Thailand outdone by Vietnam in latest education rankings

[diehard60]

Did not expect anything different. It is because the Thai teachers do not want their students to know as much or more then they know

[Pattaya28]

The mind "boggles" then at positions 48th -----> 76th.

Where did this unreliable data come from ?

A late April-Fools joke ?

[Just1Voice]

Maths nerds shall inherit the earth

No. Computer nerds are the ones who will inherit the earth.

[farangmick]

As I actually have children, the standard of education in Thailand actually matters to me. My two sons go to the best school in the area, but no way could I afford an International school. When my eldest dropped from 3rd (out of a class of 15) to 12th in on term I only found out when I saw his test results. OK, he is in Prathum 1 and I am not keen on so many tests for small children, but in the UK a school would call in parents to see if there were any problems if performance fell off so dramatically.

[trogers]

Did not expect anything different. It is because the Thai teachers do not want their students to know as much or more then they know

I do not blame the teachers that much. Education is 50% school and 50% home.

Had taught a 10-year old provincial kid math 2 weeks ago. Simple addition and subtraction, and he still had to count with his fingers.

Why? No follow up on his homework by parents, nor buying books beyond textbooks of schools for the kid.

Compounding the apathy of parents toward education, the education system has the 'no-fail' policy. There is no feedback on actual performance.

[Pimay1]

47th is not that bad actually. Better than Malaysia.

The good old USA takes place 28. That's shocking, weapons of mass destruction instead of education.

In the good old USA to many bums go to school so their family game the system

Education world wide is a industry it has nothing to do with learning

Remember if you number one you can get more money from the Government

I have many relatives milking the system as teachers and they will get money when the students in America drop to 50

I'm quite surprised the USA came as high as it did. The emphasis nowadays is on students feeling good about themselves instead of academic achievement. I read an article recently where one school district has banned placing star stickers on elementary school papers when students achieve 95% or higher on a paper. The reason given was this would make the other students feel bad because they didn't achieve 95% or above. Of course students graduate dumb as a hoe handle but they sure feel great about themselves.

[trogers]

47th is not that bad actually. Better than Malaysia.

The good old USA takes place 28. That's shocking, weapons of mass destruction instead of education.

In the good old USA to many bums go to school so their family game the system

Education world wide is a industry it has nothing to do with learning

Remember if you number one you can get more money from the Government

I have many relatives milking the system as teachers and they will get money when the students in America drop to 50

I'm quite surprised the USA came as high as it did. The emphasis nowadays is on students feeling good about themselves instead of academic achievement. I read an article recently where one school district has banned placing star stickers on elementary school papers when students achieve 95% or higher on a paper. The reason given was this would make the other students feel bad because they didn't achieve 95% or above. Of course students graduate dumb as a hoe handle but they sure feel great about themselves.

And top brains in the US cannot differentiate between pulling up and pushing down?

[Godders]

Children need to be taught to challenge the status quo - not least the flawed economic, political and social systems which have so clearly failed the world

This won't happen while they continue to be brainwashed into mindless conformity via an outdated educational model designed to serve the needs of the Industrial Revolution.

Parents have a duty to encourage their children to think outside the box and never, never stop using that infuriating little three-letter word that Thai teachers, in particular, hate to hear - "Why?"

[DavisH]

47th is not that bad actually. Better than Malaysia.

The good old USA takes place 28. That's shocking, weapons of mass destruction instead of education.

In the good old USA to many bums go to school so their family game the system

Education world wide is a industry it has nothing to do with learning

Remember if you number one you can get more money from the Government

I have many relatives milking the system as teachers and they will get money when the students in America drop to 50

I'm quite surprised the USA came as high as it did. The emphasis nowadays is on students feeling good about themselves instead of academic achievement. I read an article recently where one school district has banned placing star stickers on elementary school papers when students achieve 95% or higher on a paper. The reason given was this would make the other students feel bad because they didn't achieve 95% or above. Of course students graduate dumb as a hoe handle but they sure feel great about themselves.

