Thread: Thai education standards given low marks

Thai education standards given low marks
Dec 29, 2010

THAILAND - THE educational performance of Thai students this year has been poor despite attempts by various agencies to improve the quality of their education, according to local academics.

Results of international and local educational assessment programmes this year indicate also that Thai students are not reaching a satisfactory criteria, they said.

Chulalongkorn University (CU) lecturer Sompong Jitradab Angsuwathin said the national tests reflected that Thailand had failed to improve its education quality. Another educational academic Assoc Prof Witayakorn Chiengkul, dean of the Social Innovation College at Rangsit University, said a big problem for the country this year was that it had not seriously improved its education standards.

'Thailand does not pay attention to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)'s results, although our students' performance was low. We have not analysed why they received low scores so as to be able to solve the problem,' said Mr Witayakorn.

'I gave the government six out of ten for its education improving policies,' Mr Sompong said.

But Mr Witayakorn said he gave only four. He voiced his concern for some policies - such as higher payment for academic standings - which the government seemed to use them to get votes from educational personnel.

straitstimes.com

The problems in Thai schools are very deep and related to their culture. I teach and remain completely amazed at the lack of any disciplinary system in the schools. Discipline essentially consists of a Thai teacher exploding, hitting all the children, then they act bad and the cycle of tension builds again. There is no specific person responsible for disruptive or just plain bad children and absolutely so system of progressive discipline.
No matter how good a lesson I have, there can be no class without a Thai teacher sitting in the back of the room with a stick. (literally, no exaggeration)
The behavior in schools mimics the behavior on the highways.

No surprise there Mr Mid, my first hand with my daughters education is that the teachers are well intentioned, but in the main incompetent and certainly badly equipped in their own training.
The focus seems to be in pandering to the kids likes rather than their needs,

Originally Posted by Mid

Results of international and local educational assessment programmes this year indicate also that Thai students are not reaching a satisfactory criteria,

That's because their teachers don't reach the criteria..it's all a highly amusing joke.

Originally Posted by BobR

The problems in Thai schools are very deep and related to their culture. I teach and remain completely amazed at the lack of any disciplinary system in the schools. Discipline essentially consists of a Thai teacher exploding, hitting all the children, then they act bad and the cycle of tension builds again. There is no specific person responsible for disruptive or just plain bad children and absolutely so system of progressive discipline.
No matter how good a lesson I have, there can be no class without a Thai teacher sitting in the back of the room with a stick. (literally, no exaggeration)
The behavior in schools mimics the behavior on the highways.

Seems so different to other Asian countries. When you look at the results out of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan etc. There must be some good schools somewhere. Thailand does after all produce some pretty good medical specialists, engineers etc...but the state run schools in rural Thailand seem to fail miserably in just about every category.

Unfortunately, Thailand is limited by its 'culture'.

When the culture is allowed to change, so will education.

Most people on this thread get it; it's cultural - massive social changes are needed before the country can move forward; the people are more than capable...

^I thought I just said that!?

Hmmm not surprised.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

massive social changes are needed before the country can move forward

Blowing the place up and starting from scratch is the only viable solution. Preferably with a different race of people in it..

Not getting itchy feet like..just telling it..

wow... I had no idea it was that bad...

I hope they can move forward and prepare thier children for the future!

I questioned my son's teacher as to why after a year of attendance he didn't understand that the figure for '1' was the number 'nung'. She replied that 'this isn't the West'. So I guess she was saying that as this is Thailand I shouldn't expect schools to actually teach the kids anything. At least she was honest about her country's monkeyness.

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

Thailand's education system will never improve until they stop allowing students to enter based on their parents willingness to pay under the table to get them into a school rather than the child's ability. But for that to happen every other institution needs to follow. But we know that ain't going to happen, is it?

Thats not really the problem as I see it. The problem is Rote learning. The Thais are never taught to think and solve on their own. Only to come up with the right answer. Teachers are paid little to nothing, and there is no merit pay for a good teacher.

Just come in open the book and let the students figure it our for themselves. And heaven forbid if they should ask a question. That is the worst thing you can do here.

Originally Posted by Pound Hound

and prepare thier children for the future!

That is where the education system is spot on.
The children are ably prepared to do little but cheat, but are very capable of realising that the accepting/giving of bribes is the only real way forward.

Anyone who's been here long enough probably has some complaints about the Thai education system. I myself have a 16 year old grand daughter attending a Thai school.
In my opinion it is simply that the Thai education system is designed to provide students with the "correct" pre-programmed answers and responses...not to teach students to use their knowledge to reason and think through problems by applying that knowledge.
Children are being taught to learn and memorise the "correct" answers...not to use what they are taught as a basis for asking "Why". In fact "Why" is a question the schools deliberately avoid. They just give the student the "correct" answers and want the students to regurgitate that correct answer on a test.
There are many reasons for that...but it would take too long to explain those reasons.
But until Thai eduation changes from a system of providing the correct answers to memorise into a system that teaches students to reason for themselves and not simply memorise answers...Thai students will always score on the low end of any tests that evaluate their ability to use what they have learned to analyse problems.
That isn't because Thais are stupid...it's because they are not taught to reason solutions to real life problems using the knowledge they learned in school. In fact, such reasoning is actively discouragd in the Thai education system. I've seen that myself with my Thai grand daughter.
Thinking is dangerous...you might see through the "approved" answers...and that could cause problems for those who benefit from being high up in the social hierarchy.

^What both yourself and AO have said is also very true.