Foreign teachers need to be careful about choosing to work at a private school anywhere in Asia, because private schools are businesses first and educational institutions second. Many are unscrupulous and some are actually criminal. And here in Thailand, some are criminal according to even the vaguest Thai legal standards.

The teacher fire drill is a wonderful example of this. Fire drills are performed by a school when there is to be an inspection of that institution by a certain government department. Fire drills are not usually performed to allow people to practice their escape routes from burning buildings. That would be just silly.

The government department sends inspectors - upright and callously righteous inspectors of course - to inspect the employment records of teachers currently working at licensed schools to verify and validate the records of all concerned. But this only happens after a phone call to the school a few hours before the Inspectors arrive. This allows the school enough time to safely clear the airfield of teachers who are, well, neither above-board or on the board or even on the books at all. Being as happily corrupt as street walkers, as too many private schools are, someone has to pay tea money to someone in a monitoring position to stay in business. Welcome to Amazing Thailand.

We had a government fire drill last Friday. Five teachers vanished in the middle of their classes. One, a Brit teaching Matayom Physics at level 3, actually atomized. Another, a Dutch PE teacher, sprinted from the pitch in mid whistle-blow and broke a world record that is sadly never to be recognized. The locations of the other three were only clearly described in the negative afterwards, being declared either ‘not here’ or ‘whereabouts unknown’.

Here are the other ironies of it. There must be some teachers on the books to satisfy the understandable need for inspectors to justify their own jobs and keep the income streaming for all involved. Each of these teachers ideally has a degree and permit. They pay taxes. They follow the rules. Because the order of the law is for some, as maligned and incomprehensible as it often is in the West.

But others do not follow the rules, and for understandable reasons. These teachers lurk in the shadows. They don't pay taxes and of course that means they take home more pay. Don't even fret about the higher rate of pay that these artful dodgers receive. Cash is easier to hide in Thailand than a blackbird at midnight, and since some employees are paid cash, they are invisible and entirely loved by the administration staff. It keeps things simple.

And these illegal aliens skirting the law now get a day off from a fire drill - with pay! And you have to teach their classes while they head to the pub. And that’s in addition to the two day vacations they get every ninety days when they make a visa run and pretend to be tourists in perpetuity nauseum.

Come Monday, all is just swell again. The government department is happy, the school is happy, and everyone is happy - except the legal teachers, of course.
They know what happened. All is well nonetheless. It is sabai-sabai in its purest form.

My advice is to just have a good time, and keep your head down. Otherwise, you'll have to phone the parents and explain that things are so screwed up that you can't even begin to explain, and when you get home it will take a week just to remember what happened.

I'm not going to break my contract over it. I'm in Rome and do as the Romans do...after all, it doesn't mean that I am a part of the problem.

Does it?

Happy Jack

Why do some/many university degree holders think that people without a degree are not qualified to teach the English language? I don`t have a degree but I`m a native English speaker and I am TESL/TEFL certified. I`ve been teaching the English language for 7 years at all levels and students love me and think I`m a great language teacher. I didn`t have to learn the English language and then learn how to teach it, I only needed to learn how to teach the English language. I can`t see how I would need 3 years of study to do that. However, if I did go to university for three years or more I think I would aspire for a higher calling. There are more than 1 billion people in the world studying how to speak English so I think there`s plenty of room for us all. Pretty soon a person will need a degree to flip burgers at McDonalds if some people have their way. I wish the academics would get off their high horse and chill out a bit I think the thin air at high altitudes affects their grasp of reality. Live and let live.

D. Robinson

There seemed to be a time when 30-40,000 baht a month salaries were the norm, and I suppose like many teachers I felt that things were only going to get better. But what's going on in Thailand? We seem to be going backwards in terms of salaries on offer (at least from what I see on the ajarn jobs page and on other Thailand TEFL sites) Most positions seem to now be in the 20-30,000 baht a month bracket, How on earth do these schools think teachers survive on such a pittance? Oh yeah, we still earn four times the salary of a local Thai. I forgot that. But seriously, how are these schools offering 20K a month or 300 baht an hour managing to stay in business? Surely even the backpackers who desperately need the price of a ticket home won't work for that.

Martin Chilvers

Dear Phil: So what exactly is your point? I understand that you make your living by selling advertising to several agencies and schools that curcumvent the law by using bribery and corruption, but does that mean that you condone these illegal activities? I really hate to bandy words or split hairs with you but, if you check the official Thailand Immigration Office and M.O.E. websites you will find that in fact although a minimum of a Bachelors degree is sufficient to obtain a work permit and licence to teach in Thailand, IT MUST BE fortified by an E.S.L. certificate or it's equivilant.