I gave the US SAT 1 exam, under exam conditions, to my G9-11 EP students. I used an old downloaded exam not seen by the students before. With almost no preparation, their average was higher than the US average score. One of my 9th graders scored close to 700 on my test. I'm surprised the SAT 1 is used for college entrance when the maths involved is only grade 8 - 10 level in Thailand.

[scorecard]

Did not expect anything different. It is because the Thai teachers do not want their students to know as much or more then they know

I do not blame the teachers that much. Education is 50% school and 50% home.

Had taught a 10-year old provincial kid math 2 weeks ago. Simple addition and subtraction, and he still had to count with his fingers.

Why? No follow up on his homework by parents, nor buying books beyond textbooks of schools for the kid.

Compounding the apathy of parents toward education, the education system has the 'no-fail' policy. There is no feedback on actual performance.

Maths, I have a friend sends his 8 year old son to a high priced bi-lingual school. The school has high teacher turnover.

Last year the 20 year old American 'maths teacher' suddenly came out of the room and asked the several farang fathers waiting outside to pick up their kids if someone could teach her how to do long division, because she had to start long division before the class ended that day.

Many parents went to complain to the owner who just laughed it off and refused to take any action.

Bottom line - parents moved about 30% of the kids to another school.

[dazzz]

I think there is something missing here. The range of subjects in western schools is massive compared to asian schools . I always thought when i was in grammar school the amount of different subjects was ridiculous. I was taught

welsh ,french, german , music,maths ,english , woodwork , metalwork ,biology, chemistry , physiscs , geography, religeous instruction ,art , physical education and probably a few more i cannot remember . All of these would have exams at the end of the year so your time was spread out across a lot of subjects .

If you tested these asian pupils on all these subjects they would not fare to well . Not many of them would know julius caesar , alexander the great or even know anything about usa war of independance .They just mainly teach english , maths and science so become well educated in these few subjects as they can concentrate on them.

dazzz

[Benmart]

I just returned from Vietnam, April 20th.

I visited Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi. In each city, I visited the beautiful parks and lakes and sat to enjoy the scenery. In each instance, at least one young person approached me and either asked if they could practice their English or wanted to query me about where I came from.

While sitting in the shade, near the Cathedral in Hanoi, one teenage group came up to me and wanted to take photos, ask questions and chat. They said that their teacher had required the class to contact foreigners and get photos and information about them and their respective countries. They then would have to share their experiences, in English, to the entire class.

As I visited each city, I made it a point to chat with local merchants, cyclo (bike taxi) drivers and others sitting in the shade at the parks. Some mothers would instruct their small children to say "Hello, How are you" to me as I passed and I would reply in Vietnamese and English to much laughter on both sides.

I talked at length to several restaurant managers and complimented the interest and proficiency in English by the people I had met. The universal response was that English was very important for the country's development and to compete with the rest of SE Asia! I did meet people that didn't have a "good" grasp of English, but without fail, they smiled, laughed and summoned someone who did.

I have had similar experiences, perhaps 15 years ago, in Ayutthaya, when a group of Thai school children took photos and did a mini-survey. I've never had anyone approach me in a Thai park or other venue, other than trying to sell me something or solicit funds, etc.

It seems, from my limited perspective, that Thailand has developed into a consumer society, sef-assured by it's imagined superiority over it's neighbors. While English alone is not a guarantee of success, it seems that some nearby countries see it as a tool for competitiveness in a world economy and as a way of improving the plight of it's citizens.

[Thaddeus]

I just returned from Vietnam, April 20th.

I visited Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi. In each city, I visited the beautiful parks and lakes and sat to enjoy the scenery. In each instance, at least one young person approached me and either asked if they could practice their English or wanted to query me about where I came from.

While sitting in the shade, near the Cathedral in Hanoi, one teenage group came up to me and wanted to take photos, ask questions and chat. They said that their teacher had required the class to contact foreigners and get photos and information about them and their respective countries. They then would have to share their experiences, in English, to the entire class.

