Thai education system

[PeteC]

....."The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration [CCSA] had given the okay for Office of Basic Education Commission to hold entrance exams for students in Mathayom 1 [lower-secondary] and Mathayom 4 [higher secondary] levels for the 2020 academic year on June 6 and 7 at selected venues.".....

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389166


I don't think we've ever talked about the Thai education system, and I have little understanding of it.

I'm surprised to see that there is actually testing for what I think is entrance to Years 7-8-9. To me this means that if a parent chooses not to have their child take this test, it's out into the cold world for him or her after just 6 years of education, and the same if the child should fail the test?

Perhaps they accept everyone but the test is to see which level of instruction they are suited for?

I find it strange in this day and age that there is not general acceptance of everyone into the public school system through year 12.

[Dannie Boy]

I just did a quick check and education is provided for a minimum of 9 years - further details here
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Thailand

[PeteC]

Thanks Dannie, informative.

[Dannie Boy]

Thanks Dannie, informative.

One worrying extract from that article -

2015 IQ survey results
A 2015 survey by the Ministry of Public Health found the average IQ of Thai students to be 93, down from 94 in 2011, and below the international standard of 100.

[Big Boy]

One thing I've been told is nobody is rejected - basically if they fail they end up in the school just down the road from where I live.

My youngest Granddaughter is 14, and this is another time they take tests for the next stage. Many change schools at this age. I don't profess to know much about it, but she is a little swat (didn't come from me) and she qualified on coursework alone, but many will move on from her school, and a lot of new kids will join.

This does not seem that different to the school system in the UK. We had to qualify for the school we moved to at age 11, and at age 14 we had to make choices based on chosen career path. At my school I think we had a technical stream, a commercial stream and a scientific stream. OK, we stayed at the same school, but our classmates changed considerably. If we didn't achieve the desired academic results at age 14, we were put where there was space, irrespective of our chosen career path.

[Bamboo Grove]

I taught in Bangkok in 1990-98 in a commercial college, school years 10-12 and 2nd grade of university. This was a private school so the owner more or less decided who would get in. As he made money with every student, most of those who took the entrance exam gained access to the school.

The level of teaching was very varied, what amazed me most was that some teachers mainly read the book of their subject to the students and maybe explained some of the things in it.

The most amazing thing was that the students could ask the get promoted to the next class and they most often got the permission, if they paid the owner a certain amount of money. Only those with behavioral problems would have to repeat the class.

Many of the students came from families with private enterprises so they were guaranteed a job after graduation. So these two factors; getting through the school by paying and that there was already a job for them, made them very lazy to do any real studying. There were exceptions, of course but not that many. In the grades 10-12 40+ students per class was the norm, in the university class it could be as many as 50.

Last summer when I was in Bangkok, I met six of my ex-students and all of them worked either with their family business or had their own business.

I knew several similar schools in those days and I truly hope things have changed now.

[HHTel]

One of the big problems in the education system here is the 'no fail' policy. Students are aware of this of course giving hardly any incentive to learn. No matter how bad they are they will continue to the next grade even if at a different school.
The education system in which students are so happy to mosey their way through is failing them; the irony here being that they can not fail.

The teaching methodology (rote) continues despite instructions from the Dept of Education to change to 'student centered learning'. Until students are actively involved in their education and therefore their future, nothing will change.

Out of 70 countries ranked for the English proficiency, Thailand came in at a disappointing 62. There are around 15 million job opportunities associated with the tourism sector in Thailand yet students show no incentive to learn English.

As Unesco clearly pointed out in its 2017-18 Global Education Monitoring Report, Thai governments, past and present, have failed to provide access to universal basic education, a basic obligation of any decent government.

Meanwhile, Thailand came 54th out of a total of 70 assessed countries, with scores dropping in all subjects since the 2012 assessment.

Classified by subject, Thailand ranked 54th for maths, 57th for reading, and 54th for sciences. Pisa have also found that one-third of Thailand's 15-year-olds were functionally illiterate.

The Thai education system is broken. It needs some massive reform and incentive to repair it. The government has made 'positive' statements for years but without any action.

