Pay teachers better for smarter kids, advises Unesco director

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EDUCATION
Pay teachers better for smarter kids, advises Unesco director
By The Nation

If Thailand and other countries want their youth to become smarter, they should pay teachers accordingly, Unesco's Thailand director said yesterday as he urged nations to prepare for an ageing society.

Dr Gwang-Jo Kim was giving a lecture about the factors behind the success of education in the 21st century at EDUCA 2010, which runs until tomorrow at Bitec Bang Na.

The role of teachers has shifted from being at the centre of learning to becoming innovators in a student-centred system, he said.

Besides promoting teachers' development and countries to exchange knowledge to improve teachers' skills, Unesco also studied teachers' living conditions and the problems they face. It discovered that teachers' wages have remained unchanged over the past 10 to 15 years, Kim said. However, if a country wanted to produce smarter people, teachers' salaries should be given a fair hike so they would want to continue in this profession for the next 20 to 30 years, he said. He added that Unesco was working to come up with an appropriate wage rate for teachers in each country.

With more and more people becoming old across the world, there being fewer people at the reproductive age as well as problems with economic changes and global warming, Kim said demand for skilled manpower would increase and the educational gap become narrower.

In 2007, Unesco found that 72 million people didn't go to school, but this number is expected to go down to 23 million in 2015. In Thailand, 88 per cent of pre-school age children were in nurseries, 98.3 per cent primary-school age children attended classes, 86.7 per cent in lower secondary school, 58 per cent in higher secondary school and 48 per cent doing their higher education. Kim said these numbers were not bad but could be better.

Dr Lee Hyun-Chong, president of South Korea's Sangmyung University, said his country and Thailand had similar problems - students faced tight competition to get into university and often had to attend tutoring schools.

South Korea, where 83.5 per cent of youngsters are in university, reformed its education system by cutting down the number of exams, reducing the gap between good and not-so-good students, giving schools more freedom in administration and creating a curriculum, as well as decentralising the educational administrative power.

Reform at the higher education level emphasises universities' administrative and academic freedom, while getting the institutions to certify teachers' proficiency and adjusting the teacher-student ratio from 1:24 to 1:12 or 1:15, he added.

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Rotten system discourages quality teachers
By Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation 2011-01-10

There is an adage that the future of students lies in the hands of teachers. But what about teachers - in whose hands do their futures lie?

During the time students spend at school and institutions for higher degrees, teachers may be one of their sources of inspiration. They could also be inspired by their parents, as well as personal goals and their friends. But teachers are there to guide them towards the desired course.

Because of the guidance, a friend of mine, who finished her Mattayom 6 from a Khon Kaen school 25 years ago, still makes contact with one of her high-school teachers.

The teacher is nearly 20 years older, but she understands the nature and potential of all students. Thanks to her openness to new things, as obviously seen through her colourful costumes, she never criticised students' attitudes.

As my friend was quite rebellious and could not stand the strict dress code and other restrictions, this teacher who graduated from Chulalongkorn University strongly recommended her to go to Thammasat University. It was also the teacher who talked her to pursue another foreign language (that was Japanese at the time), after saying that French was a dying language.

Yes, she saw through the student, as she was the only teacher in the French language department. In a way, she had been with the students from Mattayom 4 to 6.

As my friend observed, in class, the teacher prepared her instructions well and she never told students to stay late at school. She never offered to provide a special tuition session after school in return for fees.

My friend recalled that when she was in Mattayom 6, the teacher surprised her by giving special training to two students from the province's most famous school. It felt like a kind of betrayal, my friend said. How could she do that when she never considered doing the same for students at her own school? More importantly, these students would become key rivals in an upcoming university entrance exam.

Only after that did my friend learn that the teacher received a special request from a younger schoolmate who taught at the leading school and considered that these two students deserved better tuition.

My friend had high praise for the teacher because of her decision to pursue another foreign language - German, over 10 years ago. As she said earlier, French is now spoken in fewer countries. She had to undergo an intensive course that spans two years to become a German language teacher. Notably, she had three small children then.

All that surprised my friend. After all these years, why is the teacher is still conducting foreign language classes at the same school? She earns a higher salary and has higher official ranking, but there is no sign she could one day become a school principal, as she is approaching retirement age.

During their recent conversation, the teacher revealed more details in a pained voice. She had passed the relevant test and had extensive experience, plus a Master's Degree, as required. But on seeking to become the principal of a school in the province, she was told she had to pay nearly Bt1 million to the people in charge of promotions.

She knew that those who paid such a sum could make money by admitting extra students to their schools, above the level specified by the Education Ministry. With that money, within a year, she could recoup the sum paid for the higher position.

But the professional teacher thought while she might benefit from this, students were at a disadvantage. We all know that with too many students, teachers have to work harder and efficiency drops. She opted instead to retire with pride than get a higher ranking she had to pay for.

She is disgruntled with the system, and we should feel the same. The system will go on and on, discouraging good but neglected teachers, if our society honours wealth and position above the quality of people.

As National Teachers' Day comes today, we should all think more about the future of our teachers.

Chularat Saengpassa

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Grant scheme aims to reward, motivate quality teachers
By The Nation
2011-01-15

The Education Ministry will hand out Bt10,000 grants to 60,000 exemplary teachers this year.

"We are going to honour and reward dedicated teachers who use good techniques," Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said yesterday.

He said the project, which would cost about Bt681 million, was aimed at motivating good teachers at schools in remote areas.

Chinnaworn said the development of teachers would be the focus of his ministry this year.

