Thanks for the reply, Ro. You sure put your heart into it. Like your school, at my school 'everyone' passes exams. Yes, even my own students, albeit I don't approve--and never will. You see, in Thailand, 'charm' is the key....Making students happy is the primary goal of educators here. It's too bad. This means students can cheat if they want....and most do.

When I compiled grades for my classes at the end of last semester (at the beginning of March), I failed probably 30% of my students for cheating during their courses with me. Guess what....those grades were changed to at least 'C's' by the head of the English department.

Whatever makes them happy, eh? The only way these kids would be able to use their current sorry knowledge of English is by parking themselves behind a slop-trough or trinket stall on Koh Sarn Road. For the life of me I don't understand why Thai educators emphasize charm and making students happy. Are they afraid the kids will become bored in their classes and rebel, making them look bad? If my students don't learn what they need to learn today because they don't want to be bored, I guarantee they'll be bored in a few years working the trinket stalls selling cheap crap to tightwad backpackers.

Yeah, my students complain my classes are boring at times. I'm glad my classes are boring sometimes. At least I know my students are trying in my classes. I make sure of it. Bored today? You better believe it. Bored tomorrow? Maybe. Maybe not. My students think they're going to escape boredom by sleeping, horseplaying, talking, or skipping my classes. Little do they know of the life that awaits them if they keep goofing off. I sure can't convince them.

The fact is I've not seen longer faces on people than the Thai hawkers Koh Sarn Road in Bangkok. Damn that lifestyle must be BORING! I don't want that life for MY students. They can be bored NOW in my classes for a little while or be bored LATER for much longer periods for a LOT longer than a measly six years. It's mostly their choice. Thankfully for them, it's partly MY choice as well.

Thailand has got to get over its love affair with charm in the classroom. And Thai students have to start trying much harder if they are going to break the cycle that is Koh Sarn Road.

That's my take on Thailand.

Thanks again,

E