Thai children falling into gap between school and home
Re: “IQ’s primary source: Genetics or Environment?”, Have Your Say, October 5.
Nature or nurture; genes or environment? When it comes to intelligence, most scientists say both are important influencing factors. “Environment” plays an especially important role in Thailand, where so many children grow up in the care of their grandparents or other relatives after their parents leave home to find work. Poverty also brings a higher incidence of broken homes. If they are fortunate, as in the case of the Udon Thani family I discussed in my previous letter, the grandparents/carers are conscientious and education-minded. However, few are so lucky.
Another family of my acquaintance comprises a divorced mother and her young son. The two were split up when the mother had to leave to look for a job in Bangkok. At the age of 8, he was reunited with his mother, who had moved back to a rural environment. His stepfather valued a good education, but noticed that the locals seemed to rely totally on the school system without feeling the need to encourage learning at home. He did his utmost to change that, by buying Thai reading books, maths manuals, an Internet subscription, and setting an example by reading himself. All in vain, because the community drive to expand the learning area beyond the school was lacking.
The structural lack of school homework drove the stepfather crazy. (The Udon kids referred to in my previous letter were given school homework on a daily basis.) The stepfather reluctantly gave up on his home education. The proof of this “school pudding” will be in next year’s Phratom 6 O-NET results, he remarked, grimacing because he had seen recent exam statistics.
This second family situation reveals an all-too-common culture of a non-stimulating childhood environment dependent totally on the school for education. So, what’s the solution? In cases of vulnerability due to a divorce or a “skipped generation” period, better interaction between teacher and parents could lead to early detection and remedial action.
Our ageing society needs to transit to the Thailand 4.0 status quickly. To complete this crucial mission, we cannot afford to leave any children behind.
Dirk Sumter
