Farangs need to pass "Thainess" course to get teacher license

[Cent]

Bangkok:- To get a teachers’ license in Thailand, foreigners must first take a 21-hour course on Thainess and Thai education laws.

Prof Dr Paitoon Sinlarat, who heads the Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT), says the course is mandatory for any foreigner who is interested in taking a teaching job here.

“We have required them to take this course because Thai culture and theirs are completely different,” he says.

According to him, the course is a must even to foreigners who have already got a teacher’s license from their home country.

“For those who have already been a licensed teacher in their homeland, they take just the 21-hour course. For those who have never got a license from their homeland, they must take a longer course,” Paitoon explains.

He adds that the longer course covers a total of 42 hours, with content spanning from Thainess, to Thai laws, to Thai education concepts, to Thai educational psychology, and to educational evaluation.

Paitoon says in the past, only two universities were authorized to conduct such courses. However, the TCT has now decided to make these courses available at more facilities.

“Other universities should contact the TCT now if they want to organize such courses. They can even arrange the training in collaboration with schools,” he says.

The TCT has made these courses on Thainess mandatory for foreign teachers despite loud complaints from international schools, which lament that the courses make it even harder to recruit foreigners to teaching jobs.

 

[Cent]

Bangkok:- To get a teachers’ license in Thailand, foreigners must first take a 21-hour course on Thainess and Thai education laws.

Prof Dr Paitoon Sinlarat, who heads the Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT), says the course is mandatory for any foreigner who is interested in taking a teaching job here.

“We have required them to take this course because Thai culture and theirs are completely different,” he says.

According to him, the course is a must even to foreigners who have already got a teacher’s license from their home country.

“For those who have already been a licensed teacher in their homeland, they take just the 21-hour course. For those who have never got a license from their homeland, they must take a longer course,” Paitoon explains.

He adds that the longer course covers a total of 42 hours, with content spanning from Thainess, to Thai laws, to Thai education concepts, to Thai educational psychology, and to educational evaluation.

Paitoon says in the past, only two universities were authorized to conduct such courses. However, the TCT has now decided to make these courses available at more facilities.

“Other universities should contact the TCT now if they want to organize such courses. They can even arrange the training in collaboration with schools,” he says.

The TCT has made these courses on Thainess mandatory for foreign teachers despite loud complaints from international schools, which lament that the courses make it even harder to recruit foreigners to teaching jobs.

And I heard the farang teachers and wannabes will be paying for this course from their own pocket.

 

[Voodoo]

Bangkok:- To get a teachers’ license in Thailand, foreigners must first take a 21-hour course on Thainess and Thai education laws.

Prof Dr Paitoon Sinlarat, who heads the Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT), says the course is mandatory for any foreigner who is interested in taking a teaching job here.

“We have required them to take this course because Thai culture and theirs are completely different,” he says.

According to him, the course is a must even to foreigners who have already got a teacher’s license from their home country.

“For those who have already been a licensed teacher in their homeland, they take just the 21-hour course. For those who have never got a license from their homeland, they must take a longer course,” Paitoon explains.

He adds that the longer course covers a total of 42 hours, with content spanning from Thainess, to Thai laws, to Thai education concepts, to Thai educational psychology, and to educational evaluation.

Paitoon says in the past, only two universities were authorized to conduct such courses. However, the TCT has now decided to make these courses available at more facilities.

“Other universities should contact the TCT now if they want to organize such courses. They can even arrange the training in collaboration with schools,” he says.

The TCT has made these courses on Thainess mandatory for foreign teachers despite loud complaints from international schools, which lament that the courses make it even harder to recruit foreigners to teaching jobs.

Good luck to the schools here trying to keep qualified teachers on staff.. especially qualified English teachers which the Thai kids here, desperately need.. My wife and I met the English teacher at our local school in the village.. Her command of English was less then rudimentary. It was hard for us to believe that she was the head English teacher for the school.. And will someone please explain to me just what Thainess is? I am so glad I don't have any kids in school here..

 

[isanbirder]

They have to learn Thai education concepts, psychology, and evaluation.

In other words, aspiring foreign teachers have to learn to teach badly before they are allowed in!

 

[Voodoo]

They have to learn Thai education concepts, psychology, and evaluation.

In other words, aspiring foreign teachers have to learn to teach badly before they are allowed in!

Somehow I just have this feeling that I can't shake off.. It's that the Thais really don't want us here anymore.. Thailand is for the Thais and no one else.. If you take a look at what's happening here, with education and couple it with what's going on with immigration it's starting to look that way.. They're not, openly, telling us to leave but they are making it more and more difficult for the farang to remain here.. This reminds me of what went on in Japan when I was there in the 1980s.. The old guard was afraid that they were losing their culture to western influence.. I think the same thing is happening here IMHO.. I hope I'm wrong..

 

[razor]

from my understanding a thainess course would teach you to have no understanding of your own country, to believe in superstition, image is better than truth, to tolerate social sickness, be blind to the truth and smooth problems over instead of addressing them directly.

 

[AussieBill]

I guess foreign teachers need to understand 'Thainess' so they know all the strange behaviours that they are trying to wean students away from!

 

[Ivor the Engine]

Think they want the "quality" Chinese here still.

 

[Coffee]

Somehow I just have this feeling that I can't shake off.. It's that the Thais really don't want us here anymore.. Thailand is for the Thais and no one else.. If you take a look at what's happening here, with education and couple it with what's going on with immigration it's starting to look that way.. They're not, openly, telling us to leave but they are making it more and more difficult for the farang to remain here.. This reminds me of what went on in Japan when I was there in the 1980s.. The old guard was afraid that they were losing their culture to western influence.. I think the same thing is happening here IMHO.. I hope I'm wrong..