As I visited each city, I made it a point to chat with local merchants, cyclo (bike taxi) drivers and others sitting in the shade at the parks. Some mothers would instruct their small children to say "Hello, How are you" to me as I passed and I would reply in Vietnamese and English to much laughter on both sides.

I talked at length to several restaurant managers and complimented the interest and proficiency in English by the people I had met. The universal response was that English was very important for the country's development and to compete with the rest of SE Asia! I did meet people that didn't have a "good" grasp of English, but without fail, they smiled, laughed and summoned someone who did.

I have had similar experiences, perhaps 15 years ago, in Ayutthaya, when a group of Thai school children took photos and did a mini-survey. I've never had anyone approach me in a Thai park or other venue, other than trying to sell me something or solicit funds, etc.

It seems, from my limited perspective, that Thailand has developed into a consumer society, sef-assured by it's imagined superiority over it's neighbors. While English alone is not a guarantee of success, it seems that some nearby countries see it as a tool for competitiveness in a world economy and as a way of improving the plight of it's citizens.

Good post.

I have had similar experiences in Cambodia, and the same reasons were given.

[2alex4alex]

I think there is something missing here. The range of subjects in western schools is massive compared to asian schools . I always thought when i was in grammar school the amount of different subjects was ridiculous. I was taught

welsh ,french, german , music,maths ,english , woodwork , metalwork ,biology, chemistry , physiscs , geography, religeous instruction ,art , physical education and probably a few more i cannot remember . All of these would have exams at the end of the year so your time was spread out across a lot of subjects .

If you tested these asian pupils on all these subjects they would not fare to well . Not many of them would know julius caesar , alexander the great or even know anything about usa war of independance .They just mainly teach english , maths and science so become well educated in these few subjects as they can concentrate on them.

dazzz

"or even know anything about usa war of independance"-Why they should? Do Americans study Thai-Burmese wars at school?

[dazzz]

I think there is something missing here. The range of subjects in western schools is massive compared to asian schools . I always thought when i was in grammar school the amount of different subjects was ridiculous. I was taught

welsh ,french, german , music,maths ,english , woodwork , metalwork ,biology, chemistry , physiscs , geography, religeous instruction ,art , physical education and probably a few more i cannot remember . All of these would have exams at the end of the year so your time was spread out across a lot of subjects .

If you tested these asian pupils on all these subjects they would not fare to well . Not many of them would know julius caesar , alexander the great or even know anything about usa war of independance .They just mainly teach english , maths and science so become well educated in these few subjects as they can concentrate on them.

dazzz

"or even know anything about usa war of independance"-Why they should? Do Americans study Thai-Burmese wars at school?

Yes they should as it is the most powerfull country in the world even though americans are very insular .Do you really think the thai burmese war is of as much importance as the american war of independence ?? I learned about it in school in wales , i also learned about asia esp china ,russia etc in a welsh school. Do you really think that schools should not learn the history and geography of another country ?

If you actually thought for a few minutes before typing you would have understood these were just examples showing that they just learn what they need to get on in life ie get a good job and do not learn subjects that will not help them in employment and if the western schools only taught 5 subjects they would come top in those.

If this survey included exams on goegraphy ,history etc they would come bottom of the survey but the survey onnly tests the top subjects like maths ,english and science and technology. I dont know if western schools should change to only teach the main subjects like asian schools . Would you want your children to know something about the world and its people when they leave school ?

As far as i am concerned the survey is rubbish if the survey only surveys the subjects taken by asian schools and do not include all subjects as taken by most schools in the world.

dazzz

dazzz

[canuckamuck]

I think there is something missing here. The range of subjects in western schools is massive compared to asian schools . I always thought when i was in grammar school the amount of different subjects was ridiculous. I was taught

welsh ,french, german , music,maths ,english , woodwork , metalwork ,biology, chemistry , physiscs , geography, religeous instruction ,art , physical education and probably a few more i cannot remember . All of these would have exams at the end of the year so your time was spread out across a lot of subjects .

