As I have promised in the final session of the training program for foreign teachers at Faculty of Education Chandrakasem Rajabhat University yesterday, let us now open the floor for more discussions.
In the meeting yesterday,when we asked all about 40 foreign teachers if anyone agrees with the No Fail Policy, there was not even 1 vote to support that. All over 40 teachers including some Thai teachers said NO.
What is it ?
The No Fail Policy is something quite strange in Thai education system. Students especially in secondary schools are always safe no matter how lazy they are. They are not allowed to fail in examination. Teachers must help them to pass the test.
That's general idea about No Fail Policy. I don't know much about this but the space below is waiting for your comments and furthur discussions. Please feel free to drop any useful information, your direct experience and any constructive comments.
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บันทึกเป็นภาษาอังกฤษ เพื่อเป็นสนามความคิด และข้อเสนอแนะจากครูต่างชาติ สมาชิกคนไทยก็ร่วมวงได้ครับ แต่ขอให้นำเสนอเป็นภาษาอังกฤษนะครับ เพื่อการแลกเปลี่ยนเรียนรู้กับ สหาย ครูชาวต่างประเทศ เหล่านั้น
Thank you Nong Bao ขจิต ฝอยทอง
Don’t let them pass without learning.
Yes. Be kind to them but don’t kill them with our kindness.
Very Cool,my big brother.
The 'No Fail Policy' is a failure.
It fails to serve Thailand and it fails to serve it's future and it's people.
Today's students are tomorrows leaders of this great national, morally, ethically and economically.
This policy makes a mockery of the education system and does nothing to enbolden this country at home or in the international community.
Those who support this policy need to consider the effect this has on students' expectations on life, and the future economy of Thailand.
Like it or not, Thailand needs to be a a part of global change, for the sake of Thailand, and human kind. False success may seem to save face, but it makes that face an ugly one, which can not be taken seriously by like minded professioanls or the international community. Nor will it be deemed acceptable by tomorrows leaders in Thai communities, who will accept nothing less than world's best practice, credible professional standards and ethical behaviour.
At times I am so embarresed for the state of the education system in this country. When I meet countless university graduates of English degree programs, who can not provide a single coherent sentence in English, my heart truly sinks for these people. It's not their fault. The system has failed them. It's not the teacher's fault. Their hands are tied ( or Thai'd - if you'll excuse the pun ). The administration lets them down. It's the collective consciences of the decision makers that need to wake up and smell the thorns. It will happen someday. Thailand will demand it. As will the international community. I hope for the sake of this wonderful country that it is sooner, rather than later.
Failing does not mean failure. It's an opportunity for growth. It's not about face. It's about growth and learning. We all need to strive for excellence. Adapt. Improve. Learn how to accept and manage feedback. It's only data after all. It's not personal. What we do with that data makes us who we are, and sets the bench mark for our future goals.
Sorry to take up so much space on this issue.
Keep up the good work Khun Pinit. Thailand ( and the world ) needs more voices and hearts like yours, who are prepared to stand up, and make a difference.
Peace.
While waiting for more comments,let me express my thankfulness to ..
Count me as #41.
I plan to ask the director of the school -and hopefully our student's parent's, if they would be interested in having students who, in addition to their regular academic requirements/testing, are also taught and tested in a 'special program' that would reflect actual comptency. No copying possible, no cheating possible. This may be a good thing for parents to know regarding their child's intelligence, through normal (intl) educational standards of measurement.
Just an idea, but maybe a step in the right direction.
Good day ajarn;
i have not a background as to why the thai government implemented no failure policy. it really is a big issue not only to the students' future but the teachers' performance as well. i believe that there is a dual effect that strikes both educators and learners' growth and competency. as for now, it is just an imagination because i can not support this with a piece of evidence, but i am interested in studying a particular area of this field. i wonder if anyone or any of the kind professors can give some information regarding this policy and the prior studies undertaken.
i am a post graduate-student of naresuan University, it is my first year at school. i am glad that the university opened international programs for aspiring students like me.
what i observed after having been teaching in Thailand for three years is that the same problems that occur in one highschool, i taught at, regarding students attitude toward learning are present in the other school (i taught last) year, and the school i am teaching at this year.
the Thai government must have had a very good reason for implementing such a policy. i suppose it was not meant to harm but to do good. even then, i would not say yes to this. i may not hurl in a complaint, but i'd say i'd like to see a research undertaken to find whether it is time to change the policy and what are the progresses of students' performance in the different core subject taught in highschool have been since the policy was implemented. i wonder if there is an upward trend or a downward trend.
i hope to see more in this blog^-^ i look forward to hearing from anyone about my request kkk^-^
The government
> continuation...
The government on the other hand must have the records. is it possible to obtain these records? will they be available in English? just a query... thanks once again.
Haven't seen this one when created but not too late!
Having read from somewhere (probably Howard Gardner's Frame of Mind or others of his), "There is no such a thing like students who fail, there is only teacher (or school, or parents, or system) that fails student." That's after he wrote multiple intelligences and open the "possibilities to learn" more than mere mathematic/logistic and liguistic, the only two domains for IQ testing (at the time).
There is no success or failure, just experience or learning. If the meaning of "no fail" comes from this thinking, I should think it is OK. However, I percieve that it might mean something else, e.g. there cannot be a failed student in class or the teacher will be fired (or school's budget will be cut). If the implication goes with the latter, we will have our doom indeed.
As philosophical way of thinking, maybe when we do not accept the fail, it means there are always way-out or there are always solution. Maybe we just have not looked hard enough. This is probably a positive thinking way to deal with students who have various learning styles facing teachers who have monotonous style of teaching.
Let's hang it right there and wait for more opinion! :)
Imagine getting new heart valves or a brain operation from a doctor that got a c+ because he had to pass. Or an electrician that did the house installation but was to lazy to do his schoolwork. I wonder if Thai people would not prefer a doctor or installation guy that actually knows was top of his class and graduated with A+