I'm a student and paid for my degree....give it to me.

[Spitfire]

I just wanted to throw this to the floor, as we have heard the stories about hopeless teachers etc many times before, but would like to highlight the misgivings I have regarding the learners, however unpalatable it may appear.

This thread does exclude, in general, international schools and a few others, but encompasses a huge section of the schooling system here.

Anyone who has worked at your average school/college etc that has no claim to any fandango status will already know the deal. Do your job and let them (the Thais) get on with it, regardless of how ridiculous it may manifest itself in and to the loss of all as the guy running the department probably can hardly speak English anyhow.

Once you get to your average college, even so-called universities, then it's hopeless as many are privately run businesses which are more interested in the bottom line figures than delivering a decent course/education, and don't even mention the Catholic schools and their priorities.

The students know this and seem to view the whole thing as nothing different than 'I've paid for my Mama cup at 7-11, so give me my product in exchange for the money.' Seems this has got to the same point with education, 'Give me my degree because I've paid the money.'

Nobody fails in 85% of places, and the college/uni is a private family business in so many case that it's not a surprise that this happens as they have to attract new 'customers' the next year.

Just a bit of a rant and to highlight the shortcomings of some of this which many will already be aware of.

Could go on but think I've said enough.............

[loverboy44]

Hmmmm spitfire....
Had to read it twice to understand what you mean.
Well, i have a german daughter who went to High School in Germany. As it is our family policy that our childs have to go abroad to learn english for a year, normally she would have gone to England for that, she asked me if she can do her year in Thailand.
Well i was quite pleased with it and she went to an International School in Bangkok.
I can only say wow. The difference between our government schools in Germany is huge.
Here she was taken care of like never before and she even made her TOEFL exam there.
In Germany where teachers are civil servants they don't care about their students at all. They can not be fired. Eat or die.
After one year i asked her if she could choose where she would like to stay (Germany or Thailand)? She replied concerning school, here. Concerning friends, Germany. Well she was 16 then.
Well, it's five years ago now and it cost a load of money but was well worth it.

[Spitfire]

Forgive me Mr LB, it was a reflection/diagnosis of here in Thailand within the lovely borders of LOS.

Sorry for any ambiguity on that front, just interior related to Thailand.

Your post is relevant to the score outside the realms of this wonderful country.

However, within the realms of this delightful country then we instigate a different 'ball game' on this front.



Good luck man. Seems like your daughter is in the right place.

[migrant]

Unfortunately I think this happens in many places, not just Thailand.

Here in the states, a bunch of years back, a new breed of universities appeared. They were tailored to the working professional, teachers were people who worked in the field and classes were held at night, and Saturday's, usually every Tues and Thurs and every other Saturday.

I went to the first of it's kind after my dream of marine biology didn't work from conventional universities, and I enjoyed it. Most people there were taking classes because they had interest and class discussions were excellent.

Unfortunately this has spread and a number of these schools have appeared and, like you mention, the bottom line is the priority.

I have interviewed many grads for my company, as well as clients, and now put less emphasis on the university (unless if it is one of the very prestegious ones) and more on the individual and their experience.

[Randy Cornhole]

Bloody students. Smell like shite and twice as thick.

The advice back here in the UK at the moment is leave school and find a job (if you can) because if you leave uni after 5 years and have debt of around £20,000 you're fooked big style.

With the average deposit on a flat/house now around £20,000/30,000 its better to go to work, especially when there are so many grads out of work and currently no advantage to having a degree!!!!!

[charlesh]

Spitfire gone are the days when education was for those who wanted to learn no matter whether in LOS or in Oz. The latest generation "Me, me, me" expect that everything has a price.

[dtaai-maai]

My son is a student in London, charles. He knows everything has a price, but only because he has to pay that price and work bloody hard to be able to do so. I expect your further education was free.

[margaretcarnes]

Migrant makes a valid point. In the UK there is an increasing culture of 'no such thing as a fail'
Probably not so much in the Universities, but certainly in work related training it is happening a lot.
6 years ago I did a couple of one day courses myself to re-new a First Aid certificate, and to do a basic food hygeine course. One of my colleagues struggled with the food hygeine and was asked to stay behind when the others had finished. She was 'helped' to obtain her certificate by the tutor.
Students on college courses such as Electronics are 'helped' to retake interim exams. Even in my own field of Welfare Advice it is rare for anyone to 'fail' the introductory course - despite returning to the workplace without the most basic knowledge of how to calculate state benefit entitlement. Again - to quote a colleague - 'I just don't understand - I slept through that bit'. Yet my own professional qualification, accredited by the Legal Aid Board, is no longer recognised.
I don't believe this situation is entirely due to the modern view that it is demoralising to brand any student a failure. There is also a need now for the many training providers who are contracted to the Government to meet performance targets - which means getting as many people as possible through courses successfully.

[Huahinian]

With reluctance to fail students, it does make one wonder about the Thai "qualified" doctors, lawyers, accountants etc..

[ImThai]

With reluctance to fail students, it does make one wonder about the Thai "qualified" doctors, lawyers, accountants etc..

humm...you know it’s not just the Thai qualified but another one that does make me wonder is Australia qualified!!

Believe me or not most of Thai students got their master degrees in Australia when they can't even speak English!!!

And most of them worked in Thai restaurants as a cleaner, waiter or even washing the dishes till they graduated..And then came back to Thailand and get a bloody GOOD job..
I know it well because my family used to have Thai restaurants in Sydney.

They can’t work with Australian because they can’t speak English but got the best jobs in Thailand..
I hate this bullshit system...

[PeteC]

As with all things like this, there are now some innocent people trapped in the middle. There are stories in the Press about students who did attend class and did receive a valid diploma who are now blacklisted from getting teaching jobs in government schools. One man even scored the highest on his civil service exams and so far has still been denied a job, simply by reason that he went to this university it appears. The damage done by those corrupt thieves goes further than they themselves may imagine. Pete