Some comments in the Thai press today about the quality of English teachers compared to those employed in other Asean countries. Malaysia topped the list as the best in South East Asia, with Thailand coming well behind Vietnam and Indonesia. Sunantaa, who teaches in the local primary school, agrees.
Surprised that Singapore and Brunei were not mentioned. Statistics are not easy to verify on the internet and Thai newspapers sometimes put an odd spin on figures. We both thought that these two countries have higher English language skills than are being reported.
At primary and secondary level, most teachers are Thai nationals and are not particularly fluent in English, seldom having even visited an English speaking country.
Many English speaking expats and visitors are teaching illegally
Those expats that are appointed by the schools and universities must have work permits and have passed an examination acceptable to the Thai authorities showing competence in teaching a foreign language. Even then, their abilities are questionable.
The standards set for testing those thinking of teaching English as a foreign language are not very high. There are some exceptionally good teachers but there are also those who should never be allowed near a classroom. The résumés of some of the candidates are full of spelling and grammatical errors.
Many expats, particularly when they first arrive, try their hand at teaching. Some volunteer their services even when they have no permit. Technically even unpaid work requires a permit, but blind eyes are turned. Backpackers wanting to earn some money as they travel around the continent often do a spell in the classroom. Many excel and make a worthwhile contribution.
The consensus though is that Thailand falls behind in the English teaching stakes overall and there needs to be a more serious review of the system compared with other countries in the Asean group.
It is not good to have a poorly educated population. Not good for democracy for one thing. The better educated a population is; the more likely the electorate will understand the policies of political parties and challenge their manifestos and actual performance.
Better training for teachers and improving fluency standards are long overdue. The people of countries such as Thailand need to rekindle a longing for education and not be fearful of voting for improved standards in their schools.
