EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THAILAND

This newsletter is going to deal with the education system in Thailand, from the nursery school to the university.

We found this article very good wrote on the site kohlidays.com which handles various subjects concerning in the Thailand and more specially Koh Samui. You will see that even if the Thai education system similar in certain points in ours, certain points differ largely.

We can say that in numerous aspects, the life in a Thailand school is completely similar to that of the other schools all over the world. However, in this domain, the Siamese culture brings its lot of differences at least intriguing, especially, in the eyes of the Westerners: for example, the fact that it is forbidden to wear shoes within the school buildings, or that the students have to prostrate themselves before their teachers during the annual ceremony of "Wai Kru" (" the day of the Teachers " celebrated on January 16th, generally), during which the students pay tribute to their professors to express their gratitude, and so formalize the relation teacher - student...

Rites and very precise timetable

In Thailand, there are only 2 half-years without mid-term break, are 180 and 200 days of education teaching a year. The first half of the year begins generally from the first week of May, and continues until the first week of October. The second term begins around the first week of November until in the middle of March. As most of the Thai are Buddhist, there are no holidays to celebrate Christmas. Only a break of 3-4 days is planned to celebrate the new year. The second half-year comes finish generally at the end of February or in the first week of March. Then, come the summer holidays summer, of a duration of 2 months. During this period, it is possible to integrate "the summer school" during a whole month, but it is not compulsory. However, approximately 70 % of the students frequent her.

For numerous students and teachers, a day at school turns out very long. Certain children arrive in front of the door of the establishment when it is still dark, before 6 o'clock in the morning; in particular, those whose parents work or live far. Generally, everybody begins to stream by 7 am, knowing that it is imperative to be present in the school playground for the National anthem, planned for 8 hours, with the levying of the Thai flag.

When they arrive at the door of the school, the students stop to greet the professor (there is always a teacher who, alternately, is expecting the children in front of the school). Especially, do not forget to sign the pad of presence! Each has to sign it before 8:30 am, otherwise it is direct a report to the director.

 

Once arrived within the school, the students wash their hands, then go in the big yard to line up class by class, girls' row, and other one of the boys. For every day of the week, the clothes change: on Monday and Tuesday, the students wear a white shirt. The girls, with a marine blue skirt, white socks and black shoes. The boys, beige, white pairs of shorts, socks and black sneakers. Wednesday, schoolchildren are in "Boy scout" (shirt and brown pair of shorts with an orange scarf and a dark red hat). On their side, the schoolgirls are "girls Guides" (shirt and clear blue skirt with a navy blue scarf). Certain high school students are in military uniform, in green color. Thursday, schoolchildren are in orange shirt and the high school students are in blue shirt. Friday, students are in sports gear: pants and a T-shirt of color and style fixed by the school.

However, there are not only only the students who have uniforms, the professors also have to get dressed differently according to the days of the week: Monday, uniform state employee, thus in brown. Tuesday, traditional clothes. Wednesday, in boy scout's uniform. Thursday, with an orange jacket. Friday, in pants.

 

 

 

An orchestra arrives in front of  students' rows, whereas the ceremony begins. 8 students of a class go in front of flags (2 in front of the flag of the country, 6 others in front of 6 flags in the colors of the school). Everybody sings in chorus the National anthem, then the Hymn of the School, while 8 students make the levying of flags and take up them as high as possible. The moment of the prayer, then, that of " 5 dictations " comes then for the Buddhists, and to finish, one minute of meditation.

Once this sacred rite was ended, a professor comes to make a speech in front of the students (to make an announcement, scold students, etc.). After what, the children go into their respective classes, accompanied with their professors.

The students study 3 subjects in the morning, and 3 others in the afternoon, each of them for 50 minutes. It is not rare to find 40 to 60 students by class. However, it is difficult for a teacher to criticize or to make change the course of events, given that it is the directors and assistant directors, the only ones, that give the orders and make the decisions. If the students do not have a class during day, they can go to the library, work, go in for sport or even watch TV... Free to them to fill their time as they want.

 

 

 

Generally, the students eat to the canteen or in class, because they are too numerous. To have lunch to the canteen is not expensive, with always some rice and 2 Thai dishes... A dessert is also proposed. During break and lunch break, it is not rare that certain students act themselves as DJ or put some music at the request of their companions. Very often, the professors organize themselves shows, activities or competitions during the lunch to incite the students to eat to the canteen. The lunch break ends at 12:30 am.

Afternoon, the children end the courses at about 3:30 pm. Most return with their parents or by their own ways (by walking,  bike, bus, or songtaew). Others prefer to stay in the yard to practise a sport (soccer, volleyball, sepak takraw). Schools possess a section " compulsory courses" which are given after school time. So, numerous students go back home only after 4:45 pm. The last ones of them are got back by their families at about 6 pm, after a very busy day.

 There are 2 major categories of schools in Thailand: the Public Schools (or governmental) and Private schools (and international).

 

 

 

Public schools

The Thai school system is like in France: nursery school from 3 years, primary school from 6 to 12 years, middle school until 15 years, and high school until 18 years. The school is compulsory from the age from 6 years to 15 years. Every Thai child is entitled in 12 years of free education. The free access concerns exclusively the state education, the students that must pay all the same their uniforms and supplies. But the budget is very reasonable and there are even recently governmental helps for the most modest families which can be paid off their purchases of start of the school year by presenting documentary evidences to the school.

