What the fuck do they rave on about at school every morning?

[mikehunt]

At my place of work (an "adult" government educational institution), morning assembly can take up to one hour to finish.

The assembly starts at about 7.30am. This morning, 12/1/09, (you yanks will have to learn about the "proper" date system i.e. d/m/yy), assembly started at 7.30am as usual but finished at 8.30am. There was no break in speaking, apart from a change of speaker. Of course, there is the nationalistic singing of 2 anthems. This incessant speaking goes on for about 30 to 45 minutes EVERY morning. This morning (1 hour) was unusual.
Classes are supposed to begin at 8am but invariably begin later due to this "waffling on" at assembly.

At a previous school, I asked what was being said at morning assembly. I never ever got a clear answer.

Recently, I asked one of my students this same question: "What do they say at morning assembly?" After some "prodding", he told me that it was all about behaviour & morals.

My question is simple...is this true? Since I can't understand Thai & I find it difficult to trust a Thai, I may be wrong.

Then again, I look at the attitude of Thai people & I'm inclined to think that this "indoctrination" is 100% correct.

Comments please.

[Troubled]

"indoctrination"

Certainly

[DaffyDuck]

he told me that it was all about behaviour & morals

Doesn't seem to 'take'.

[hillbilly]

"indoctrination"

Certainly

Question answered...

[Texpat]

Talk is cheap.

Thais do it very well. And often.

I'm quite certain the tuk tuk driver in town could deliver a 2-hour presentation on anesthetic considerations for endoscopic brain surgery -- without blinking.

[Rural Surin]

^ interestingly enough, I just had one examine this very subject this morn.

[Rural Surin]

he told me that it was all about behaviour & morals

Doesn't seem to 'take'.

Only if you feel equipped to find a standard in describing behaviour and morals.

[The Fresh Prince]

Talk is cheap. Thais do it very well. And often. I'm quite certain the tuk tuk driver in town could deliver a 2-hour presentation on anesthetic considerations for endoscopic brain surgery -- without blinking.

Too true, especially if you give them anything that has a microphone on it like a mobile phone or a microphone.

It's like when Thai TV stars are asked a question on the news, they babble on for bloody ages when the presenter probably only asked them "How are you?"

[Mr Pot]

Aye, Thai staff - 1 small problem takes 5 + persons to discuss and debate a potential solution to a very simple problem; seems that everyone needs to get involved

[forreachingme]

Ask once a thai what the problem is with xyz ?

The answer will always be, the solution is..., nothing about the problemo itself...

Amusing at some time, but annoying if you want to developp their study skills...

For the OP, propaganda and brain wash...

[Mr R Sole]

1st: In my experience of teaching here, is that...it's a little like Chairman Mao in the way that they are forced to repeat this..time and time again (brain washing ring any bells)..maybe once a week would suffice, on a monday morn' to give me time to wake up and then again on friday afternoon so I could leave early.
It is very similar to the septics actually as well... scary that! pledge alligence and all that shite..

Check out google for the English translation of the Thai national anthem..it's quite an eye opener...no wonder they hate everyone else as well as Thai from different areas... 'they got me on milk and xenophobia'

From my travels in Asia which were quite extensive..I am pleased to say. I have found Thai's to be the most xenophobic of people..in the asian region.
The question then is-do they really want to learn English or is it something that they don't want to lose face over..as I found people in Burma and Indonesia more adapt at learning the English language..and with more gusto to boot..

[DrivingForce]

Aye, Thai staff - 1 small problem takes 5 + persons to discuss and debate a potential solution to a very simple problem; seems that everyone needs to get involved

That would be fine if something came out of it but still after all of that no resolution.. Mrs. Df has these managers meetings that role on for hours and nothing is accomplished, it floors me how anything profitable gets done, my managerial meetings used to take all of about half an hour at the most and accomplish masses over what is done here, it boggles the mind.

[kingwilly]

Mrs. Df has these managers meetings that role on for hours and nothing is accomplished, it floors me how anything profitable gets done, my managerial meetings used to take all of about half an hour at the most and accomplish masses over what is done here, it boggles the mind.

yet in the farang only management committee that i am involved in here we have meetings that go for roughly 3 hours, each and every time. mostly because of ppl talking shit....

but its a thai trait no ?

