Schooling in Thailand

[lee]

Schooling in Thailand
By Sean Fowler (Magazine Issue 12 Jan/Mar 2010)

Making sure your kids get a decent start in life and to increase their chances of getting better opportunities in the future is all about getting, at the very least, a reasonable education. In Thailand, that seems to be truer than anywhere else in the world that I know of, especially if you would like to see them progress into a decent working environment with a regular salary when they get older. Yes, I am one of those people.

I have heard all sorts of horror stories from Western parents who have had to relocate to Thailand for work or whatever. And in the process they have had to uproot their children from their apparently, ‘great’ & ‘faultless’ Western education system and bought them to Thailand, for what they think is 100 times worse than they were getting back in their home country.

From what I have seen, experienced and learnt from my own three young children here in Thailand whom were all born, bred and educated in Western Europe up until around this time last year. Something else worth nothing is the fact they were non Thai speakers at the time, now obviously that has changed.

First off, I checked out the availability of private schools in and around the areas of Udon and Nong Khai, listed them all and set about checking them all out, one by one, by booking appointments with whoever the schools principle was and requesting to spend some time watching the kids being taught in class.

Surprisingly some of the bigger private schools I went to view, were very disappointing, with classes way too large, 40+ kids, poor quality of teaching (in my opinion) and in sub standard buildings, not that this should be something to deter my decision of course.
Others in the cities of Udon Thani and Nong Khai were ok, but still not quite where I would like to see them, also they were pretty expensive, even by Thai standards.

As time went on I was getting more and more disillusioned by the quality of the schools I had been to see, and was beginning to have second thoughts about the whole event.

Strangely enough, I bumped into some guy from the United Kingdom shopping in Big C in Udon Thani. He lived out in the sticks and just came into town every so often to top up on a few bits and pieces. We had a chat and a coffee and before you could say thank you, he found the solution to my problem, although I did not know it at that point.

He recommended me coming up to visit him to see a local school (I’m not naming it without their permission) in Sri Chiang Mai, Nong Khai province.
I agreed and he arranged an appointment for me to view the school a couple of days later.

I arrived at the school, this time with my children, as per the request of the principal of the school, so the decision wasn’t just left down to me this time.

We had a look around the school, newish building, air con (a rare sight indeed) in the class rooms, Western teacher with a REAL teaching degree from the UK, smallish classes (around 20-25 on average), other teachers all with a good understanding of the English language(which all seemed to run a very good English language program there) and a real homely atmosphere to the place.

The annual fee was also a surprise, and was way more reasonable than most of the city school I had been to see. Ah, another added bonus, well for my kids anyway, was the swimming pools, yes pools, there are 2.

So this was the school that I finally decided to let my children run wild in, and I can tell you, I have never looked back.

Research and homework is all it takes to find what you are looking for!

[KHONDAHM]

Ok, Lee, spill it!

I know you know. School name and contact info, please.

[nkstan]

''He recommended me coming up to visit him to see a local school (I’m not naming it without their permission) in Sri Chiang Mai, Nong Khai province.''

Really,it is a secret?A stranger tells you,you hype up the forum and then refuse to name them?

Why did you make the post?

[BobHelm]

Schooling in Thailand
By Sean Fowler (Magazine Issue 12 Jan/Mar 2010)

Lee is reproducing an article from the magazine - as he often does for the benefit of non-resident forum members.
I really do wonder about the reading comprehension of some...

[pompui]

Maybe there is a clue in this google search on Sri Chiang Mai

http://www.olxthailand.com/sri-chiang-mai-iid-18312142

[JesusDominga]

That would be an interesting daily commute to school for the children, or are you boarding them, if so, what cost. Curious, since might be in the same position in few years, though hopefully not, as i understand schools, even considered very good are lacking professionalism. Though if boarding, that would defeat ones purpose of uprooting and moving here, and not being around them, purpose defeated and not for their educational benefit. As I moved to better schooling in better community / country setting, when younger and finishing last few years of high school. Also would have reservations, attending a school that has pools, and doesn't provide proper supervision, which again, I find Thai people lacking. Would not like my children, if having to be in dangerous setting.

Hopefully not the school with the link pp provided, as I also wouldn't want children taught by volunteers, sounds very back packish, and temporary staffing, and notice pre-school or higher grades are not provided. Think I would give that school a wide berth.

[nkstan]

Yep,there are gold bullion ingots available to everyone,you just have to bend over a pick them up free,but I am keeping their whereabouts a secret!
Wasn't that interesting ?

[trekkertony]

Forgive me for not picking up on the mental telepathy Bob, but at no stage did the original post preface the article by advising that it was intended for non resident forum members. A reply to Khondahm via a PM would have been a reasonable approach if there was an issue of breaching someone's confidence.

[KHONDAHM]

Forgive me for not picking up on the mental telepathy Bob, but at no stage did the original post preface the article by advising that it was intended for non resident forum members. A reply to Khondahm via a PM would have been a reasonable approach if there was an issue of breaching someone's confidence.

Hey, no worries, Trekkertony. I suppose every reader on the forum could find this Sean Fowler easily enough. Why, all they have to do is know via telepathy that the periodical "Magazine" is actually not a separate periodical called (descriptively enough) "Magazine", but Udonmap Magazine. But wait, then it wouldn't be a periodical, would it? It would be a section within a periodical. Which would mean that the byline, though complete when read within the pages of the printed periodical itself, would be incomplete when referenced from outside the periodical (needs a page number or link). Even with that, it just gets you to the original article which would be redundant given that it is already posted in its entirety.

