In reply to Doug, ‘Why so many government school openings?’ (Postbox18th May 2013) I think both Doug and ajarn both have valid points. Perhaps the reason is not so much the number of jobs available, normal at this time of year, but the pay scales, long hours with extra curriculum activities and working conditions which have produced them? The high cost of living in Thailand means that for most people, 25k to 30k is not enough to live on and will appeal to the younger generation arriving for the ‘experience’. That, in my opinion, is why the more experienced teachers are now largely absent.

“Change of scenery” and “calling it a day” wouldn’t happen so much if the Thais were less discriminatory with the older generation of teachers and valued experience over ‘looks’? China for instance generally pays twice the amount for half the hours that the Thais pay for, (with paid holidays), for experienced teachers and with both Vietnam and Myanmar now beginning to open up, the Thais do seriously need a re-think.

James

The very long list of jobs is an indication that, by in large, Thai government schools are NOT interested in the welfare of their students. If the group of people who run the system did it properly there would not be so many openings listed. The very long list is an indication that farangs can not stay at a school because the adminstration treats them so poorly. Certainly there are exceptions to this, but what I have written is generally true. Farangs are present in Thai schools for for the same reason people paint their houses - for show. Any farang who is seriously interested in helping in the schools is considered a threat to those corrupt teachers and administrators who gain much financially and seeming think about little else. The betterment of students is certainly on the bottom of their list. So much for education which could help Thailand in the future. Sad

Ajarn.com replies - I think you're losing sight of the status quo. The long list of job ads on ajarn.com - which happens every May and June - is because it's the start of the new school term and schools of all kinds, not just government schools, need teachers. And there aren't enough decent teachers to go round. OK, there will always be a percentage of schools who are changing teachers for the sheer sake of it, but in many cases, there are teachers - particularly the younger generation - who never intended to work here beyond a year or maybe two and they are returning home or possibly moving on to another country. Then there are the teachers leaving because they fancy a change of scenery and those teachers who are simply calling it a day and retiring or doing something else. There are lots of different folks out there.

Doug

Well, I was happily getting my connecting bus to the North when I realized that my wallet had gone - pick-pocketed. Now here's where real humanity kicks in. Without a penny in my pocket, a random Thai woman noticing my distress, gives me her phone to call home for over an hour. My credit card company said they would send a new card (up to 5 days) and initiate the emergency cash option (48 hours) I thanked the woman for he amazing kindness. Still clearly hating the world and in desperate need of a wifi connection, I asked a street vendor if I could use their wifi and explain the circumstances.

She says 'of course' and in the meantime comes back to me 15 minutes later with a bag full of food, water, coke and an international dialling card. She gives me a hug and wishes me well reminding me that random kindness to those in need will always pass itself on. As I walk away I realize she's put 1000 baht in my pocket. Shit happens when you travel, you lose cards etc. but what I never ever believed would be that there were so many generous, good-spirited people in the world who would help a traveller and stranger without expecting anything in return. I had a really crap 24 hours but it has reminded me that there some gems of people in this world.

Damien

I worked at a small government school in Bangphli with one other English guy and of course the Thai teachers. I have nothing but praise for all the teachers and staff at that school it was a great experience for me. Last September when I left, the kids and teachers were genuinely upset that I was leaving, and I was quite sad myself but I had made my decision. In fact I flew home after my last day. The kids made me cards, bought me presents and we had a fantastic last day - one I will always remember.

My job there was to teach English, maths and health which I enjoyed tremendously. A minority of the kids were hardworking and as we all know the rest were lazy and sometimes disruptive. It was an intensive programme so I had the kids all day. I just had the two classes which meant I had to do something to encourage the kids to work and a full day of English and maths needs breaking up. In England I was a fully qualified rugby league coach plus I had served with the Royal Marines in England. Now all of you teachers who need a helping hand to get your kids motivated read on.

The thought of using another book for health would tip most people over the edge so I told the kids that if they all gave maximum effort in English and maths I would take them outside and do some real exercise. Well the kids jumped at this idea. Here we are, books away, going down to the covered area used for assembly for our first session. The excitement was bubbling over and the kids were too. After a while they calmed down. I had already planned their exercise routine for that morning so I put them into four teams sat them down and explained what we were going to do, so far so good. About fifteen minutes into our exercises they started messing about so I took them back upstairs and got their books out. Lots of complaining and whingeing followed. I then explained that behaving during the exercise period was also a requirement not just for me but for their enjoyment. The next day down again and low and behold the smart kids got them in teams, sat down and we never looked back.

My classes were mixed boys and girls and the girls were just as keen as the boys. we would do a set routine running, different exercises for one hour. Thai kids don't do any real keep fit stuff and this new thing that they had been introduced to was not only tiring but they were getting fit and having fun. After a few days they would walk down in a line get into teams sit down and give maximum effort without any messing about. In the end we even had a big audience of parents and passers by each time we went out.