But I digress. In your efforts to defend your major client base you seem to have missed the major points of my letter entirely. Please pay attention while I reiterate. Please understand that although I feel very strongly about this topic, I am not seeking any reaction to my statements.

1. Just because a person can obtain false documentation, it is not legal to use the same. I can purchase a forged passport in this country as well. Does that mean it would be legal for me to use it for international travel?

2. Working at any job that you are not qualified for, at a reduced rate of pay, only serves to lower standards and take money and opportunity from qualified personnel.

3. I am trying to point out the folly of accepting less for substandard and illegal services when the legal market will bear more. Thats just stupid business in any field.

4. If a portion of us teachers must adhere to the letter of the law I believe it's only fair to expect that all of us do so. Raphaella isn't doing anyone a service by his/her misguided efforts. If there wasn't an illegal method to legitimise unqualified teachers and help them break the law to find work than wages, and conditions, would go up for those that are qualified. (Again, basic business, grade 1 page 2)

Finally Phil, I would like to ask you personally a couple of questions. Firstly, if I should look a "prat" for trying to be a good citizen, upholding legal ideals, paying my taxes and reporting any and all crimes of which I may have knowledge, then what does collaborating with and defending said law-breakers make yourself?

I have noticed that you tend to get your hakles up in defence of unqualified teachers quite often and as a media host I'm sure you are aware of the age-old sayings that; a) "there is no such thing as bad press" and b)"controversy sells papers". So... My second question to you is this. Are you posting your reply to my letter "just to get a bit of a reaction"?

I understand you have the ultimate, god-envying-like power to forego printing this reply regardless of these two common slogans but, do you have the human fortitude, (read balls), to recognise my right to rebutal and do so anyway? Judging by some of your previous blogs, somehow I think not.

Phil (ajarn.com) says - Dear David. Well, I printed your second letter as well but I'm going to call it a day there if you don't mind and we'll agree to disagree. Oh by the way, just because several hours passed and your second letter didn't get posted, doesn't mean I was ignoring you. I was just busy doing something else. So there was really no need for the vile follow-up letter which threatened me with actual physical harm.........was there? Obviously I can't put something so depraved on the website because there might be families watching. But I'll keep it anyway.

David

In response to Raphaella (Postbox 18th June) I do not usually post on blogsites, but your letter infuriated me to such a degree that I feel I must respond. You bring up numerous points of contention that I feel must be addressed.

1. You expound on how you, and several of your colleagues, are currently working in Issarn without degrees. You go on to state that, as we all know, in Thailand it is "not what you know but who you know". I'm so glad you recognise that there is a corrupt system in this country, but I regret to inform you that you, and your friends, are not "legally working" in Thailand!! The law in Thailand clearly states that ALL foreign teachers MUST possess a MINIMUM Bachelors degree and an E.S.L. certificate. Just because your agency or school has the "connections" to get you an "illegal" Non-Im B, a teachers licence and a work permit does not mean that they are "legally employing teachers without degree certificates". In point of fact they are doing the exact opposite!

2. You continue by saying that "the salary you receive is low in comparison..." DUH!!! You are not qualified. Why should you be paid a comparable wage to someone who is? Would you pay a plumber to perform bad surgery at the same rate as a qualified surgeon?

3. You further state that because the "level of English is extremely low" in the North East and there is a "huge shortage of teachers it's possible to teach legally without a degree." NO IT IS NOT!! Again, please see point #2 regarding corruption. This year, 2011, the Thai governments mandate is to have "at least one N.E.S. teacher for every government school in Thailand." To that end, they have allocated 60,000 Thai Baht per teacher to all government schools. As long as there are unqualified people such as yourself and your friends willing to work for stipends, and break the law, the corrupt schools and agencies will continue to pocket the difference and your "friends" teaching without fake degrees will continue to find it "harder to find employment"

Your letter contains a list of grammatical, punctuation and spelling mistakes too numerous to count. I dread the thought of "unteaching" the bad habits you are instilling in your students, although it wouldn't be the first time I've encountered this.

In conclusion. Your misguided activities continue to foster a corrupt system and hamper those of us that are actually qualified from finding gainfull employment. I implore you to cease and desist your illegal actions forthwith. Once we have finally expunged people like yourself from teaching illegally in Thailand, maybe we can begin to actually raise the level of education in this country. I only wish that I knew the name of your school/agency so that I could report your lawless ways and have you deported! Do you even pay taxes?

