Thailand’s education and propaganda. The role of schools and universities in Thailand has always been to discourage critical thinking. Even asking constructive questions of teachers and professors is frowned upon. Effectively, it’s forbidden.
You must accept what teacher tells you. You learn by rote, not by asking questions which might extend your knowledge. You learn what the government of the day want you to learn. Students are fed government propaganda.
An example: there was to be a government inspection at a school where I assisted as a volunteer teacher. I tried to make learning English fun by getting the children to recite nursery rhymes and tongue-twisters.
The kids enjoyed that. Having fun, sanuk in Thai, is an obligatory part of Thai culture.
But, the school authorities had different ideas. They wanted to impress the inspectors by showing how beautiful the buildings and grounds were.
Some children spent the entire morning removing weeds and levelling gravel. Others repeatedly swept and cleaned classroom floors which were already spotless.
The opportunity to show the inspectors their teaching methods, some of which were highly effective, was lost. It was all about putting on a good show, impressing government authorities.
The late King Bhumibol said that his people didn’t need to think; he would do their thinking for them. To Western ears, that sounded derogatory and paternalistic.
But, Thais took it to mean that he was helping them. They wouldn’t be troubled to have to think for themselves. The King, as father of the nation, was doing them a favour.
The need to look objectively at how Thai education might be improved, and how government propaganda could be curtailed is not being addressed.
