Shortage of teachers bad in Bangkok

[dirtydog]

Shortage of teachers bad in Bangkok


The national shortage of teachers is most serious in Bangkok and adjacent provinces, according to a study by Chulalongkorn University lecturers.


"This is because there are so many large schools in these provinces," Assoc Prof Chanita Rakponmuang said yesterday.

Chanita has taught at CU's Faculty of Education.

"Countries that are successful in tackling the shortage of teachers are those which put this issue on the national agenda," she said.

According to the study conducted by Chanita and colleagues, state schools need 478,186 teachers for efficient educational services. However, there are now only 396,507 government teachers across the country.

Primary schools required 30,000 more teachers, the study said. Secondary schools needed up to 32,000 more teachers.

"We have collected information from 29,503 schools," Chanita said.

The teacher shortage was most serious in maths, science, technology and foreign-language subjects.
She said the government's policy to restrict the number of civil servants, and the teaching profession's less prestigious image were factors behind the shortage. Teaching today is often associated with low pay and inadequate welfare.

The Nation

[watterinja]

The teacher shortage was most serious in maths, science, technology and foreign-language subjects.
She said the government's policy to restrict the number of civil servants, and the teaching profession's less prestigious image were factors behind the shortage. Teaching today is often associated with low pay and inadequate welfare.

Wonder if the thought ever crossed their tiny minds that if they paid a decent wage & treated good foreign, qualified teachers with the respect they deserve, that they could have their pick of the best in the world?

This lot are so stupid it beggars belief.

[Marmite the Dog]

^ WTF has this got to do with foreign teachers?

[watterinja]

^ Well, there is not a chance that they will be able to make up the numbers in the required time from Thai stock alone. It takes years to train new teachers.

The only logical conclusion that one can draw is that bodies are needed to fill the gap until locals can be trained. They will not be able to fill the vacancies with foreigners due to the above-mentioned points.

[dirtydog]

It takes years to train new teachers.

Who are you kidding, I heard it only took a couple of weeks

[Dougal]

The national shortage of teachers is most serious in Bangkok and adjacent provinces, according to a study by Chulalongkorn University lecturers. "This is because there are so many large schools in these provinces," Assoc Prof Chanita Rakponmuang said yesterday.

Just close a few of the schools. Sorted!

[watterinja]

^ Excellent solution - Thai-style.

[Fabian]

^ Well, there is not a chance that they will be able to make up the numbers in the required time from Thai stock alone. It takes years to train new teachers.

The only logical conclusion that one can draw is that bodies are needed to fill the gap until locals can be trained. They will not be able to fill the vacancies with foreigners due to the above-mentioned points.

Why, there should be some burmese working for that kind of wages.

[Bruce]

They could just import a lot more Filipinos to work for low wages (although higher than in The Philippines, it should be noted). After all, that seems to work with nurses.

[dirtydog]

Why are the Burmese and Phillipinos more intelligent than the Thais? I mean they defineately are, is this due to religion? or are Thais just thick?

[The Gentleman Scamp]

^ Sandra isn't that intelligent.

[kerux]

........bodies are needed to fill the gap until locals can be trained.

What's the diff? Most of the foreign teachers I worked with in Thailand weren't trained either.

[bradthai]

i think i am one of the only farang teachers in thailand whose wife earns more than the farang hubby teacher.
47.5 k bht a month.
any non teachers out there in the same boat??.......pattaya people welcome to reply........unless they are mamasans

[watterinja]

Why are the Burmese and Phillipinos more intelligent than the Thais? I mean they defineately are, is this due to religion? or are Thais just thick?

Religion & major in-breading I'd think.

[dirtydog]

Sandra isn't that intelligent.

Obvious post of the month award, so what is she doing with an ex fair ground worker

[watterinja]

Sandra isn't that intelligent.

Obvious post of the month award, so what is she doing with an ex fair ground worker

Long-term, hard-time?

[dirtydog]

I think it is about employing properly qualified teachers to work, rather than the 2 day course type teachers.

