What damage exactly?

The damage that unqualified foreign teachers do to the Thai system is minimal. All the damage is done by the Thais themselves. When they can't produce a curriculum written in English, can't provide basic resources and can't teach their kids to read English to a basic level in Pratom, what hope have we got - qualified or not?

There are schools out there who know what they are doing. Demonstration schools, many international schools know how to teach but this knowledge is not shared at the government school level.

I challenge any fully qualified teacher to teach in a rural govenrment school where 80% can't read and class sizes are in excess of 40 plus. Similarly put an unqualified teacher in a motivated class of 20 in an international school with training, the kids are still going to learn.

I personally know Raphaella (the teacher coming under attack in previous letters) She is outgoing, confident and works hard to give her students a good education. The problem is she teaches 15 classes of 50 plus kids once a week - the vast majority unable to read basic English.

You are wrong to think there is a budget available of 60,000 baht per teacher open to schools. Isaan doesn't need more qualified foreign teachers, it needs to set realistic standards, teach Pratom kids to read and most of all there needs to be a reason for kids to learn English up here.

Peelie


Read more letters

Send your letter to Ajarn.com



Featured Jobs

Coaching English Teacher

฿47,000+ / month

Bangkok


Coaching English Teacher

฿47,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES Teachers

฿34,000+ / month

Songkhla


NES English Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Pathum Thani


NES Lead Teacher

฿15,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES Grade 4 Math and Science Teacher

฿40,000+ / month

Chiang Mai


Featured Teachers

  • Bruce


    Canadian, 59 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Sean


    American, 43 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Terrance


    American, 54 years old. Currently living in USA

  • Artem


    Russian, 34 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Ben


    British, 40 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Daniel


    American, 43 years old. Currently living in Thailand

The Hot Spot


The Region Guides

The Region Guides

Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.