Flashermac Posted March 18, 2016 Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 BANGKOK — A top member of the Democrat Party has urged those writing the nation’s next constitution to give back three years of government-supported education removed in its most recent draft. Deputy party leader Ongart Klampaiboon on Monday slammed the constitution drafting committee for eliminating government support for up to 12 years of education, which has been an explicit constitutional guarantee since 1997. “I want to urge the charter drafting committee to return the right to a free 12 years of education to Thai children, as they used to and are supposed to have,†he said. The most recent draft of the charter, released in late January, reduced state-subsidized education from 12 years to nine years in a clause that went unnoticed until it raised an outcry among activists, academics and civil society groups. Though the drafting committee has taken action to amend other issues that have been raised, Ongart said it has ignored feedback about the change to education. A student activist group, Education for the Liberation of Siam, which has actively monitored the new charter from the perspective of education also pointed out other concerns. The group believes the draft charter will also interfere with alternative education as it gives the government a direct hand in local and private education. It also defines the fundamental purpose of the education system as being to instill virtue, discipline and pride in the nation. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1458044056§ion=11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jitagawn Posted March 18, 2016 Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 Super important to maintain the 12 year fundamental education basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2016 As it is now, at least 75% of the students quit at the minimum requirement of the 9th grade. In rural areas, probably close to 90% stop. When I first came to Thailand, the minimum was the 4th grade (soon to be raised to the 6th grade). But in those days students had to score at least 70% on a nationwide exam on reading, writing, simple arithmetic, and maybe some basic science (e.g. boiling your water before drinking it). Fail to pass and you could neither go on to the next grade nor drop out. One taxi driver told me he had to repeat the 4th grade three times before he was allowed to drop out of school. Nowadays school is more of a conveyor belt. Teachers have told me they've seen students complete the 9th grade who were really almost illiterate. Thais by and large don't seem to place much value on education. A dedicated 6th grade English teacher once expressed her frustration with her students to me. She said English was the key to good jobs and a better living, but her students were completely uninterested. She said they'd all end up being low paid manual laborers, and she was probably right. My wife was the first in her family to go to a university, but her big sisters insisted she go and paid for her education. In return she's seen to it that every one of her nieces and nephews also got a university degree. She was from a rural area, but she came from a family that cared. Unfortunately, most don't seem to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Hi, "It also defines the fundamental purpose of the education system as being to instill virtue, discipline and pride in the nation." And here I thought an education was used to improve oneself and learn a trade. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YimSiam Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 They take a look at the constitution, and reduce free education? Jay-zus. I guess they are being honest, in a way: an educated population will make the choices that they don't want them to make, and so should be avoided - even if it means that overall the product and wellbeing of the nation and its citizens is reduced. I guess power pays big enough dividends that the price is an easy one to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radioman Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 The last thing an army wants is troops that question authority. A problem all military governments suffer from is trying to make a country work like the military. BAD idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YimSiam Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Oh, come on radioman - works for North Korea! They wouldn't be where they are today without a military-model citizenry following orders... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted March 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Thaksin tried to make the country work like a corporation, with himself as the CEO who made all the decisions. That didn't go over too well either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YimSiam Posted March 19, 2016 Report Share Posted March 19, 2016 Didn't go over too well... with who? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Penis is hungry Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 The other CEO's of course. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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