Thai education system

[Nereus]

If this is an example of the "teachers" in Thai schools, it is no surprise that "education" suffers! The bitch should have the same done to her in public.
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Mum upset by teacher's public trim

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... x#cxrecs_s

SI SA KET: Education authorities yesterday pledged to look into an incident involving a teacher giving an ugly haircut to a female student as punishment for turning up at school with long hair.

Chuchart Kaewnok, director of Secondary Educational Service Area Office 28, said the officials were informed of the incident and they would meet the school administrators and the student's parents on Wednesday to resolve the issue.

According to Mr Chuchart, students are now allowed to wear their hair long under the Education Ministry's revised regulations but they should keep it neat and tidy. He said the planned meeting would help ensure that schools and parents have a proper understanding of the rules.

Mr Chuchart was responding to a Facebook post of a 33-year-old woman who lashed out at teachers at Yang Chum Noi Phitthayakhom School for cutting her daughter's hair in public.

The mother said the school should have talked to her parents first and the public haircut was obviously intended to humiliate the girl.

The incident at Yang Chum Noi Phitthayakhom School in Si Sa Ket's Yang Chum Noi district was among cases of penalties imposed by teachers against students who turned up with long hair after the new term began on July 1.

Under the Education Ministry's new directive, both male and female students may wear their hair long or short. For male students, the length of the sides and back must not extend beyond the back of the neck, while female students with long hair must tie it properly.

[Big Boy]

I know what you're saying Nereus, but I think you'll find that was common practice until just recently. I know while my granddaughters have been growing up, my daughter has always made sure their hair was right at the start of term to avoid the ugly haircut.

[Nereus]

I know what you're saying Nereus, but I think you'll find that was common practice until just recently. I know while my granddaughters have been growing up, my daughter has always made sure their hair was right at the start of term to avoid the ugly haircut.

Yes, as you posted, your DAUGHTER made sure, NOT some self appointed teacher! She should be charged with assault, because that is what it is!

[Big Boy]

Yes, but it was the threat of the teacher taking action that made her make sure.

[handdrummer]

It happens in other places too.
A friend, growing up in Los Angeles and attending a girls Catholic school, 7th grade, answered a question incorrectly and as punishment, the nun made her stand in front of the class and remove her blouse.

[buksida]

Thai education needs reform; we can start with how we teach our history
The recent furor over school haircuts and how teachers have continued to cruelly enforce them even after clear directives from the Ministry of Education has put the authoritarian culture underpinning Thai education into stark focus.

But it is also common knowledge that the problems facing Thai schools go beyond the issue of haircuts and uniforms.

Outdated curricula and pedagogy continues to emphasize rote-learning while discouraging critical thinking, lest students dare question their teachers. A recent screenshot that went viral of a slideshow that stated a number of classroom agreements, one of which was stated clearly for the avoidance of doubt: “the teacher is always right.”

Indeed, what is taught is not to be questioned.

In no class is this belief more apparent, yet also clashes harder with reality, than in social studies classes in which Thai history is taught. Students are told the conventional chronology that Thailand began with the founding of the Sukhothai kingdom, whose power was slowly but inexorably yielded to Ayutthaya, and so on. Event after event is presented, always with the overarching goal of ensuring impressionable students understand the national narrative.

To control the past is to control the future: a cliché, to be sure, but one too relevant not to state. How Thailand has chosen to craft the history taught to generation after generation of students is an intentional act aimed at instilling national pride. But the propagation of narrative as unquestionable fact, while perhaps useful for state-building in the mid-20th century, has lost currency in an era where critical thinking and inquiry have overtaken obedience as the key skills needed to maintain competitiveness.

The government once talked unceasingly of ‘Thailand 4.0’: the vision for a nation driven by innovation. Of course, this goal is completely at odds with students being taught to uncritically accept and commit to memory the facts in textbooks. In addition, the narratives that history curricula often choose to present do not mesh well with advances in historical study.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/15706/opin ... r-history/

[buksida]

CULTURE MINISTRY ISSUES ‘HOW TO TALK TO POOYAI’ GUIDELINE
As student protests raging across the nation pit teens against teachers, the new generation against the old, Thailand’s cultural department helpfully issued an instruction on how youngsters should interact with adults.

A Facebook post made by Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion is going viral Tuesday for telling children to stoop slightly and “not cause annoyance” when interacting with older people.

“Stand straight, hold hands below your waist, bow slightly. Do not stand too close or too far from pooyai,” the poster says. “If receiving orders, stand straight, with arms by your side. In other situations, stand politely and do not cause annoyance or get in others’ way.”

As expected, the poster was ridiculed for its seemingly tonedeaf attitude, with 4,000 likes, 2,000 comments, and 3,000 shares in a day. Many made fun of the gerontocratic ideals espoused – as well as the 2000s era graphics.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/culture/ ... guideline/

[HHTel]

“Stand straight, hold hands below your waist, bow slightly. Do not stand too close or too far from pooyai,” the poster says. “If receiving orders, stand straight, with arms by your side. In other situations, stand politely and do not cause annoyance or get in others’ way.”

[Lost]

CULTURE MINISTRY ISSUES ‘HOW TO TALK TO POOYAI’ GUIDELINE
As student protests raging across the nation pit teens against teachers, the new generation against the old, Thailand’s cultural department helpfully issued an instruction on how youngsters should interact with adults.

A Facebook post made by Thailand’s Department of Cultural Promotion is going viral Tuesday for telling children to stoop slightly and “not cause annoyance” when interacting with older people.

