learning cultural style , Thai students  do not engage learning...Nice try to include the upgrade of local teachers, but sadly they are not up to the task, and they drop.  Readiness and capabilities to learn are compromised... 

 

Try up-country schools, there is a difference some of the students actually do make an effort to .... public school, private schools, will always have those cool aid loving, rocks in their head students.  

 

 

 

Please tell me you come from some long lost jungle tribe, because that is some of the worst English I have see for a long time.

[DavisH]

On 3/24/2017 at 0:11 PM, sanukjim said:

Where else in the world would the government allow a foreign person to "teach" english simply because they are of a white face and can"utter" some sort of english even without any background in education.Laughable at best.

But this is about Thai teachers, not foreigners. The faults in the education system here are in no way the fault of foreigners. BTW, teachers have been leaving in droves because they did not get a full teaching licence within 6 or so years. 

 

Sure, probably most foreigners teaching here don't have forma teaching qualifications from the West. Why would they come here and work for a paltry 30K in a sweaty government school classroom with 50+ kids. 

 

Personally, anyone with a degree, decent TEFL and  desire to teach, can teach conversation and basic grammar to government school students....