Source - Bangkok Post Website (Eng)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008  00:40

          IN MY OPINION

          From tiny acorns

          Over the years, many educational initiatives have fallen by the wayside due to the misbelief that  they would never work

          STEVE GRAHAM

          Big educational initiatives are often dismissed as dreams by those who have "seen it all before". Even with the introduction of the Education Act of 1999, we are nearly 10 years late in wondering how to move Thailand's English language education into the 21st century.

          Scaling up education reform

          Some time ago, I started an initiative where I wanted to help with the English language training of nearly 4,000 teachers in the Isaan area of northeast Thailand.

          Some education commentators believe that, at present, Thai English teachers are preoccupied with O-Net results, because this is the main way by which their pay and promotion are gauged. If this is the case, it is too much of a wrench to move from a teacher-centred role to learner-centred communicative learning. A "halfway house" is needed to assist teachers in making the transition to the edicts laid down in the Education Act of 1999.

          Based on the pyramid-selling techniques of some well known brands in Thailand, I proposed that the teachers should be trained in groups of five and should ultimately become mentors for their peers.

          Teacher training can take many forms and can only succeed if there is a will to do so. — STEVE GRAHAM

          I was given polite attention by those around me and was put into the false belief that once I had had my say, I would quietly go away with my project. My self-belief was in tatters after finding out that there was neither the will nor the inclination to make my initiative a reality.

          After speaking to someone working for the Ministry of Education, I was given the encouragement to try pilot courses and to think on a much smaller scale.

          It was by chance, and through a complicated networking system, that I had this conversation in which I found a kindred spirit who actually wanted me to succeed.

          In order for the plan to work, I would have to use my own time and money, so I decided to obtain the moral backing of the Language Centre of Udon Thani Rajabhat University as I did not want my plan to become the "Steve Graham show". I preferred a more-Thai initiative. It would also give the project some credibility if it were backed by the university.

          Tiny acorns to great oak trees

          I recently made an acquaintance with Dave Hopkins, who showed me some materials that he had developed, called "Smooth Moves". I thought that this was a great idea. However, it would be difficult to implement, as there would probably be resistance to change, because the change was too great.

          This gave me the idea of a smooth transition from old ideals to new ones, which is by adding the communicative elements of Dave Hopkins' materials to the existing O-Net materials that the teachers were already using.

          This project involves nothing new and does not need weeks of teacher training. It requires one day to train five teachers, with follow-up time, when required, to support them until they are ready to work independently.

          Ideally, I would take a back seat and facilitate the Thai teachers as they prepare lessons using the materials provided, and then I would help with planning the implementation of the materials.

          Nothing ventured, nothing gained. There is no way of knowing if this project will sink or swim. It will depend on the character and will of the individuals who make up the pilot course, not on their English language ability.

          Will to succeed

          There are some cynics who believe that the average Thai English teachers are only after an easy life and that they consider the passing of every day at work to be a day nearer to their pension.

          This is not the case. However, some teaches are tired of all the initiatives that have been tried in the past and believe that there is no way that an effective change in education policy can take place.

          Education reform will become possible only if there is a will to succeed.

          Teachers, trainers and schools must put their personal aspirations on hold and work together for the betterment of their students and country. Through effective education transformation, these teachers can change the course of Thailand's development.

          This will involve giving up their free time, reorganising their classes and  -  most importantly  -  having an open mind to accept that there may be times when lessons do not go according to plan. More likely, there will be setbacks, and these have to be viewed as a part of the implementation process, not as failure.

          In my opinion, a bottom-up approach can work as long as there is recognition from the top-down. Once the pilot course has been evaluated, the Ministry of Education can judge whether or not it has a realistic chance of working on a larger scale.

          Steve Graham is an English language teacher at the Language Centre, Udon Thani Rajabhat University in north-east Thailand. You can contact Steve at steve@steves-english-zone.com if you have something you would like to discuss.