If you tested these asian pupils on all these subjects they would not fare to well . Not many of them would know julius caesar , alexander the great or even know anything about usa war of independance .They just mainly teach english , maths and science so become well educated in these few subjects as they can concentrate on them.

dazzz

"or even know anything about usa war of independance"-Why they should? Do Americans study Thai-Burmese wars at school?

Yes they should as it is the most powerfull country in the world even though americans are very insular .Do you really think the thai burmese war is of as much importance as the american war of independence ?? I learned about it in school in wales , i also learned about asia esp china ,russia etc in a welsh school. Do you really think that schools should not learn the history and geography of another country ?

If you actually thought for a few minutes before typing you would have understood these were just examples showing that they just learn what they need to get on in life ie get a good job and do not learn subjects that will not help them in employment and if the western schools only taught 5 subjects they would come top in those.

If this survey included exams on goegraphy ,history etc they would come bottom of the survey but the survey onnly tests the top subjects like maths ,english and science and technology. I dont know if western schools should change to only teach the main subjects like asian schools . Would you want your children to know something about the world and its people when they leave school ?

As far as i am concerned the survey is rubbish if the survey only surveys the subjects taken by asian schools and do not include all subjects as taken by most schools in the world.

dazzz

dazzz

I don't think we even studied the war of independence in Canada. And we were involved in it as a British colony.

Not that we could avoid learning about it as Canadians are inundated with American TV and Americans are obsessed with American history.

[trogers]

I think there is something missing here. The range of subjects in western schools is massive compared to asian schools . I always thought when i was in grammar school the amount of different subjects was ridiculous. I was taught

welsh ,french, german , music,maths ,english , woodwork , metalwork ,biology, chemistry , physiscs , geography, religeous instruction ,art , physical education and probably a few more i cannot remember . All of these would have exams at the end of the year so your time was spread out across a lot of subjects .

If you tested these asian pupils on all these subjects they would not fare to well . Not many of them would know julius caesar , alexander the great or even know anything about usa war of independance .They just mainly teach english , maths and science so become well educated in these few subjects as they can concentrate on them.

dazzz

"or even know anything about usa war of independance"-Why they should? Do Americans study Thai-Burmese wars at school?

Yes they should as it is the most powerfull country in the world even though americans are very insular .Do you really think the thai burmese war is of as much importance as the american war of independence ?? I learned about it in school in wales , i also learned about asia esp china ,russia etc in a welsh school. Do you really think that schools should not learn the history and geography of another country ?

If you actually thought for a few minutes before typing you would have understood these were just examples showing that they just learn what they need to get on in life ie get a good job and do not learn subjects that will not help them in employment and if the western schools only taught 5 subjects they would come top in those.

If this survey included exams on goegraphy ,history etc they would come bottom of the survey but the survey onnly tests the top subjects like maths ,english and science and technology. I dont know if western schools should change to only teach the main subjects like asian schools . Would you want your children to know something about the world and its people when they leave school ?

As far as i am concerned the survey is rubbish if the survey only surveys the subjects taken by asian schools and do not include all subjects as taken by most schools in the world.

dazzz

dazzz

I don't think we even studied the war of independence in Canada. And we were involved in it as a British colony.

Not that we could avoid learning about it as Canadians are inundated with American TV and Americans are obsessed with American history.

Were you referring to 'Independence Day'? Yes, I saw that movie. And also the documentary on "I have a dream...".

[Johnny S]

Not surprised at all!...

No Wonder thai university degrees are not reckognized in other countries ... ha ha ha

[Jeremy50]

Corruption, cronyism, and complacency. A lot of the teachers at my last school didn't even bother going to the classroom. Breakfast in the staffroom 8.30 to 9.30am and lunch 12.30 to 1pm, these are the highlights of the teachers day, eating and gossiping is what the job is all about. The boss of the department actively encouraged this, after all - why should he care? Meanwhile most students just goof about, around the toilet blocks and canteen. Looking for a socket to recharge the phone takes up a good part of the day.

