• 
• 

Published on March 17, 2008

Amrung Chantavanich, the secretary-general of the Office of the Education Council, recently revealed the findings of a survey conducted by the council and the Unesco Institute for Statistics, which showed that, in general, Thailand's educational standard was at a satisfactory level compared to similar countries.

For instance, the attendance rate of Thai children attending primary school was very high. The attendance rate of Thai middle-school students (measured in 2006) was 89 per cent, compared to a world average of 79. Thai high-school students had an attendance rate of 65 per cent, compared to a world average of 51. Meanwhile, the attendance rate of Thai college students - 41 per cent - was still considered acceptable.

The survey also showed that the proportion of Thai college graduates aged 25 to 34 rose steadily from 2002 to 2006.

However, Thailand did not fare well when it came to the competitive scores of its universities. Over the same period, Thai universities scored competitive rates of 4.43, 4.79, 4.97, 4.9 and 5.28 out of 10. Although the rate steadily rose during this period, the score was not quite satisfactory.

The findings mean that the quantity of graduates may not be reflected in quality. With the increasing number of schools and universities, the standards of each school and college varies.

The question then becomes how to improve the quality side of the education system. The result shows only the competitive rates of the universities; success in improving education requires reforms throughout the entire system.

Teachers play an important role. The Office of the Education Council found that Thai teachers in general faced greater burdens compared to the international standard.

For instance, Thai classrooms are larger than others, with classes of 50 students or more.

Thai teachers also have to teach longer hours and their salary is pretty low compared to the qualifications they are required to attain for this important profession.

Another survey conducted by the council and published in its journal reflected this fact. The survey reflected public perception towards teachers in general. It showed that the most common perceptions of teachers are their determination to teach and dedication to their profession (29.7 per cent of respondents said they had this perception of teachers) and their drive for constant development by using new materials in the classroom (25.4 per cent).

However, the survey also showed negative views of teachers, top among them being the perception that they receive low salaries and are in financial trouble (19.8 per cent) and that they suffer from decreasing ethics and morality (11.8 per cent). The survey, released in the January edition of the journal, also revealed that about 7 per cent of respondents believed teachers take better care of well-off students than poor ones.

Other countries surveyed had problems finding teachers for secondary schools, while many needed to improve the quality of the teaching profession.

Thailand's problems are mixed. Qualified teachers were found to be concentrated in elitist schools due to better salaries. The Education Ministry was found to have a problem distributing teachers with similar educational backgrounds and experience as well as learning materials to schools in remote areas.

It's time for the government to seriously look at how to reform the education system effectively. Fancy school buildings cannot guarantee a quality education if the school lacks what matters more - qualified teachers, effective study plans and enthusiastic students.

The Nation