Education is the basis of the progress of any society – economically, technologically, politically and culturally. Most governments recognise this and put it at the centre of their policies.
But it is not an easy or quick solution. It can literally take a generation for education policies to bear fruit as young people pass through the system. Results are unlikely to be immediate. Attitudes change slowly. Use of technology is increasingly important but quality of teachers and teaching methods is vital.
I saw this during my own education experience. I went to a local state funded secondary school. Thanks to my teachers I was accepted to study law at university. I didn’t really know much about law, but there was a book on the careers shelf in our small library about being a lawyer which looked quite interesting and I thought I would try for that. My undergraduate education was a fantastic experience. It taught me academic rigour, to judge issues on the facts and to never be afraid to question or challenge. A bad argument does not become a good one simply because the person who is espousing it is important. I then went to another European country to study my Masters. That was a different experience. I enjoyed the social life but was deeply disappointed in the way of teaching. I remember one of the lecturers telling us “if you want to get good marks in the exam, you must write down what I say , and then repeat it back in the exam”. That is not learning or academic development. It is simply a test of memory, or in extreme cases an attempt at brainwashing.
Similarly, if the manner in which learning is approached is important, so is the subject matter. Universities and colleges need to teach subjects which are relevant to the needs of society. One example of this is the rise in the importance of vocational training over the past few years to ensure students have the skills which are needed in the workplace and therefore better equipped to get good jobs. And the growing partnerships between the education sector and industry. In the UK we see this in the joint working of companies such as Rolls Royce with all parts of the education system – from schools to doctoral research. And the world famous Cambridge life sciences park .
Britain is justifiably seen as a global leader in education, particularly popular with foreign students. Like all countries, we need to face challenges, particularly around funding. But the quality of the education, together with the experience of living in a vibrant diverse society and culture, and the ability to consolidate English language skills mean that international students come in increasing numbers. Outside the European Union, Thailand is in the top 10 countries for sending students. About 8,000 Thais studied in the UK last year.
If you are interested in learning more there are helpful sites on the internet such as UCAS for university applications. Or you can contact the British Council here in Bangkok. I was pleased to welcome Andrew Glass their new director who started work this week.
We look to share some of our experience with Thailand. So for example the British Council has an important programme about science teaching in partnership with BG . Many British schools have established themselves in Thailand and I hear impressive stories of academic achievement when I attend their end of year award ceremonies. And of course the English language is a globally important tool , in Thailand’s case increasingly so with the creation of the Asean Economic Community. So there are many English Language Teaching schools here. And we have a very successful scheme to send young English Teaching assistants to Thailand. This year 248 came and attended 173 educational establishments throughout the country. Here are some photos of their farewell reception. We hope to see even more next year!
