Friday, April 15, 2005
Goodbye to Thailand
Lucky for us, one of Katrina's cousins (Sarah Shaw) came to visit us the last couple of weeks before we moved. It was so fun to have her here with us. While we finished up our business in Phimai, Sarah toured around Ayuthaya and Chiang Mai, soaking up the Thai culture, as well as 43 yards of Thai silk for her sister Marian - 43 YARDS!
We were happy to travel down to one of Thailand's most beautiful islands for a few days of sun and the beach before packing up our bags, eating our last Pad Thai, and getting on a plane for Shanghai.
We have mixed emotions about leaving Thailand. While our job introduced us to some amazing people and allowed us plenty of time to travel, our creativity for new lessons was waning, and we were itching for new surroundings. We will never forget our students and our fun times in the classroom. However, we continue to be frustrated by the Thai education system in general and hope that our broadened perspective will help us better address problems in the education system that will affect the lives of our own children.
There are only 13 universities in all of Thailand - the oldest, Chulalongkorn University, is only 88 years old (est. 1917). One of the major problems throughout Thailand's education system (from kindergarten to Ph.D.) is that very few parents encourage their children to attend a university because there is no tradition or legacy that emphasizes education. Most of the children (outside of Bangkok) have plans to become farmers, or take over their parents' shop and have little motivation for success in school. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education has passed a "no fail" policy that allows students to progress through school regardless of their performance. We saw the problems of this policy first-hand. I taught juniors and Katrina taught sophomores - both groups of students who had received English training for at least 4 years (since at least 7th grade). Unfortunately, only a handful of students could carry on a simple conversation, and 7 out of 10 students could not decipher "how are you?" from "how old are you?" While the teachers are in part to blame, a system that does not reward or punish (and therefore encourage) students for studying to receive better marks is a disability, in the end, for the students who learn to just go through the motions.
We are intrigued by what we have heard about Chinese students who study 6 days a week in a system renowned for its strictness and competitiveness. While a part of us will always remain in Phimai, our excitement is building as we prepare the second chapter of this adventure.
We were happy to travel down to one of Thailand's most beautiful islands for a few days of sun and the beach before packing up our bags, eating our last Pad Thai, and getting on a plane for Shanghai.
We have mixed emotions about leaving Thailand. While our job introduced us to some amazing people and allowed us plenty of time to travel, our creativity for new lessons was waning, and we were itching for new surroundings. We will never forget our students and our fun times in the classroom. However, we continue to be frustrated by the Thai education system in general and hope that our broadened perspective will help us better address problems in the education system that will affect the lives of our own children.
There are only 13 universities in all of Thailand - the oldest, Chulalongkorn University, is only 88 years old (est. 1917). One of the major problems throughout Thailand's education system (from kindergarten to Ph.D.) is that very few parents encourage their children to attend a university because there is no tradition or legacy that emphasizes education. Most of the children (outside of Bangkok) have plans to become farmers, or take over their parents' shop and have little motivation for success in school. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education has passed a "no fail" policy that allows students to progress through school regardless of their performance. We saw the problems of this policy first-hand. I taught juniors and Katrina taught sophomores - both groups of students who had received English training for at least 4 years (since at least 7th grade). Unfortunately, only a handful of students could carry on a simple conversation, and 7 out of 10 students could not decipher "how are you?" from "how old are you?" While the teachers are in part to blame, a system that does not reward or punish (and therefore encourage) students for studying to receive better marks is a disability, in the end, for the students who learn to just go through the motions.
We are intrigued by what we have heard about Chinese students who study 6 days a week in a system renowned for its strictness and competitiveness. While a part of us will always remain in Phimai, our excitement is building as we prepare the second chapter of this adventure.
Hanoi
Our trip through the old de-militarized zone into North Vietnam was uneventful, to say the least. While our trip took us along portions of the now infamous "Ho Chi Minh Trail," all the signs of a war-torn country are long gone, and the landscape - while green - is comprised of nothing more than endless rice paddies stretching in all directions.
We spent several days in the central city of Hue (pronounced "Way"), about 90 km south of the demilitarized zone, where several fierce battles took place - not the least of which was the struggle for the massive citadel in the city center. Hue was (and still is) a major center for religious studies and has a history full of religious persecution and torture. Many of the monks who later lit themselves on fire in protest of the South Vietnemese policies were trained in the temples of Hue. Near the city rest some of Vietnam's ancient emperors whose "tombs" are acres and acres of beautiful gardens and a very distinct architectural syle (influenced by the ethnic Chinese).
After an overnight train ride, Katrina and I arrived in Hanoi - the old capitol of North Vietnam which is a living relic to the French occupation of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, Soviet-era architecture and statues are juxtaposed throughout the charming, European-style store fronts throughout the city. A large statue of Lenin took my back to my days in Russia, as did the mausoleum which, in the spirit of Lenin, houses the preserved body of "Uncle Ho" whom we saw with our own eyes. Strangely enough, Ho Chi Minh asked to be cremated in his will, but his followers failed to follow this last request.
One of the highlights of our entire trip through Southeast Asia was our boat trip through the majestic limestone formations in Halong Bay to the east (and just south of China). We spent 3 days and 2 nights touring around the bay, visitng caves, coves, and beaches. The landscape was absolutely amazing (as our pictures can attest in the Halong Bay album) and we were sad to have to leave - to get back to Thailand in time for our Summer English Camp.
We spent several days in the central city of Hue (pronounced "Way"), about 90 km south of the demilitarized zone, where several fierce battles took place - not the least of which was the struggle for the massive citadel in the city center. Hue was (and still is) a major center for religious studies and has a history full of religious persecution and torture. Many of the monks who later lit themselves on fire in protest of the South Vietnemese policies were trained in the temples of Hue. Near the city rest some of Vietnam's ancient emperors whose "tombs" are acres and acres of beautiful gardens and a very distinct architectural syle (influenced by the ethnic Chinese).
After an overnight train ride, Katrina and I arrived in Hanoi - the old capitol of North Vietnam which is a living relic to the French occupation of the 18th and 19th centuries. However, Soviet-era architecture and statues are juxtaposed throughout the charming, European-style store fronts throughout the city. A large statue of Lenin took my back to my days in Russia, as did the mausoleum which, in the spirit of Lenin, houses the preserved body of "Uncle Ho" whom we saw with our own eyes. Strangely enough, Ho Chi Minh asked to be cremated in his will, but his followers failed to follow this last request.
One of the highlights of our entire trip through Southeast Asia was our boat trip through the majestic limestone formations in Halong Bay to the east (and just south of China). We spent 3 days and 2 nights touring around the bay, visitng caves, coves, and beaches. The landscape was absolutely amazing (as our pictures can attest in the Halong Bay album) and we were sad to have to leave - to get back to Thailand in time for our Summer English Camp.