Education system breeds mediocrity
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Re: "Children are left ill-prepared for life"
Mr Brown writes an interesting and passionate letter about education in Thailand, and I wish more opinion-formers in Thailand would take this area of social development with the same gravitas as he clearly does.
Sadly, though, there is a problem. The third-rate, greedy reptiles that pass as politicians here in Thailand, with but a painfully few exceptions – and unhappily the operative word is few – have absolutely no interest in the population at large gaining insight, as this would spell the end of their feeding frenzy at the public trough and their obscene nest feathering.
Mr Brown errs slightly in the role of the levels of education. Primary education is essentially to develop the child as an individual and allow them to understand who they are and how to relate to others. Learning is but a secondary aspect of this period.
Secondary education is truly about learning and assimilating the nature and substance of the world in which we live, but good teachers at this level do not seek to create questioning minds but hungry minds.
If and only if the fire of curiosity is lit is there a point to a student embarking on tertiary education, which is rightly qualified by the names “further” and “higher”.
So sadly Mr Brown, I see little prospect of Thailand reaching its potential, as the system is bent towards low mediocrity, as that preserves the comfortable status quo.
DR DANIEL DELAWARE
BANGKOK