Every day after that the smart kids helped the other kids with their maths, everybody got involved in English and the class was fantastic. Never had I seen such a transformation in kids in a Thai school. As soon as I walked into the class it was what time is health? Same answer - once maths and English were finished.

These kids passed every test I set them after our keep fit regime started. Carrot and stick works every time if used properly, but I suppose it helps if you know what you are doing. I know all teachers don't have the freedom I had but do try it if you can. Thai kids are very competitive once you get them playing against each other and they really do respond to teamwork. Hope this helps some of you folks out there. Try and enjoy.

I have been back home in England for seven months now and have never looked back. I got a job just after getting back and everything is looking up here now. I took my my Thai girl back with me and she loves it here. Thailand will always have a special space in my heart and so will all my ex-students who turned into real stars.

Stephen Salter

In response to Mr. Gravoso's letter "Can't Speak English?" (Postbox 23rd April) I have one request to ask of you - please don't use our country, the Philippines, as an example of how great English flourished compared to what is happening in Thailand and Cambodia today. Let me explain why. We Filipinos were already familiar with the use of Latin writing symbols from the Spanish colonization of around 300 years. That made it easier for Filipinos in the past to learn English. If we had kept and used our own writing system the "Baybayin" today, then maybe things would be different. So in a way, we were "lucky" to have the Spanish and Americans colonize our country, so we could discard our original writing system.

As for teaching English here in Thailand or Cambodia, no matter how competent teachers are, English cannot be learned in school alone. Even if you're the most effective English teacher in the whole world, a student will only learn English to full extent if he/she uses it outside of the classroom. There should be a lot of exposure to the use of English. So to learn English much more quickly, they usually go abroad in exchange programs, or find a way to interact with foreigners here all the time, or strictly read and watch English books and movies.

The difference will be on how the governments of each country adopts the use of the English language. Take for example Singapore, a country whose natives use at least 3 different languages, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. But they have higher English literacy because their government pushes the use of English not only in schools but in other forms such as signs, billboards, newspapers, government forms and many others. Maybe in bigger cities here such as Bangkok it is somewhat being implemented, but how about in the provinces? Maybe that explains why students in bigger cities tend to have higher literacy in English?

I am happy for you though Mr. Gravoso, and I hope you do well and have a great time in Cambodia. Of course I agree with you that we need competent teachers with qualifications, but in a country where there is less supply of it, they will still put people to fill those empty slots no matter how dumb they are. I just want to point out that all these problems of English literacy is not to blame on us teachers alone but to the environment our students live and breathe during their daily lives out of the classroom as well.

Juan de la Cruz

Hello, I'm writing this whilst sitting in a suburb of London, I have just left Thailand after 10 years of teaching, my wife and two children are in the process of getting their passports and visas to follow me here in the next couple of months. Why? Enough is enough, I really do love Thailand, my life has been there, my kids were born there, but no more teaching for me.

To be honest I could of carried on, but teaching is not a realistic career if you have children in Thailand. Firstly there is no guarantee for the future, be it one year or five years. Secondly, Thai schools and teachers have an amazing ability to lie. I recently signed a contract with my school, where I had been teaching for the last few years, only to be told that I wasn't being paid for April and for the first half of May because the school was shut. I protested that I had already signed the contract, and that the contract was from April until April, one year, only to be told that this was only so the school could renew our work permits.

I was furious, I have two young mouths to feed, I wasn't going to get paid for six weeks, I had never had any previous problems with the school, in fact I was the only falang teacher at the school amongst 10 foreign teachers, I speak Thai fluently and had always got on with the Thai teachers and all my teachers assessments had been positive, but the school would not budge, I spoke to them nicely, I tried to appeal. The school then decided to pay all of the foreign teachers for May. This was good news, however they stuck by their decision not to pay us for April. Finally, with a heavy heart I decided that I just couldn't live like this any longer, my children are now the most important thing in my life and , without sounding corny, I just want what's best for them, and sadly Thailand isn't that.

Annoyed

It was my first day in school. I just signed up as an ESL teacher in an international school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to augment my income in the university in Battambang, Cambodia where I've been teaching for three years now. I was assigned to teach Level 10 ( Intermediate) class. I asked one of the students for her opinion regarding the topic. She replied, "Can't speak English. Don't know English."
I encouraged her by saying with a smile, "Teacher Pablo believes in you. Don't worry. I will definitely understand you."

On my way home I can't help but compare my school with another school in Battambang, Cambodia. My school has a reputation for hiring only native speakers. In fact, I am the first Asian ESL teacher in that school. In spite of that I've heard several students say that they can't speak English.

COERR Language Skills Center in Battambang only hires locals. They don't have any foreign teachers. They don't even have Filipino teachers. The big difference is that I've met a lot of students at COERR who are in level 7 and they are really conversant in English. This proves that the need to hire native teachers of English is a must is wrong.It is just a myth. What schools need to do is to hire competent teachers.

Let's take the case of the Philippines for example. I never had native English teacher since the first time I entered school. I learned English in a public school and with Filipino teachers. In fact, the Philippines never hired foreign teachers. The only time that the Philippines had American English teachers was in 1901 when the U.S. government sent 500 trained teachers to the Philippines. That's just it. After that we were practically on our own.