“Stand straight, hold hands below your waist, bow slightly. Do not stand too close or too far from pooyai,” the poster says. “If receiving orders, stand straight, with arms by your side. In other situations, stand politely and do not cause annoyance or get in others’ way.”

As expected, the poster was ridiculed for its seemingly tonedeaf attitude, with 4,000 likes, 2,000 comments, and 3,000 shares in a day. Many made fun of the gerontocratic ideals espoused – as well as the 2000s era graphics.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/culture/ ... guideline/

And on the flip side, you have teenagers like those from the UK and US that have free rein and give not 2 shits about their elders. Any opposing opinion from an elder is ridiculed and shut down with the fashionable "OK Boomer!" In their opinion older folk have had their moment and should now be 'out of sight out of mind'.

Both extremes are wrong. The middle ground can often be the hardest to find.

[Spitfire]

As has eloquently been mentioned above, there is conflict and discourse between the generations and their worlds in all places now colliding and we are heading towards a critical mass of change due to the tech and other revolutions that are playing out speedily which the social fabric of old and young can barely keep up with. Understandably, the young Netflix generations are hungry for change, but they may want it at all costs, as they have been raised as an entitled generation during an unheard of time of peace, prosperity and technological advancement and their contempt for all that has gone before is obvious. I fear that many lessons will need to be relearned as the ones from the past seem to be fading now as no-one seems to be too bothered about history and it's warnings ... other than those wanting to rewrite it or erase it.

[PeteC]

Micro-school 'shows need for reforms'

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... or-reforms

A group of parents dissatisfied with the quality of public education in Surat Thani have set up a micro-school, which an expert said reflects the urgent need to reform the education system.

Sixteen families have taken their children out of school to enrol them at Little Unicorn House, a micro-school where students learn together in a shared space with only a tutor and/or a parent to supervise and assist the class.

Niwat Hoteakim, adviser to the Youth Creative Group behind the school, said Little Unicorn House has 19 students.

On his Facebook page, Mr Niwat said the school was founded by a group of parents who believe their duty is to educate their children, along with the schooling system.

Parents do not worry about accreditation at the Little Unicorn House, as they are assured that teaching instructions are given out only by those devoted to their children's education.

Mr Niwat said the school's students learn by engaging in projects and activities based on their interests.

Little Unicorn House, he said, does not consider national education standards relevant to the needs of children, so it seeks to develop a curriculum that inspires passion and learning by focusing on real-world knowledge.

As such, lessons and activities at the school are focused on improving the children's critical thinking, decision-making and problem- solving capacities.

Students get to learn a variety of skills from these activities, which range from music, language, IT, as well as the importance of volunteerism and learning about other cultures, he said.

The school, however, has also hired some professional teachers to ensure students have a well-rounded set of skills.

Little Unicorn House's goal is to develop students' creativity, along with their life and social abilities, Mr Niwat added.

Sompong Jitradub, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education, said the concept of micro-schooling has taken off in many developed countries, where many complain about the quality of public schooling but can't afford the cost of private education.

"These parents sought a way to personalise their children's education, so I'm not surprised the concept has been taken up by Thai parents," he said.

"It's not surprising considering the quality of our school system and its constant failure to equip students with the skills needed for jobs in the 21st century, which will be dominated by automation, artificial intelligence and robotics."

Mr Sompong said the emergence of micro-schools in Thailand reflects the urgent need to reform the education system, to allow students to better catch up with the fast-changing world.

"When parents start to think that they can do better than schools and professional teachers, something must be wrong. If the quality of our schools is not upgraded soon, I think we will see more micro-schools in the future," he said.

"Perhaps, this can lead to changes within our school system."

[HHTel]

The message is clear but will anything change? I doubt it.

[buksida]

The idea is a noble one (a bit like the Montessori Method) but these places often charge hideous term fees so only really benefit the elite. A whole bunch of them popped up around Hua Hin a few years back to cater for the influx of affluent expats that came for the property boom.

For education and reform to be effective, it must be available to everyone, not just the rich.

[handdrummer]

Oh, Oh, they may be creating a group of people able to think, reason and be creative. Very dangerous.

[buksida]

This shit happens all too often in Thailand ...

THAI, FOREIGN ‘TEACHERS’ ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING KINDERGARTENERS
Police said Monday they pressed charges against an education worker who allegedly shoved kindergarten pupils to the ground before the eyes of other students and teachers.

Regional police commander Ampon Buarabporn said a summon warrant was issued for Ornuma “Khu Jum” Plodprong, a babysitter at the privately-run Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School in Nonthaburi. A Filipino teacher at the same school was also caught assaulting students in a similar manner.

“According to the evidence, I have to admit that the teacher used excessive force against the child,” Lt. Gen. Ampon said. “The child protection team will talk to the child to assess her mental wellbeing.”

“If the child is found to be mentally affected, investigators will press more charges against her Ornuma],” he said.

Police said at least 10 accounts of assaults are being investigated at the school.

Although Ornuma was initially identified by the media as a teacher, school directors later said she did not hold a license to teach.

Ornuma is said to be the same woman who was filmed pushing a girl to the floor and pulling her hair in several video clips in a security camera footage that went viral on social media over the weekend. None of the teachers seen in the video tried to stop Ornuma.

Today’s summons warrant accused her of physical assault, depriving liberty of other persons, and teaching without a license.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/cri ... garteners/