With the free movement of labour within ASEAN (currently with restrictions but I'm sure will change) more and more skilled jobs will be taken up by foreigners.

NB: Some quotes have been taken from the Bangkok Post.

[handdrummer]

One thing I've been told is nobody is rejected - basically if they fail they end up in the school just down the road from where I live.

My youngest Granddaughter is 14, and this is another time they take tests for the next stage. Many change schools at this age. I don't profess to know much about it, but she is a little swat (didn't come from me) and she qualified on coursework alone, but many will move on from her school, and a lot of new kids will join.

This does not seem that different to the school system in the UK. We had to qualify for the school we moved to at age 11, and at age 14 we had to make choices based on chosen career path. At my school I think we had a technical stream, a commercial stream and a scientific stream. OK, we stayed at the same school, but our classmates changed considerably. If we didn't achieve the desired academic results at age 14, we were put where there was space, irrespective of our chosen career path.

How many children, at age 14, know their career path? I notice that the arts aren't included.

[handdrummer]

Some schools are better than others. My mother-in-law, wife, and 2 daughters, all went to Wattana, in Bangkok and received an excellent education. My wife's classmates, all female, include a minister of education, several doctors, lawyers and business people. Our eldest daughter is the pianist with the Bangkok Symphony and our youngest a translator of Korean & English. It helps if you're motivated.

[HHTel]

It helps if you're motivated.

Which is a big part of the problem. Even most teachers lack motivation.

[Big Boy]

How many children, at age 14, know their career path? I notice that the arts aren't included.

Not many, but you have to make a stab at it at some point. I thought I knew, but I was well off the mark. The best choice I ever made was learning to type - I had a choice of Economics, Chemistry or Typing. I chose typing simply because the other 2 sounded like hard work, but it was probably the most useful thing I did at school.

Here, my eldest granddaughter wanted to go into nursing, and chose her school/subjects wisely at age 14 - should graduate from Uni next year, but I'm not sure if Covid will have a delaying factor. Likewise the youngest wants to go into teaching and has chosen appropriately. Don't ask what subjects they chose, because I haven't got a clue, but they both seem to know what they are doing.

[Big Boy]

Topic: Thai education system: Last points O levels, Plymouth, Hull. Can someone point those two on the map of Thailand, please.

Yes, I took it off topic, but I think it was necessary to demonstrate that despite differing education standards the Thai education system is not that different to what I experienced in the West. My comparison was Plymouth.

As for 'O' levels, no they aren't held in Thai schools, but there are exams that need to be passed in year 11 if the child wishes to go into Further Education. again, very similar to the UK system. IMHO if we don't have comparison, this will become little more than a kicking Thailand thread.

[Lost]

... the Thai education system is not that different to what I experienced in the West.

Lol, I just spat some of my tea out! I do understand you are talking about the structure rather than the execution.

Putting a child, of a western persausion (half or full), into Thai schooling rather than international, is nothing short of child abuse.

[Big Boy]

The full sentence read, "Despite differing education standards the Thai education system is not that different."

A huge difference between standards and system.

[VincentD]

Jumps in..
Having been faced with the dilemma of having my children educated locally way back when, it should be noted that very different standards do co-exist here. If you choose a good school, your kids get a good education. If you can't get in, or can't afford a decent school, don't have children. (Just kidding)
Do note that some schools with a good track record do have a high demand for places, but, one thing to note, is that sometimes these schools can go overboard with trying to get the kids to overachieve..
I sent one of my sons to a well known kindergarten, he came back crying and refused to go after less than a week. I later found out they expected the kids to learn how to spell in English at 4 years old. This when the maid's son was in the temple kindergarten where the only requirement was that they be able to button up their shirts and get to the loo in time.
Suffice to say I took his education elsewhere.
A decent English program in a Catholic school typically does have proper native speakers but you do pay a premium.The problem with the English program is that it is out of synch with the Thai stream so uni choices becomes a bit of a problem.
Both of them did spend a year in the US as exchange students (to the detriment of my wallet) so they are aware of what is available outside of Thailand.
One, however, must consider where they would be spending a fair bit of their lives (Thailand) so being educated locally in a decent school does help with their circle of friends and future endeavours.