[DrB0b]

Aye, Thai staff - 1 small problem takes 5 + persons to discuss and debate a potential solution to a very simple problem; seems that everyone needs to get involved

That would be fine if something came out of it but still after all of that no resolution.. Mrs. Df has these managers meetings that role on for hours and nothing is accomplished, it floors me how anything profitable gets done,.

Sounds like every management meeting I've ever been to in every country I've ever worked in. A bunch of besuited buffoons competing to see who can produce the largest amount of hot air or cause the greatest amount of financial damage to the company. The only reason for attending management meetings is to enjoy a round or two of Buzzword bingo.

The school assembly thing sounds pretty much like school assembly in England and Ireland, prayers, anthem, and moral exhortation. We had to do it every school morning when I was a kid, don't know if they still do it now. Somehow I doubt it, more's the pity.

[kingwilly]

Sounds like every management meeting I've ever been to in every country I've ever worked in.

sorry bob, you and I are wrong.

ITS A THAI THING.

[phuketbound]

From my travels in Asia which were quite extensive..I am pleased to say. I have found Thai's to be the most xenophobic of people..in the asian region.
The question then is-do they really want to learn English or is it something that they don't want to lose face over..as I found people in Burma and Indonesia more adapt at learning the English language..and with more gusto to boot..

Try living in Korea. This bee-hive, group mentality exists here as well. Talk about the same subject for hours, and never really come to a solution. Do what the group agrees on. If they don't speak English to you even if they should be practicing, and improving their English. The reason is because they don't want to lose face, and look silly. Where is the logic in that?

[DrB0b]

^What's the point of them (Thais or Koreans) learning English? Most Thais I know who are learning a foreign language are learning Chinese. Why would anybody bother learning the language of countries that are rapidly going down the economic tubes?

[phuketbound]

Good question! I think Koreans at least think they need it to be competitive in the job industry. The thing is, not a lot of jobs expect them to know English, but if they know some they may have the edge. Also, if they go abroad (if they have rich enough parents), then they can use it.

Koreans also learn Chinese, because Chinese is more widely used in the world, and apparently a lot of Korean characters are similiar to Chinese so it is easier to learn how to write it.

I think Thais would be able to use it for the same circumstances? Do many Thais go to schools abroad? Is it a prerequisite for any jobs?

[Marmite the Dog]

Koreans also learn Chinese, because Chinese is more widely used in the world, and apparently a lot of Korean characters are similiar to Chinese so it is easier to learn how to write it.

Nonsense.

Written Korean is a phonetic representation of spoken Korean. Korean was originally written using Chinese characters and is essentially a Chinese dialect, and Koreans still need to use Chinese characters to understand the real meaning of the word. A bit like proper English and Seppo 'simplified' English.

[Norton]

The only reason for attending management meetings is to enjoy a round or two of Buzzword bingo.

Also, to reinforce daily, the pack hierarchy. Rapt attention, knowing head nods and silence from the entire pack when hot air exuded by the Alpha male/female.

Much the same in Thai schools. Be a good Thai. Know your place!

[phuketbound]

Koreans hardly use Chinese characters anymore. They use Hangul which replaced the Hanja (chinese characters) system. There are some characters that are similiar to hangul, so it is easier for them to learn hanja.

[Marmite the Dog]

^ I think you're better suited to Ajarn where they're used to people who know nowt.

[phuketbound]

^ I think you're better suited to Ajarn where they're used to people who know nowt.

Are you serious? I'll post wherever I feel like it, thanks very much.

Have you lived here? I think you should brush up.
Hangul - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Korean Business Translations: What is Hangul

[Marmite the Dog]

Have you lived here?

No, but I know you do, hence I thought you'd know a bit about it. But, not to be.

[benbaaa]

The only reason for attending management meetings is to enjoy a round or two of Buzzword bingo.

Known as Bullshit Bingo where I work, and the only thing that helps to pass the time between windbags.

At my previous school, way down south in Hat Yai, we were all taken out for a day's team building. It was hysterical. As part of this team building event there were two activities that stand out in my memory:

(1) The Thai and falang staff all attended a meeting at another school, in which a succession of (Thai) speakers stood up and droned on for what seemed like hours. In Thai. Some of us falangs could catch the drift, but for most of us it was blah blah blah blah falang blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah falang mai khao jai blah blah blah. And the speaker would glance over at us and grin while the Thai staff giggled. Remember: this is team building.

(2) A volleyball match on the beach at which words were exchanged between two of the Thai staff. They later got into a fight in a car park and both were sacked. Team building.

One of the funniest days of my life.