Teachers’ licenses - laws and links
All the rules and regs regarding teacher licences
Many thanks to Ajarn Forum member, Stamp, for supplying the following links to information on the complex topic of teacher licenses - and how you can teach legally in Thailand.
As of 2008, The Royal Thai Immigration Bureau has adopted the requirements set by The Teachers' Council of Thailand in Police Order 777/2551.
As of the beginning of 2011, The Ministry of Labour, Department of Employment adopted similar requirements when applying for an initial work permit or a work permit renewal.
The Teachers' Council of Thailand requires that applicants for a teacher license hold a degree in education or equivalent.
The Teachers' Council of Thailand distinguishes 3 routes when applying for a teacher license. 1) Degree in Education or equivalent, 2) Successfully completed the TCT Professional Knowledge Tests or 3) Possessing of foreign of teaching credentials.
Teachers can sit the Professional Knowledge Tests when they hold a bachelor degree or equivalent.
The employer of a teacher who doesn't meet the TCT requirements yet, can apply for a provisional teaching permit. Such a permit is granted for 2 years.
Please note:
- The provisional teaching permit is actually a permission to the employer to employ the teacher. When leaving the employer, the teacher has to apply for a new provisional teaching permit.
- Having personal experience with new teachers in our school, the TCT knows which schools and teachers they've granted a provisional teaching permit in the past.
- The first provisional teaching permits were granted at the beginning of 2008. It is reported that when applying for a second provisional teaching permit the employer/ employee must show progression in meeting the TCT requirements.
Comments
One of my friends has today been issued with a work permit without him having a Teachers Licence and only a tourist visa.
The Teachers Council of Thailand themselves telephoned his school and told them how to do this as he does not hold a degree.
They said the school should change the wording of his contract so that it does not say he is being employed as ‘a teacher’ but as ‘a native speaker’, and that he is paid hourly not as a full time salaried employee.
His school did this today and his work permit was issued without question.
Has anyone else heard of this.
By Richard B, NakhonRatchasima on 2012-05-21
I am teaching here in Thailand since 2 ½ years. I already have my “Thai culture and professional ethics course” and would like to register for the “ Professional knowledge test. On the webpage of the Teachers’ Council of Thailand., there is a nice .pdf document explaining how to proceed and register. Problem is the topic “ Application for Testing of teaching profession Knowledge…” is nowhere to be found. Has anybody registered and could help me find this form?
By Soreia, Lampang on 2012-01-22
Do I have to pass that test if I have an equivalent education, TEFL certificate and more than one year experience of freelance guitar teaching?
By Konstantin, Russia, Krasnoyarsk on 2011-10-03
When and where is the next Professional Knowledge Test?
By Bob, Bangkok on 2011-09-06
Having fulfilled all the requirements and hold the TCT liecense. I have Just walked away from a nice school, because the agency (First time working for an agency), who offered me, what I believed to be the correct documents (normally 2 weeks for work permit issue and registering with SS etc., ) I found all the other ‘teachers’ were on tourist visas, and held nothing! and then to find out that the agency was deducting ‘tax’ and work guarantee money, because it knew that it couldn’t supply the WP etc., and these other teachers wouldn’t say anything due to the legal nature of their situations. And the school stated thats nothing last year the teachers went on strike as they hadn’t been paid for 3 months from another agency! So what is the point of trying to do it right in the first place? when you can get a job anyway!
By Mr. Peter, Bangkok on 2011-08-20