The public school is free for all the children having the Thai nationality. The schooling of these children also gives the right to their parents to perceive family allowances.

The education in the public schools in Thailand turns around 5 main trunk roads: the language and the mathematics; the history of the country; the development of the children (morality, sports, arts); life sciences; English.

It is possible to find public schools proposing courses in English for the foreign children. This education is paying. The Thai students learn at once 2 alphabets, Thai and Latin, and follow their first English courses from the primary school. There are no examinations of penalty such as the "HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA" or the French General Certificat of Secondary Education. The students, even in primary school, have a control at the end of every half-year, this one occurring in the general evaluation of the year.

 Private schools

Most of the private schools of the country are in Bangkok, although it exists in all the Thai big cities. These quality schools insure courses to small groups. The program does not depend on the Thai state. That is why teachings vary of a school in the other, although as a general rule they follow all the American or English modules of learning. It is also possible to find schools been similar in the modes of European teachings, although it is much rarer. In the private, fees vary enormously, and not only according to the quality of the education. The schooling in a Thai private school of correct quality costs near 30.000 - 40.000 bahts a year (between 750 euros and approximately 1.000 euros) canteen included.

 

International schools

As foreigner, the registration in a school or in a Thai university requires to possess a Studying Non-immigrating Visa "ED", as well as a valid passport. The school in which you wish to register your child will also need certain administrative documents which are in possession of his former school. Finally, a Birth certificate, as well as a Medical certificate will be asked you so that your kid can follow studies in Thailand.

As regards the international schools, tuition fees are much higher, they often border several thousand euros following the reputation of the establishment. They possess an international accreditation to certify of their good level of education, as well as in the obtaining of international equivalences for the students wishing to continue their studies abroad.

Being very free in the choice of the program, these private schools can sometimes put the accent on certain precise disciplines and propose special activities in arts or in sports. The practised language is English but know that before choosing a school as your child, you will have to determine an educational system among the American, British systems or the "IBO" ("International baccalaureate organization").

 

 

High schools

Thailand welcomes a lot of foreign students in its upper education system. So, it is possible to realize an exchange in a Thai university. For that purpose, it is necessary to enter in touch with the "Division of International Cooperation" of the Thai Ministry of University Affairs.

Besides, there are numerous establishments authorized to award diplomas of the Thai higher education. Among these, we find "University", "Technical Institute", "College", "Vocational College" and "Teacher College".

Each of these establishments has its specificities and addresses a type of different students: establishments indeed dispense each their own type of education. "University" so intends itself for the long diplomas and for the intellectual vocation, whereas "Technical Institute" forges technicians or whereas "Teacher College" trains the professors who will enter the system of Thai education.

The school system

The Thai school system is situated under the command of 3 authorities: the Ministry of Education which is in charge of the whole school system until the secondary level; the Ministry of the University Affairs which takes the hand for the superior education; "National Educational Commission" which is in charge of promulgating the broad guidelines in terms of politics of the Thai school system.

The first level corresponds in the years of nursery schools: they are called "KG1 ", " KG2" and "KG3" and concern children from 3 to 5 years old. This level is not compulsory.

The second level corresponds in the years of the primary school. This school is called "Prathom" or "Prathomsuska". The classes go from "P1" to "P6". They concern kids from 6 to 11 years old.

Finally, the third level corresponds to the secondary education, that is to the middle school and the high school. These schools are called "Mattayom" or "Mattayomsuska". The classes go from "M1" to "M6" and include children from 12 to 18 years old.

 

Between every class, the students take an examination which confirms their school year. If they do not pass this examination, they are obliged to double the class.

The compulsory level is situated between "P1 " and " M3". At the end of this class, the students have to take an examination which will determine if they are capable of continuing their studies to "M6", where they will again have to take an examination, a conscript " A-Net ", to validate these 3 years of their program. If they wish to go even farther and to continue in the higher education, they have to take again an examination.

A little failing system

A study published in 2012, under the aegis of the publishing house " Pearson ", placed the education system of Thailand at the 37th position on 40 developed countries in the world ranking of education systems. The Thai education system, which worked well for the basic elimination of illiteracy in the 1950s, 1960 and 1970, and to train workers little qualified for factories, the construction and the agriculture, seems to have difficulty in following the rhythm of the global economy.

The Thailand is classified behind most of his regional competitors (except Indonesia), as Vietnam, for the training of qualified workers, English, and as regards the skills in "ICT" (computing and technologies of the communication). Furthermore, with the come back of Myanmar in the global economy, a country universities of which had been essentially closed during decades, Thailand will have to deal with a competition still increased in the coming years.

The Thai education system keeps favoring the learning by heart, with for consequence a low level in living languages (English in particular), and also suffers from a social status insufficiently recognized for the teachers. Besides, in the South, where the Islamist uprising rages, numerous schools are often closed because the government has not found an effective way yet to protect the teachers. 150 of them would already have been murdered from the beginning of the uprising in 2004, and 140 others seriously wounded, the schools and their staff being main targets of the Islamist terrorists.

In 2012, the Thai teachers of secondary schools had to take examinations in their disciplines for the first time, with alarming results, made public in an article of " Bangkok Post ". Most of the teachers of upper secondary level, would have failed in the tests proposed to their students, according to the " Office of the Basic Educational committee " ("OBEC").