The difference? The American English teachers who went to the Philippines in 1901 and the teachers at COERR know pedagogy. They were and are trained teachers. While most of the native American teachers here are plumbers, electricians, gardeners or waiters whom I guess are having difficulty finding jobs in the U.S. probably because of lack of qualifications. Those who are really trained and qualified American English teachers would rather go to China, Japan or Korea where they can earn 3,000 to 4,000usd. American ESL teachers here in Cambodia earn 800usd to 1200usd.

I am not giving up. This is the reason why I really enjoy my teaching job at UME (University of Management and Economics) in Battambang. Cambodia. I am sure that my students will sooner or later become school administrators. I hope that they will not look at the color of the skin when they hire ESL teachers. They can hire whites, blacks or Asians. It doesn't matter. What is important is that they should look at the qualifications. I am sure though that they will hire teachers based on competencies.

Pablo Gravoso

In response to Isabella's letter ("How to take legal action", Postbox 19th April) unless it's Bangkok, take a Thai translator with you and visit the nearest labour court. Chiang Mai is "Region 5". Bring your documents and file a lawsuit. It will start out as an arbitration hearing but in case you need to pursue this further, there are Thai lawyers who speak excellent English and don't have the wildly overpriced fees of the big law firms. We are talking some 20-25k for the whole lawsuit. Many schools like to get new staff. Often it's just for financial reasons. Looking back at schools I worked at, I noticed lots of Asian and African replacementd at lower salaries than previous teachers. Make them fire you! This will trigger a notice period and severance - a few more months' at least. To resign would be plain stupid. Good luck!

Kru Anon

Stories where teachers and teaching agencies have come into conflict are all too common and allegations (on both sides) are difficult to prove/substantiate. Also, there are always two sides to every story. After having been here for over 12 years, I find that some schools are a great fit and others are not so much.

When stuck in a position where the school is not appreciating the teacher’s effort, or the teacher is not appreciating the school, it is best to find a better “home” or, quite simply, time to make a change. And, IMHO, labour courts don’t always offer the long-term satisfaction (or short term results) one desires but they do serve a valuable purpose.

To say this type of situation is a “Thai thing” is disingenuous because we have all read to the “horror stories” of teaching in China or Korea. In addition, all you need to do is read CNN, BBC or any other news outlet from the U.S. and U.K. to see the battles and bitterness surrounding education/teaching there (vocal parents with an agenda, overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources, learning-disabled or emotional unstable students, teachers being paid based on standardized test results, schools losing funding or being closed based on standardized test results, teachers without qualifications being hired by local education boards, and teachers prior to obtaining tenure being forced out for nebulous reasons…the concept of tenure itself is under attack).

Racism, or judging one by their appearance, is also not a uniquely Thai attribute. I grew up in an area of outright racism…violent, ignorant racism… Regardless, judging someone based on the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their religion, their economic status, etc. is wrong whatever the location or industry (or reasons).

I spent years “preaching” equality but, in the end, it came down individual connections that changed people’s thinking. All I can suggest is to focus on changing each individual’s perception rather than feeding into their preconceived (and wrong-headed) notions. Nothing that is said will change a person’s mind until they meet someone that defies what they believe to be true.

Finally, I don’t believe the finger can be pointed just at agencies since there are good and bad agencies just as there are good and bad schools…or even good and bad teachers. Each situation, teacher, agency, and school is unique.

Just as some schools are not a good fit for a teacher, some agencies are not as well (and vice-versa). The truly bad agencies don’t stay in business in the long run…and the truly bad schools change their tune after “too much bad press”...and the truly bad teachers end up leaving because they can’t find gainful, stable employment.

I wish teachers the best of luck but if you are an experienced, qualified teacher then employment will be quite easy to find. Go out there and find a more positive working environment but remember to leave the past (experience) behind you.

Don’t bring any animosity into a new job…judge the new position based on what it is…new and unique..a chance to start fresh and show them who you are and what you can do.

Mike

Reading a past ajarn Postbox letter, I was curious to know how the teacher proceeded to take legal actions against his school who were breaching his contract. I'm in a very similar case at the moment and would appreciate any advice. The international school that I work for employed me on a 23-month contract but they want to terminate it after my first school year for very vague reasons. They have asked me to pay them back a lot of money (airfare and accommodation allowances provided) to change my two-year contract to a one-year contract.

Because it isn't my decision, I find it unfair to be that penalized. I came all the way here with the intention of staying for two years and I have now got several commitments here that are hard to get out of. I read on the Thai embassy website that what the school are doing is called "resignation under compulsion" and is considered as an unlawful resignation in Thailand. I tried calling the Ministry of Education but unfortunately nobody can speak English so I can't get help from them. Please I'm seeking advice here about a very stressful situation which I am hoping to resolve very soon. We are just about to start the last term of the school year and I want to finish this experience on a positive note.

Isabella