I’m so glad I decided I’m leaving Thailand and going to teach in Japan instead. The only people Thailand is going to end up keeping are the unqualified teachers who can’t teach anywhere else, if they keep instituting these ridiculous new certification courses. Most Thai teachers don’t know how to teach properly to help their students compete with the international world, so why would Thailand keep doing everything they can to force good farang teachers to leave Thailand? Makes no sense!
Phil,
I have already told my editor about this at EL Gazette so hopefully there’ll be an article coming from me that will research this and put it out in the public domain where it belongs.
I have also opened a thread on the forum so others get to hear about it - http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/the-staffroom/47008-re-breaking-news-about-the-new-teaching-licence-applications-for-2010-a.html#post1326157
Thanks for the heads up about calling the number but it would be an exercise in navel gazing for me as my experience before is that cold calling asking for verification of facts in Thailand is like asking a mafia hitman to admit what he had for breakfast! The words “mai mee rapitchop” spring to mind!! Lol
Tom
Interesting stuff Bob. I notice that there’s even a phone number where you can call and ask for more information. Might be worth it in the name of research Tom? Of course we’ve all phoned these government organisations before and it’s been a lesson in sheer frustration. So with that in mind, I’ll wish you the very best of British luck.
Ok Bob,
this does look more interesting and the name is different - “Testing of Teaching Profession Knowledge for Foreign Teachers”. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
I wonder what this means for a lot of chalkies in the kingdom? Anybody got any further information?
Tom
Jenny,
I think most people would agree with you. Although at this stage it’s still too early to say whether this is anything new - it could just be “new wine in old bottles” if you know what I mean.
It’s always been this way since I’ve been here and is one of the main reasons why farangs get so disgruntled: either they get a complete lack of information, the information comes from nowhere and hits them for six, or the information is very complex and seems to contradict itself at every major point!
What would it be like to have the information clearly, in good time for the changes to take place slowly, and a forum to discuss the changes with complete impunity! Ok…umm…wake up…where was I? Oh yeah…(must’ve been dreaming and nodded off for a minute!!)
No doubt it’ll all be revealed in due course. Only time will tell.
Thanks for your comments.
Tom
By Tom Tuohy, Bangkok on 2010-01-14