Thai Education System Needs Reformation

Thai Education System Needs Reformation Education system is important all over the world. It concerns the future of a country by educating children who will become a country’s future. The issue of whether Thailand should revise its educational system has been a very big topic recently. It is an important issue because what we think is wrong. We think that Thai education system is already good, but in fact, it isn’t. Thai education system should be reformed. This essay will be mentioning about the problems that Thai education system are facing, which are the lack of teacher supply, social norms, and wrong learning attitude.

The lack of teacher supply is one of the major problems in Thai education system. To be a good and effective teacher isn’t easy. It needs dedication, passion, and determination. Teachers should be the models of thinking outside the box. But, Thai teachers can never be these models. This failure is due to the fact that real training has never taken place. All of the trainings train all of the Thai teachers to think inside the box and stick to what they have learned. They don’t have the ability to try new things or announce new ideas. Furthermore, excluding international schools, Thai teachers have three primary complaints: first, the salaries are insufficient to meet their basic needs; second, they are overworked due to excessive administrative duties and have little time to prepare classroom activities; and third, classroom sizes are so large that it is impossible to conduct the teaching activities. Due to these three factors, more young teachers are quitting and fewer new teachers are entering the workforce.

Secondly, Thai concept of “Kreng Jai”, which has to do with obligation and respect can impact on students’ critical thinking abilities. The social norm of respecting elders affects the system greatly. Teachers in Thailand grow accustomed to the respect and high status accorded them by students and the society. For the most part, they do not expect to be challenged or questioned in class and students tend to remain silent when it comes to being critical of anything a teacher might say. Though the government has been trying to introduce the concept of “child center” for a long period of time, this social-norm-related-problem still occurs in many Thai schools.

Furthermore, Thai attitude toward education and cheating is unbearable. Thais learn in a different way to western people. This is not an opinion. This is a fact. Rote learning begins from a teacher and passes on to students. A teacher teaches everything he/she knows the same way he/she has learned from the training. Rote learning affects Thai students to think critically and creatively. So many students in Thailand can’t think or solve problems in real situations. Other than that, cheating is often seen in almost every school in Thailand. The punishment for cheating isn’t harsh enough for people to learn that cheating is wrong. It's just a case that can never be resolved.

Thai education system still has a lot of flaws. It does not have any value qualities. Thailand doesn’t have enough good and effective teachers. Also, Thai people are old fashioned in which Thai people still follow the Thai concept of “Kreng Jai”. Lastly, students still have a wrong attitude about learning. In my opinion, things are not likely to change in Thailand any time soon. Thailand will continue to fall further behind if Thailand doesn’t fall out from all of the old habits. Thailand needs change. And the most effective change is to reform the education system, which will improve students’ qualities.

Outline

Reformation in Thai Education System

I. Lack of teacher supply

a. No real training – has never taken place

b. Only think inside the box – not good and effective models

c. Salaries are insufficient – cannot meet the basic needs

d. Overworked – excessive administrative duties and too little time to prepare classroom activities

e. Classroom sizes – too large – cannot conduct the teaching activities

II. Thai concept of “Kreng Jai” – obligation and respect

a. Impact students’ critical thinking abilities

III. Attitude toward education and cheating – unbearable

a. Rote learners

b. Cannot think critically and creatively – cannot solve problems in real situations.

c. Cheating – no hard punishment