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Concerning plagiarism and copying

2nd August 2010

I am responding to a letter from Mike concerning cheating, plagiarism, and copying.
That has been a problem here as long as I have been here and long before that. I hate to be the barer of bad news, but every teacher I know of has tried to stop it, including myself, with no success. Only to be labeled as trying to force our western ways on the students. That is the way the heads of schools and Thai teachers got their “education”. (sic) So, they are not about to do anything about it. If they couldn’t copy good enough to get a good score, money sure would.
I am not one to give advise, but once you accept Thailand’s education system the way it is and teach the ones that want to learn,(which are the only ones you can teach anyway), you’ll do just fine. In other words, roll with the punches. You’ll surely sleep a lot better at night That doesn’t make it right I know, but that is the way it is. Welcome to Thailand.

Ralph Sasser

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About Ajarn.com

Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.

Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.