WTF has this got to do with foreign teachers?

[codefreeze]

Wonder if the thought ever crossed their tiny minds that if they paid a decent wage & treated good foreign, qualified teachers with the respect they deserve, that they could have their pick of the best in the world?

This lot are so stupid it beggars belief.

Couldn't agree more. In fact they wouldn't need to shake things up that much to make things radically more attractive to foreign teachers.

Thailand has to move to a knowledge economy - it just isn't going to be able to cut it as a low-cost manufacturing centre for much longer. They aren't going to be able to generate enough skilled people without foreign help.

Seems they just don't want to give too much to foreigners. Cutting their nose off to spite their face comes to mind.

[Little Chuchok]

Why are the Burmese and Phillipinos more intelligent than the Thais? I mean they defineately are, is this due to religion? or are Thais just thick?

Is that a rhetorical question?

[watterinja]

Wonder if the thought ever crossed their tiny minds that if they paid a decent wage & treated good foreign, qualified teachers with the respect they deserve, that they could have their pick of the best in the world?

This lot are so stupid it beggars belief.

Couldn't agree more. In fact they wouldn't need to shake things up that much to make things radically more attractive to foreign teachers.

Thailand has to move to a knowledge economy - it just isn't going to be able to cut it as a low-cost manufacturing centre for much longer. They aren't going to be able to generate enough skilled people without foreign help.

Seems they just don't want to give too much to foreigners. Cutting their nose off to spite their face comes to mind.

Excellent post.

The problem I've come across is that, in general, the SE. Asian mind is not suited to Physics (5% capability), or Mathematics (30% capability) weighting. This means that they will not ever be capable of generating any sustainable number of home-grown engineers & technicians. They can never become like Japan - never. They will be destined to continue to be parts-makers, unless they can really come to grips with what it is that Thais can really excel at.

They've done pretty well as Asia's whorehouse - but, long-term sustainable income will be required as they destroy their tourist sites. For this, they need the input from abroad - constantly.

[Bruce]

Originally Posted by dirtydog
Why are the Burmese and Phillipinos more intelligent than the Thais? I mean they defineately are, is this due to religion? or are Thais just thick?

Desperation could be a factor here. Thais aren't less intelligent, they're just less desperate than the Burmese or Filipinos.

Thailand has to decide if it wants to continue to muddle along in a moderately comfortable situation, or it it wants to move to a middle level economy and, if it's prepared to do what is necessary to make that happen. If so, it will have to:

Make its legal system protect intellectual rights

Make its political system genuinely democratic and under the rule of law, not force

Deregulate and reform its bloated and inefficient public sector, financial services, industrial regulation and education, particularly technical education

Adopt an outward-looking viewpoint towards the world

Become fluent in English

Genuinely foster innovation and excellence.


Quite a big challenge.

[Butterfly]

Quite a big challenge.

More like Mission Impossible

Let's face it, there is plenty of good competition out there, and there is no way they can catch up. Their only solution is to keep being the quiet destination and the whorehouse of the world. Every country has a purpose.

[Bruce]

I'm not so pessimistic, I think it's all quite doable, but it will take a very high quality of national leadership to achieve. Bring on the elections, send the generals back to their barracks, and hope and pray...

[Marmite the Dog]

I think it is about employing properly qualified teachers to work, rather than the 2 day course type teachers.

WTF has this got to do with foreign teachers?

I presume none of you fuckwits can read. The news report is commenting on the shortage of Thai teachers in Thai schools and has nothing to do with Language Schools or International Schools where the bulk of foreign English language teachers are employed in the city. Even at government schools the percentage of foreign teachers to Thai teachers is pretty insignificant and it is dumb to assume that all foreign-language teachers teach English. I would think Chinese and even Japanese teachers are just as important.

[Bruce]

The teacher shortage was most serious in maths, science, technology and foreign-language subjects.

Appears to cover it all, I would think.

Its no wonder when people have to study for years, get a degree and then be lucky to get 25,000 baht a month. Might as well become a street vendor and clear 1000 baht a day IMO.