Phil (ajarn.com) says - David, you say that you don't usually post on blog sites. Well, after reading the above, I can certainly understand why. I'm guessing that you posted the letter just to get a bit of a reaction. I certainly hope that's the case. Where do I start? Firstly, you harp on about Raphaella's contribution containing numerous spelling mistakes. To be honest my man - so did yours. Secondly, a TEFL certificate has never ever been a legal requirement for a teaching job in Thailand. I'm sure it does you no harm when you are applying for jobs, but it's not a legal requirement. In addition, there are still certain teaching jobs that do not require a degree. And as for the last line "I wish that I could contact your employer and have you deported" - well, that just makes you look a prat. Nuff said.

David

Phil from Ajarn.com has commented about the number of letters he receives that are indecipherable. As Ajarn is a dedicated teacher's site one can only assume that these letters are sent in by existing or prospective teachers in Thailand. Speaks volumes for the literacy of some candidates.

We get applications from prospective teachers all the time, often accompanied by obviously fake degrees. (The most amusing example had the word "Registrar" spelled as "register" on the alleged degree certificate.) Basic spelling mistakes and horrendous grammatical errors give them away every time. Even International schools commit howlers. A position for a "Librarian" was advertised as "liberian" leading me to wonder whether the vacancy required a native of West Africa. Is it any wonder that Thais can't write a basic English sentence yet alone a paragraph when their foreign teachers can't either?

Rob

If you are going to send a letter to the ajarn.com postbox, please make an effort with the grammar, spelling and punctuation. And please make it straightforward and easy to understand. We've had several letters sent in over the last few days but I haven't been able to use any of them. If I take a look at the spelling, grammar and punctuation and work out that I have to literally re-write the letter from scratch - sorry, but it won't get used.

Philip (Ajarn.com)

Regarding the letter I wrote two days ago, about the school in Chaiyapum, I have just today had a meeting with my farang manager from the same school. He has gone to school as normal this morning, to be told, he too will not be teaching his lessons the same as me. He contacted the MD of our company, who has since talked to the director of the school. The director of the school informed our MD, he was able to re-instate all the foreign teachers at the school. But he also admitted the Thai teachers involved in this farce, would make the foreign teachers life a living hell. Please don't reply with any stupid comments, stating we ALL must have done something terribly wrong. Three experienced teachers of some years, cannot ALL be wrong. It makes me sick to my stomach, Thais can get away with the kind of behavior. Common sense is not very common in Thailand.

"I think it's time to draw a line under this. Not because the story isn't worth hearing but we have the ajarn discussion forum, which is the best place for ongoing updates and posts, etc. I think the story would definitely be better served on the forum"

Mr. Russell Park

I am one of those teacers over 50 years old but I am fortunate to have a teaching position. Thailand is missing out on excellent experienced teachers with this totally illogical restriction. I expected Asia to revere those of us who have many years of life experience but that's not the case. Letter writers to the ajarn Postbox are also correct in saying that the younger teachers are often not prepared and lack true commitment for teaching.It's the children who get short changed.

beinaj

I am the colleague of Mr. Keith Evans, who wrote the letter (Ajarn Postbox 2nd July 2011) regarding 'Thai teachers from Hell'

Can I first say, what Keith has written is a very mild version of our experience. The town itself is very beautiful and the local people very warm and welcoming. Keith and I both settled down quickly and were looking forward to a good and long stay in our new school. Now that we have both left the school because of some of the reasons Keith has mentioned, I have since discovered through my farang manager at the school that the school has never managed to keep English teachers for more than one semester. You have to ask yourself if that is the case, Why? As you can imagine Keith and I found out within 5 weeks.

Regarding the comment following Keith's letter, all I can say is obviously your time in Thailand as a teacher has been a very nice one. And I am very happy for you and glad to hear that from someone has had a good 20 years experience here. But if you dig a little deeper, you will realize LOTS of teachers haven't been so fortunate.

I came here to work, help, and try and make a difference for Thai children. Thailand is not in the G8, it is still a very young country when it comes to education. It is ranked 81st in the world regarding IQ levels, only African states are below them. So when you get people coming here to help, surely as a nation you should meet them half way. We know Thai culture is different than ours, which means our culture is different from theirs. So while we are trying to learn Thia culture, Thais should try and learn ours.

Keith and I did not do anything wrong at this school, as someone has tried to imply. We are not farangs off bar stools in Pattaya, Keith has taught here for 7 years and in my opinion is one of the best English teachers I've meet. There's only one group of people going to suffer because of this outcome - the students themselves, who I might add are very upset at what as taken place. We both feel sick to our bones over this matter. I am even thinking of leaving Thailand and going back home. If you are an educated person you will realize these aren't the feelings of two grown men that don't care.

Mr. Russell Park