The longer I stay here the more I realize this country is unlikely to change. Now I am not saying that old teachers are the best teachers but I know teachers who have been here for 8 or 9 years and all their experience seems to be pushed aside for a younger crop who are to be fair more handsome and maybe have more energy. I have seen some pretty crappy older teachers but some younger teachers were fired from my school recently because they simply did not make the grade.

In this country, so little is changing except possible more money being thrown at the system. This means that more money is siphoned off while the school gets the cheapest teachers they can and they have their drinking money for the month. White teachers trump Filipinos (but I have to say that I find the Filipino accent off) Recently a Filipino was trying to say Asian and she kept on saying “Ajean”. I couldn’t get it. She said it about 10 times - and in the end had to spell it.

Black teachers are trumped by everyone no matter where they come from unless they are superstar. Blond-haired, blue-eyed young teachers trump everyone. Who the hell cares if they can teach? I wonder if the principle and co-teachers lick their lips and wonder what extracurricular activity they may get or maybe he can teach them English “privately”.

Now Thailand is promoting itself as the ASEAN hub. It is always amazing in this country how little changes except the way they promote themselves. Who would come to Thailand and open a business given their poor English skills and their innate ability to blame someone else for the fact they hardly ever learn (and the laws where you cannot own anything).

It is always amazing to me when the teacher gets “too serious” the teacher gets fired and until that is addressed, the country will never change. As long as teachers are simply 'window dressing' to make the school look good no one will take the job seriously. Who cares if they have a degree? They rarely use it anyway right?

It seems agencies have secured their place this year in many schools and making sure the brown envelopes keep on flowing. The cheapest newbies are recruited and thrown into schools. Most of them anyway. Everyone takes their cut. If anything I have found education here to be getting worse. Most kids are out of control, they know they can get teachers fired on whim, and the “best teachers” are those who are fun or enjoy constantly having fun. Blond-haired and blue-eyed teachers are great. When they go home and mummy asks how the new teacher is and they all reply in a rising whined cry of elation. Who could object? As long as the students are happy right?

Marvin