Thread: Diploma-Degree mills

A teacher is in a position of trust and power.

Would you want somebody who has lied and cheated to be in that position? They were prepared to break the rules to protect themselves and keep their job. What else are they prepared to do?

You don't need a degree to be a competent teacher. However you if one is required for visa reasons and you have to lie to get one. Does that make you a competent person?

Ironic that his fake degree is a 'Life Experience Degree' bet he wishes he he'd done a real 'Life Experience Degree' he could write an essay about this.

As was pointed out a few pages ago, the guy has not cheated. He does not have a fake KSR degree. He has a life degree from an unaccredited institution. That degree was accepted by his current employer, but is very unlikely to be accepted by his next employer because a life degree generally requires no specific study etc etc blah blah blah.

If he had a fake KSR degree, then I would say that he was in deep shit. But his degree is not fake, but also not really worth the paper that it is printed on!

What to do? My understanding is that the requirement for a 'real' degree can be postponed if he/his new employer grovel nicely to the Ministry of Education.

Perhaps the best route would be to sign up for a 'real' degree course via distance learning, (or a PGCE etc via the same route), and then present the life degree qualification AND the acceptance for the new course of study. At least that would show that the guy is aware that his life degree is crap and is trying to get a more recognised and accredited qualification.

This advice from a guy with a UK BSc and MSc and half a Thai MA.... (none of them bought in KSR)

Simon

I think some lose perspective totally here in Thailand. Trying to teach English to a bunch of Thai kids in an ave Thai school at a pittance certainly does not require a degree. A decent grasp of the language and an ability to get through to the kids will be just dandy. Anything else is overkill.

One day, in the very distant future, when the culture has taught the kids that the world out there is important and that they should be inquisitive and actually try and learn something, maybe. Now? Let's get down to earth a bit.

bah - all this new fangled degree stuff

foreign language has been taught for centuries with a bible and a bunch of hail marys

why should they deviate from the tried and true method

Just let him know that perjuring himself with fake educational documents carries a 10 year jail term.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Hands up if any of you really think that Thai kids studying in a government school will leave speaking English with any proficiency?

If this guy can get just a handful to even a low level he has succeeded where many 'proper' teachers have failed.

Just working my way through this thread, but HAD to stop on that one.

No offense here marmite, but you are arguing BOTH that qualifications for teachers here are a waste of time AND that the level of English of kids comming out of government schools is very low.

Do you think that, by some remote chance, the two are actually connected?? The widespread practice of unqualified, fresh off the plane "teachers", whose only qualification is that they SPEAK English attempting to TEACH english might be why those kids standards are so low??

Hmm. Finished the thread. A couple of points. A "Life degree" is not a "fake" degree. It may be worthless, but if push came to shove, you may well be in less shit with the authorities hlding a worthless as opposed to a fake degree.

Secondly, as was hit on, the crux of the matter is that failure of the thai government to tackle the situations. The simple equation should be, you want real teachers, pay real salaries.

One possible solution (and this will be me pissing into the wind) is to stratifiy "teacher" into two ranks : teachers of english (accredited, with relevant degrees) as opposed to "language tutors" (no degree, native speaker or near native speaker).

Originally Posted by BugginOut

Just let him know that perjuring himself with fake educational documents carries a 10 year jail term.

Don't think they are fake, they are just...well how should I put it..non-accredited. They do satisfy the M.O.E and pretty much any school in Thailand... And it's about the way you teach and your attitude and profesionalism towards teaching...TEFL....SMEFAL..DEGREE...SCHMEGREE..

You can teach or you can't...my mates got a degree and he's honest enough to admit he could never do it or put up with the kids..So there you go??? Thailand would bend over backwards to have him teach...he'd bend over backwards to avoid it...

Get the best you can.

Originally Posted by jandajoy

What educational outcome did you achieve?

From the educated man who cannot spell 'disgraceful'.

Not teaching but the same sort of thing .
Was 'headhunted by a Taiwanese company on a specialist job that needed someone with experience - that I had
Needed a Work Permit to work in Taiwan .
Requirement was a degree
With only 1 GCE and a grade 2 Gity and Guilds - No chance.
Company offered to 'BUY' me a degree from somewhere in the USA.
Declined the offer
Nice lady in the Taipei Work Permit office suggested that I could get round the problem by setting up a consultancy company and contracting my services to the people who wanted to employ me !

Did that and it worked - no problem
Could something like that work here ??

Just a thought

Originally Posted by Happyman

Nice lady in the Taipei Work Permit office suggested that I could get round the problem by setting up a consultancy company and contracting my services to the people who wanted to employ me !

Yes, it does work in Thailand. You don't have to have your own company, but...............I think that you have to be employed as a 'consultant' to a company, and maybe schools dont fall under that category.

You can be employed as a consultant in Thailand and strangely enough, you dont have to have any qualifications for that.

Originally Posted by Lily

From the educated man who cannot spell 'disgraceful'.

FYI, Lilly, this "educated man" can't spell or count. Seem to bumble along though.

^When you are being very judgemental about someone else, especially in regards to 'education', you really should be careful about things like that.
Making a spelling error when you are calling people 'uneducated' really is a bit over the top.

Originally Posted by jandajoy

FYI, Lilly, this "educated man" can't spell or count. Seem to bumble along though

So why do you have a problem with this man? What has he done to you?

Originally Posted by Lily

^When you are being very judgemental about someone else, especially in regards to 'education', you really should be careful about things like that. Making a spelling error when you are calling people 'uneducated' really is a bit over the top. Quote: Originally Posted by jandajoy FYI, Lilly, this "educated man" can't spell or count. Seem to bumble along though So why do you have a problem with this man? What has he done to you?

Strewth Lilly, read wot I rote.

Just to add.

You're either good with kids or you ain't. Degree or not.

So, has he got away with it then?

I've got QT status from back home, so I don't think my opinions are self-serving. I'm all in favor of folks getting qualified and not committing fraud etc, but...

I've seen so-called qualified Thai teachers beat kindergarten-age kids for not coloring in the lines, giving the wrong answer, etc. This kind of BS continues all the way down the line, all the time in Thai "education." You don't have to be an educational scientist to realize what a piss poor situation this is.

Therefore, I reckon most Thai kids would probably benefit from spending a few minutes each day with a farang teacher, degreed or not, simply from the fact that the farang is more likely to treat kids with respect. That's a pretty broad generalization I know, but I think most westerners, educated or not, would probably agree that it's not acceptable to abuse children.

Whatever you do, keep your kids away from Thai teachers.

The Thai teaching methods are prehistoric. I hope to see an exception one day, but so far I have only encountered teachers the kids are afraid of. That's just wrong, you cant educate kids to be scared. What kind of society will this create?

Originally Posted by Bexar County Stud

Whatever you do, keep your kids away from Thai teachers.

Damn straight..at my school they not only beat them but make them do numerous press ups sit ups etc..and humiliate them.....

Such lovely people the Thai's. I have never had to treat my students in this way...and the Thai English coordinator is a razy chritian witch who insists on walking into my class and terrorizing my kids!!!! Cnuts thelot of em'....ho's that for a generalization....

And not just in this school 99% of all schools I have worked in....
My daughter will never go to a Thai school ever..