| Q |
George, I've
socialized with international teachers who are earning 100,000 baht a month
with a luxury apartment thrown in. Then I see international schools
advertising on ajarn.com with the lure of 30,000 baht salaries. What gives? |
| A |
The key word here
is accreditation. A school simply has to be accredited whether through the
UK, USA or other Western certification board. To put it in perspective, lets
say that your offspring is ready to graduate. If the school they are coming
from in Thailand is not accredited then they cannot enter a higher
educational program abroad. In other words no credit for time served. Many
British schools offer ‘O’ or ‘A” levels but the same criteria exists. Many
schools have the word international thrown in their name but in reality they
are not. I know an American couple that are certified teachers. After three
years teaching in Thailand they were surprised to find out that their
experience abroad did not count; as they had taught at an un-accredited
school. An accredited school will have higher tuition fees thus offering a
higher pay to teachers. |
| Q |
I've always been under
the impression that the 'true' international schools only recruit directly
from abroad. Is this the case? |
| A |
Yes, it is correct
that many ‘true’ international schools prefer to hire from abroad. They
attend numerous job fairs abroad in hope to fulfill these positions. When
that does not occur they will hire from within country to satisfy the
classroom requirements. The schools will fill the positions in order to
satisfy the demand. Furthermore, many teachers hired from abroad will not
last two terms in Thailand. I have seen many leave for a variety of reasons
at the Christmas break and not return. For example, check out the current
Bangkok Post ads for an ESL teacher for a top international school.
Persistence is the key for local hires. |
| Q |
Am I right what I implied in the first
question - those teachers in the 'true' international schools are creaming
some serious wonga? |
| A |
Once again the pay
difference depends on the accreditation of the school. I personally know
many teachers earning B150,000 per month with bennies running out of their
ears. Flights home, professional development, housing allowance, insurance
and moving allowances, etc. The middle range of international schools will
generally offer B50,000-80,000 per month with fewer benefits. At the lower
end many teachers working at school with an international name will actually
make less each month than a language teacher working a few extra hours. |
| Q |
If you're teaching ex-pat kids, there
must be a great chance of running into their Mom and Dad on a drunken night
out at the Bull's Head? |
| A |
It does happen. A
former colleague enjoys visiting Soi Cowboy. He noticed that his high school
students were frequently seen eating in the area. Come to find out their
parents had a condo down there. I live in a large neighborhood where several
of my students live. Nothing like having to chat with little Mary’s mom
while on a beer run. |
| Q |
What's the workload like at an
accredited international school? |
| A |
Well, 185 days out
of 365 does not sound bad does it? However, most schools require a teacher
to be at school 30 minutes before the students arrive and 30 minutes after.
So a teacher basically teaches all day with one or two non-contact periods
thrown in. Still sounds good? Remember that most good teachers have
additional work they bring home in addition to daily, monthly and 'termly'
lesson plans. |
| Q |
I imagine that international school
teachers have numerous other demands on their time - parents evenings,
sports days, etc. |
| A |
Yes, this fact is
true. However, there can be benefits. For example I recently went to Chiang
Mai for a three-day and two-night high school field trip. Everything was
paid for, 3-stars all the way. The problem? 24-hour babysitting and no
booze. |
| Q |
Is there a war going on between
bilingual schools and international schools over student enrollment? |
| A |
Put yourself in
the role of the bilingual schools. Your student enrollment and needed
revenue has been dropping every year. The reason? Many Thai parents are
enrolling their children in the lower ranking international schools. Many
bilingual schools have recognized the need for change and have begun to
offer better deals for teachers in order to retain students. |
| Q |
Are only native-speaking English
teachers employed by the accredited schools? |
| A |
Yes, but remember
that that classroom environment demands a teacher. If the ideal demand is
not met then the schools will recruit non-native speakers. Some schools will
pay these teachers the same rate as a native speaker. Most will not. |
| Q |
Does the Ministry of Education have
criteria that teachers must meet? |
| A |
MOE states that a
teacher now must meet the following demands. Have a diploma and/or teaching
certification and/or 15 hours of educational credit. |
| Q |
Do the true
international teachers look upon the everyday English teacher as a) people
doing an important job at the lower end of the market? or b) w@nkers? |
| A |
While I cannot
speak for the majority of international teachers this is what I have
observed. A few people do believe that some ESL teachers are the drunks and
sex tourists of BKK. However, the same situation exists with international
teachers. A fresh overseas hire quickly learns of Soi Nana or Cowboy. Coming
to class smelling like a brewery does not lead to a conducive learning
atmosphere. Therefore, a few teachers are not invited for a second year.
There is good and bad in both groups. |
| Q |
Do international
school teachers stay here and work for years and years? |
| A |
Some do, most do
not. Many international teachers are here for only a couple of years. Many
want to travel and enjoy all aspects of Thailand. |
| Q |
What about the
'British' schools. Does it help if you're a teacher with a double-barreled
surname and know the rules of croquet? Can the Americans get a job there? |
| A |
Some top
international British schools will not even look at an American teacher.
They want Brits only. To me this sort of defeats the international
perspective. |
| Q |
Apart from the
teaching, are there opportunities to do other paid work within the
international school environment - I dunno......milk monitor? man in charge
of overhead projector? |
| A |
I have several
friends who are not teachers but are consultants with schools. Mainly this
concerns the IT field but the possibilities exist. |
| Q |
Are the Thai admin
staff better at these up-market places or do they forget to give teachers
important messages like they do everywhere else? |
| A |
As my wife is a member of the Thai administrative staff I have to say yes,
em… However, many of teachers hired from abroad expect Thailand to treat
them like they were back in the UK or the States. Many of these educated
people need to learn that TIT (This is Thailand). |
| Q |
What about the future
for the international schools, bilingual schools, etc? |
| A |
Perhaps the toughest question of all. My father use to say that if a frog
had wings it would not bump its ass every time it jumped. If the economy
stays strong, if the baht continues forward, if Thai parents remain
concerned about their children’s education, then perhaps the future is rosy.
But remember there is such a thing as the market share and Thailand is fast
reaching that point. |
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