A few months ago, several books, including resource packs, began disappearing from the language school where I work. This hadn't been much of an issue before, but in just six weeks, no fewer than eight photocopiable resource packs vanished. Teachers will understand what I mean: those helpful books like Timesaver, Activity Box, and Penguin, filled with photocopiable materials that make lessons easier to prepare and are well-liked by students. You could argue it's surprising they hadn't gone missing sooner, but let’s look at the situation more closely. These weren’t original copies but photocopies (yes, we should have the originals), all stamped with the school’s mark. The financial value of these copies was minimal (under 100 baht each), but they were invaluable teaching tools. Since the branch doesn’t have the originals, replacing them is possible but time-consuming for some.

For me, though, it’s not just the act of stealing that’s troubling. What’s worse is that the thief (or thieves) has deprived their colleagues of these essential materials. Also, who would want to be seen using stolen books? If I saw a teacher using resources stamped by another school, I’d immediately think they were a thief and wouldn’t trust them in the teachers’ room again. Are teachers really so broke that they can’t buy their own resources – or at least copy the school’s instead of stealing them?

Phil