Government Schools

Teaching in Issan

Sent in by Man in Issan

10th August 2011

The letters about teaching in Issan without degrees are wide of the mark. For one thing Issan isn't the "out in the sticks" place that it used to be.

The great Isaan teacher shortage

Sent in by Bob The Black Poet

9th August 2011

The reality is that there is a severe shortage of teachers up there in Iassan and schools, in a state of almost desperation, will bend the rules to hire teachers. That's the reality of life in poor areas.

English for integrated studies

Its implications for Thailand’s foreign teaching industry

17th February 2011

In 2009, the Ministry of Education promoted the so-called "World-Class Standard Schools" to 500 pilot schools in Thailand. It aims to encourage schools in promoting critical thinking, creativity and global-mindedness among the students by adding four co-curricular subjects

Back to school

A brief overview of primary and secondary schools in Thailand

1st June 2008

There are three main kinds of schools in Thailand: government schools, private schools and international schools. Internationals schools are the most expensive, with average yearly fees ranging from 200,000 to 600,000 baht, depending on the quality and reputation of the school.

A Thai student’s diary

What it feels like to be a Thai student studying English in school

1st August 2007

A foreign teacher contacted ajarn wanting to share a diary that one of his English program students had written. Although the student is only a youngster, the diary is a very frank account of what it's like to study at a Thai school. Top work!

Full-time teacher, part-time thief

Light-fingered shenanigans in the teachers' room

1st August 2007

Don’t start thinking that these highly skilled education professionals resort to stealing luxury cars or become successful pickpockets in busy Bangkok. It’s much simpler and a lot less lucrative than that: some ‘teachers’ seem to think there’s nothing wrong with nicking books and teaching materials from the schools they work at. In a few cases teachers have even run off with computers, but let’s focus on the issue of disappearing books because that’s my main reason for writing this article.

Naive and ignorant

6th July 2007

So, who thinks that all western teachers can teach with the same standards, convictions and work ethic? Do you think that someone with degrees in education can’t teach more proficiently than someone with a degree in engineering?

The academic debate

Does a degree make a good teacher?

1st February 2007

Now what if a teacher has a degree, but no teaching certificate? Would that be okay? Probably. What about having just a teaching certificate and no degree? Maybe. What about no qualifications at all but a lot of experience? Possibly. And finally, what about schools hiring people with no qualifications whatsoever and no experience, would that go well? There’s the odd chance that it might, but I doubt it.