[tonbridgebrit]

http://www.cityam.com/215746/uk-has-come-20th-biggest-global-schools-ranking?ITO=yahoo

"The UK has come 20th in the biggest ever ranking of the world's best school systems, trailing behind less developed countries such as Estonia and Vietnam.

The ranking also shows around a fifth of school leavers are failing to reach a basic level of education in the UK and that improving this could add trillions of dollars to the UK economy.

Paris-based think tank the OECD's Universal Basic Skills report crunches test scores in maths and science across 76 countries. It comprises more than a third of the world's nations, including countries such as Iran and Peru."

[tonbridgebrit]

Okay, the above is the same information from a different website.

I think we shouldn't read too much into such stuff, and it's not really that important. I mean, the UK is 20th on that list, does that mean Britain is falling behind economically ?? It doesn't mean that. Notice how Estonia, Poland and Slovenia are ahead of Britain, but we all know that people are trying to get out of those countries, and they're heading for Britain. So, if the education is better, well, it might mean that the country is exporting it's own talented youngsters to the richer countries.

So Thailand is behind Vietnam. In a way, so what. Vietnam is simply not going to be ahead of Thailand when it comes to the economy. We can look at GDP per person, or total GDP, basically, Thailand is streets ahead of Vietnam. So, lets stop this silly talk about the Thais falling behind.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

What opportunities in Thailand. Be a teacher - appear educated - teach poorly or not at all and

GET PAID all while strutting around like a "big shot." One great example is English teachers in Thailand. lol lol lol

I met one new English teacher - 5 years at Thai University - she can not speak a word of English. ???????

Low standards is what enables you to live here.

See the irony?

[SoilSpoil]

Okay, the above is the same information from a different website.

I think we shouldn't read too much into such stuff, and it's not really that important. I mean, the UK is 20th on that list, does that mean Britain is falling behind economically ?? It doesn't mean that. Notice how Estonia, Poland and Slovenia are ahead of Britain, but we all know that people are trying to get out of those countries, and they're heading for Britain. So, if the education is better, well, it might mean that the country is exporting it's own talented youngsters to the richer countries.

So Thailand is behind Vietnam. In a way, so what. Vietnam is simply not going to be ahead of Thailand when it comes to the economy. We can look at GDP per person, or total GDP, basically, Thailand is streets ahead of Vietnam. So, lets stop this silly talk about the Thais falling behind.

In 30 years from now a lot of Brits might be working as maids and construction workers in Poland.

[Thaddeus]

So Thailand is behind Vietnam. In a way, so what. Vietnam is simply not going to be ahead of Thailand when it comes to the economy. We can look at GDP per person, or total GDP, basically, Thailand is streets ahead of Vietnam. So, lets stop this silly talk about the Thais falling behind.

I read somewhere that a hare said a similar thing about a tortoise.

[tonbridgebrit]

Okay, the above is the same information from a different website.

I think we shouldn't read too much into such stuff, and it's not really that important. I mean, the UK is 20th on that list, does that mean Britain is falling behind economically ?? It doesn't mean that. Notice how Estonia, Poland and Slovenia are ahead of Britain, but we all know that people are trying to get out of those countries, and they're heading for Britain. So, if the education is better, well, it might mean that the country is exporting it's own talented youngsters to the richer countries.

So Thailand is behind Vietnam. In a way, so what. Vietnam is simply not going to be ahead of Thailand when it comes to the economy. We can look at GDP per person, or total GDP, basically, Thailand is streets ahead of Vietnam. So, lets stop this silly talk about the Thais falling behind.

In 30 years from now a lot of Brits might be working as maids and construction workers in Poland.

30 years ?? Call it 300 years, it might happen !

By then, some of the 'Brits' going to Poland to work as maids and construction workers might actually be 'British people with Polish ancestry'.