It's always good to have Plan B if you're not a Thai citizen.

The old guard clearly understands that they have lost quite a bit of control that can clearly be attributed to western influences , perceived meddling and processes of thought / thinking.

A current simple perception is that if you have the right amount of money sitting in a Thai bank , invested in a Thai company or have the required minimum of validated income moving through from your foreign pipeline into a Thai bank then you are more than welcome though you [obviously] lack the required 'Thainess'.

Is there a problem, [comrade] //flag

 

[Rice]

It's always good to have Plan B if you're not a Thai citizen.

The old guard clearly understands that they have lost quite a bit of control that can clearly be attributed to western influences , perceived meddling and processes of thought / thinking.

A current simple perception is that if you have the right amount of money sitting in a Thai bank , invested in a Thai company or have the required minimum of validated income moving through from your foreign pipeline into a Thai bank then you are more than welcome though you [obviously] lack the required 'Thainess'.

Is there a problem, [comrade] //flag

I have just seen the Thainess light Coffee. You put it so eloquent. Thainess is not a state of mind it is more a state of financial equity. The more money you have the more Thai-ness you possess.

 

[Coffee]

BINGO ! Good on you for seeing the light - hallelujah !

 

[Voodoo]

It's always good to have Plan B if you're not a Thai citizen.

The old guard clearly understands that they have lost quite a bit of control that can clearly be attributed to western influences , perceived meddling and processes of thought / thinking.

A current simple perception is that if you have the right amount of money sitting in a Thai bank , invested in a Thai company or have the required minimum of validated income moving through from your foreign pipeline into a Thai bank then you are more than welcome though you [obviously] lack the required 'Thainess'.

Is there a problem, [comrade] //flag

That may be very true.. but there are many who cannot pay the escalating price.. Also it does get to the point where the amount of Bribes, Tea Money, whatever you want to call it coupled with the amount of BS that you have to put up with outweighs the advantages of staying here.. That's what I feel they're pushing for.. They know that the farang is here to stay.. They just want to thin out the herd and have as few as possible..

 

[CO-CO]

And I heard the farang teachers and wannabes will be paying for this course from their own pocket.

I heard the need for "Farang" teachers to attend a course on Thai culture is not a new thing. The requirement has been around for at least 6 years. The only thing is that they keep changing the content.

Also some private companies set up their own and scammed a lot of people out of money. Basically they started a course and gave out certificates. The certificates were rejected by the teachers council. The courses were then suspended. Only Dusit Rajapat were allowed to do the course. This led to complaints from teachers who live far from Bangkok. So the course is now back and being held in different areas. It is a revamp rather than a new idea.

The post about the teachers having to pay for the course themselves is another point. It is up to the school. I am told that a few schools that have footed the bill for the teachers.

Not saying I agree with so-called Thainess tests (especially when the standard of Thai teaching is piss-poor), just saying that I don't think it is new.

 

[gotlost]

I heard the need for "Farang" teachers to attend a course on Thai culture is not a new thing. The requirement has been around for at least 6 years. The only thing is that they keep changing the content.

Also some private companies set up their own and scammed a lot of people out of money. Basically they started a course and gave out certificates. The certificates were rejected by the teachers council. The courses were then suspended. Only Dusit Rajapat were allowed to do the course. This led to complaints from teachers who live far from Bangkok. So the course is now back and being held in different areas. It is a revamp rather than a new idea.

The post about the teachers having to pay for the course themselves is another point. It is up to the school. I am told that a few schools that have footed the bill for the teachers.

Not saying I agree with so-called Thainess tests (especially when the standard of Thai teaching is piss-poor), just saying that I don't think it is new.

Its not. Introduced in 2003. http://www.tlslanguageschool.com/20-hour-thai-culture-course

 

[CO-CO]

That may be very true.. but there are many who cannot pay the escalating price.. Also it does get to the point where the amount of Bribes, Tea Money, whatever you want to call it coupled with the amount of BS that you have to put up with outweighs the advantages of staying here.. That's what I feel they're pushing for.. They know that the farang is here to stay.. They just want to thin out the herd and have as few as possible..

To the best of my knowledge I have never paid a bribe. I admit to the occasional payment of tea money _ have even been known to leave tips.

There would have to be a lot more BS for things to get even close to out-weighing the advantages of staying here.

I also think I have missed the escalation in the cost of being granted permission to stay here... as far as I am aware it is still 1,900 Baht for an extension and 3,800 Baht for a multiple re-entry permit. The only increase I have seen is the British Embassy charge for a simple income letter, now 2,440 Baht.

It is still free to visit here for 30 days, unlike Laos $35, Cambodia $30 (but you will likely be extorted for more) and the UK $95.

 

[westofhere]

I took the culture course 7 years ago which is/was approved by the TCT. In the past 7 years I have logged in over 5,000 teaching hours, same school, same program. I would think by now i would know a little bit about 'Thainess", but who am I to say. I may or may not have to take the new "Thainess" course along with my other colleagues who have not taken it. Still waiting for clarity on this one which is typical.

From my own personal experience I will sum it up this way. The TCT is always changing its criteria, so a qualified teacher, who has been teaching legally for many years can suddenly become "unqualified" with a stroke of a pen. Why? TIT.

My son is 6 years old, and i have him in a private school. With all this talk of passing a 'Thainess" course in order to teach, I think parents really need to push school administrators to do background checks on teachers to make sure our children are safe as well as qualified to teach the subject which they are hired for, but of course, what does that have to do with "Thainess".