THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Poll points to urgent need to revisit method of hiring and training teachers

Poll points to urgent need to revisit method of hiring and training teachers

The majority of respondents in a survey said teachers in general were aggressive, and those who abused their students lacked professional ethics.

The Suan Dusit Poll surveyed 1,896 people nationwide from September 29 to October 2 about their views on teachers.

Of the respondents, 78.90 per cent said they had not been punished, while 21.10 per cent said they had been punished, such as hit with a rod, been pinched, had the shirts pulled out, been shouted at, been insulted, had things thrown at them or were locked up.

Teachers have been in the spotlight after recent CCTV footage showed a Nonthaburi school teacher physically assaulting kindergartners.

When asked for their views on teachers who abused students (multiple choice), 84.36 per cent of respondents said teachers were aggressive, 83.41 per cent said they lacked ethics, 79.71 per cent said they felt depressed, and 74.59 per cent said schools lacked care.

When asked what they thought was the reason for teachers' violent behaviour, 86.77 per cent of respondents said they lacked professional ethics, 73.33 per cent said the guidelines for recruiting teachers were inadequate in finding good teachers and 63.28 per cent said schools lacked care.

Asked what parents should be most concerned about regarding their children, 80.54 per cent said teachers' punishment, 62.41 per cent said learning, 54.08 per cent said bullying, and 43.11 per cent said eating.

Regarding ways to prevent violence by teachers, 79.80 per cent of respondents said school directors must pay attention to the recent case, 77.32 per cent said guidelines for recruiting teachers must be improved, and 72.31 per cent said teachers and students must be monitored closely.

Pornpan Buathong, a researcher at Suan Dusit Poll, said this survey showed that the majority of respondents pointed at teachers lacking the required ethics for the job, so the Ministry of Education and school directors should urgently tackle this issue, as well as implement preventive measures.

"Also, the government should pay attention to violence in the classroom because it may affect their credibility," she said.

Meanwhile, Sitthiporn Iamsen, dean of Suan Dusit University's Faculty of Education, said the fact that 21.10 per cent of respondents had been punished by their teachers was worrisome even if the figure was low.

"However, if teachers punish and teach students to avoid doing bad things, while students admit their wrongdoing, it would not be considered violence by teachers," he said.

In the case of Onuma Ploadprong, a former teacher in a Nonthaburi school who was sacked for allegedly assaulting kindergarteners, he added that she cannot call herself a teacher because she did not have a bachelor of education degree.

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