Nevermind that, because Sean Fowler's contact info is right there in the Magazine section, except that it isn't. Well, I suppose every forum reader could call the Udonmap operator and get the info, except that then every forum reader would be calling the operator to get the info.

So, Trekkertony, don't be too harsh on our friend, Bobhelm. ...and thank you very much. =D>

Cheers!

[KHONDAHM]

Maybe there is a clue in this google search on Sri Chiang Mai

http://www.olxthailand.com/sri-chiang-mai-iid-18312142

Good find. While the whole volunteer-taught education sounds nice in a sort of "Save the Children", Peace Corps, or Salvation Army way, I would have to agree that it wouldn't be the sort of education I would be looking at providing to my own children. The secrecy thing is also something that gives one cause for pause. Fears of a mad rush aside, one has to wonder: why wouldn't they want recognition in Udonmap Magazine?

[BobHelm]

one has to wonder: why wouldn't they want recognition in Udonmap Magazine?

That you would need to ask them, or the author of the piece. KHONDAHM.
Maybe a PM to Lee would have got you contact details for him, I do not know, but undoubtedly would have been the best way to proceed.
That you did not know that Magazine Issue 12 Jan/Mar 2010 meant udonmap magazine I am truly surprised &, I must say disappointing, especially as the home page even has its own dedicated menu for it.
It didn't take any mental telepathy on my part Tony, just a bit of a memory. Lee said he would be putting various articles on the Forum from the magazine that people who had not seen might find interesting. He has been doing this for a number of months now. Hence my amazement that people should suddenly become confused by this one - when it was set out in exactly the same way as the tens issued before.

[polehawk]

Might have been less confusing to the newer members if the articles were placed within quotation marks. Just meant as a suggestion.

Schooling in Thailand
By Sean Fowler (Magazine Issue 12 Jan/Mar 2010)

Making sure your kids get a decent start in life and to increase their chances of getting better opportunities in the future is all about getting, at the very least, a reasonable education. In Thailand, that seems to be truer than anywhere else in the world that I know of, especially if you would like to see them progress into a decent working environment with a regular salary when they get older. Yes, I am one of those people............

[KHONDAHM]

That you did not know that Magazine Issue 12 Jan/Mar 2010 meant udonmap magazine I am truly surprised &, I must say disappointing, especially as the home page even has its own dedicated menu for it.

You make the perfect argument for a link.

You have to concede at some point that if several readers are confused, then the fault does not rest with the readers. Clearly, a contact should be provided or perhaps the article should not have been printed. It makes no logical sense to have an article all about some fantastic school - but then not disclose any details about it or make obvious how to contact the author.

YOU may know Sean - he may be sitting across the room from you having a cup of tea - but do not assume WE know him or how to contact him for more info. The posted byline does not an email address give.

Just my song-baht.

Cheers!

[BobHelm]

I believe a link would be virtually impossible. Each magazine is an adobe document. It is possible to link to the document, but not to a page within it. That was Lee's thinking in putting what he believed were interesting articles on the Forum.
No matter what attempts are made to simplify anything some people will always be confused by it.
As far as your argument that it does not make sense to discuss how fabulous a school is & then not to disclose it's name - personally it makes not a jot of difference to me as I am not looking for a school & I guess it does make some sense to Sean, as he wrote it
As far as I am aware I have never met the author & do not know him & certainly have no idea how to contact him. As I said before your best course of action would have been a PM to Lee. That is not because I am privy to some inside information but based purely on the logic that the author did not want to mention it in his article it is exceedingly doubtful he would want to disclose it on the Forum.

[KHONDAHM]

I think the other issue, Bobhelm, is your tone. Really, you are supposed to be a Moderator and post at a higher standard, not troll for conflict.

"I really do wonder about the reading comprehension of some..."
"No matter what attempts are made to simplify anything some people will always be confused by it. "

Anyone can dig up scores of other examples in other threads. None of which are befitting a forum Moderator. If I have to be the newbie on the board who confronts this glaring problem, then I guess that is what must be done. Please consider your "position" when posting troll comments like that. It is the standard you set for other members to follow.

[BobHelm]

I am sorry that you do not like my tone.
I am certainly NOT trolling for conflict, or anything else.
I do wonder about reading comprehension & life has taught me that no matter how carefully a person attempts to explain anything, if it is to more than 1 person some one will misunderstand it.
i notice that you make no reference to my suggestion that maybe you could have done something a little differently, but equally, from your previous posts, I rather expected that...

[KHONDAHM]

I am sorry that you do not like my tone.
I am certainly NOT trolling for conflict, or anything else.
I do wonder about reading comprehension & life has taught me that no matter how carefully a person attempts to explain anything, if it is to more than 1 person some one will misunderstand it.
i notice that you make no reference to my suggestion that maybe you could have done something a little differently, but equally, from your previous posts, I rather expected that...

While I do appreciate your advisement that a PM would also have been appropriate, this is an open forum. A PM from you to me (thus, following your own advice) suggesting that I PM Lee would have been welcomed. Equally welcomed would have been "Hey, try giving Lee a PM" rather than berating after the fact. You can reread your suggestion and see where your tone (for a Moderator) is a bit off.

I do appreciate and accept that sometimes what is written is not always consistent with the tone in which it is perceived to have been written. I believe this to be the case here and therefore we can amicably bring closure to this issue. Thank you for your replies.

[BobHelm]

Agreed.