"With good teachers, students will be capable, morally sound and happy," he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva added that the government was in the process of giving higher pay and better benefits to teachers.

"We aim to boost their morale," he said, adding that his government had launched various projects to attract capable and public-minded people to the teaching profession.

Abhisit said technology alone could not deliver quality graduates.

"In the past, the technology was not this great but teachers could produce good graduates," he pointed out.

Abhisit reckoned that teachers faced tough challenges because there were now at least 36 students per classroom. "In other countries, the ratio of students to teachers is between 15 and 20 to 1."

He said Thai teachers also conducted classes for between 925 and 1,100 hours each year.

"Teachers in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries teach no more than 818 hours a year," Abhisit said.

The government will urgently tackle problems facing teachers in a bid to deliver quality educational services, the prime minister said.

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Teachers 'need to change first'
By Wannapa Khaopa,
Darapan Kaewmukda
The Nation 2011-01-15

Engaging students in the classroom is paramount to success, say award winners

Many teachers have discovered that making changes in this rapidly changing world is mandatory for success. This notion was proved by Siriporn Manngan from Wang-oikong School, Yuwadee Nuchthrup from Watpaknumfungnua School and Shakrit Hahan from Banrodfai School - who all changed their teaching methods for the sake of their students.

Teachers are honoured on January 16 of every year, and many true teachers use this day as an opportunity to improve themselves.

In 2006, Siriporn discovered that she needed to change her teaching methods because some of her students, who hailed from hilltribes, were having problems learning the Thai language. So Siriporn decided to use Thai characters to spell out words in the students' own language and even started using pictures to get lessons across.

"I'm happy to see both local and hilltribe students get along so well. They play together, learn together and even help each other out with lessons. Earlier, they didn't even notice each other," she said.

Siriporn was given an outstanding teacher award as part of National Teachers Day, which falls on Sunday this year.

"This award makes me proud, but seeing my students grow up as good students is even more invaluable," she said.

Yuwadee, who was also named an outstanding teacher, said her biggest reward is seeing the trust and confidence shining in her students' eyes. She said that despite having been in the profession for more than two decades, she was not afraid of completely changing her teaching methods five years ago. Now she uses instructional media and activities in the classroom.

"My students dare to ask questions and express their opinions openly. They have been paying more attention since I started using cartoon characters and fun activities in my lessons. I have earned better-than-expected feedback from them and have not had to punish a single student this semester.

"Teachers who have been remiss in their duties should apologise and realise that they need to learn from the youngsters. Teachers should be warm towards the children, so they can be open-minded to us too," she explained.

Shakrit, an English-language teacher, said he too had to change for the sake of his students.

Two years ago, he was a boring teacher who only taught from textbooks and lost his temper with naughty or stubborn children. Nowadays, he is calmer and has realised that understanding youngsters and engaging them in fun activities produces the best results. He is also using the latest technology to help his students practise the English language and is connecting them with his friends in the West via Facebook.

"My students are doing a lot better and having a lot more fun in class. I made these changes three or four months ago, after gaining inspiration from Teacher TV, which offered lots of ideas in terms of teaching techniques," he said.

"Teachers need to change their attitude and techniques to get better at their job."

[buriramboy]

The teachers I know aren't keen on teaching but finish their day job as fast as possible trying to use the teaching job to their benefit for personal business needs.
must be some good teachers out there.
maybe the farang teachers!!!!!!!!!

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Bt4bn teacher training project gets green light
By Wannapa Khaopa
The Nation 2011-02-02

The Cabinet yesterday approved a budget of more than Bt4 billion to continue a teacher project aimed at turning out skilled teachers for senior secondary students, Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said.

The project, called the Teacher Professional Development Project, is run by the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology.

The Cabinet approved the third phase of the project. Its first two phases, running since 1996, have produced thousands of qualified mathematics and science teachers.

In the latest phase, to run from 2012 to 2021, there will be 580 students in the mathematics, science and computer fields each year, pursuing master's degrees in their chosen fields, he said.

Thirty of the 580 scholars will be selected to study for doctoral degrees. The remaining 550 will be appointed as teachers and government officers in various schools, Chinnaworn said.

The project has two categories of scholars: premium and super premium.

Scholarships will be offered to 400 students in the premium category. After graduation, they will teach senior secondary students physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computer science in special classrooms under the Basic Education Commission.

The super premium category will fund 180 students. This group will be equipped with English language skills and will teach the same subjects to senior secondary students at 500 of the ministry's "worldclass standard schools", as well as at other schools with English programmes under the Basic Education Commission.

The scholars will also have a chance to do their internship abroad, so as to help them improve their English fluency.

"Of the Bt4.388billion budget, Bt3.933 billion will be spent on scholarships, while Bt455 million will be for the operating budget," the minister said.

"The ministry aims for the project to attract excellent people to be our teachers; to help improve our school students' math, science and computer ability. We also expect the project will help to increase the number of teachers who graduate directly from the fields in which they teach, thus easing the country's teachershortage problem," he said.

As well as approving the budget for the Teacher Professional Development Project, the Cabinet also approved Bt1.3 billion for the Education Ministry to assist its floodaffected agencies. About Bt1.1 billion will go to the Basic Education Commission, Bt66 million to the ministry's Office of the Permanent Secretary and Bt65 million to the Higher Education Commission, the minister said.

[redrover]

Universal. Salary is one thing, and should be expected upon merit and worth. Better idea to train future teachers decent, as teacher education and preparedness is quite universally poor worldwide.