World Education

Dear Fellow Foreign Teachers in Thailand,

We recognize that The Teachers' Council of Thailand is requiring foreign teachers to undergo professional certification to be able to continually teach in any primary and secondary schools in Thailand. The process of the said certification is through any of the following:

1. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + Education degree,

2. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + any non-education degree + foreign teaching license

3. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + any non-education degree + graduate education diploma at least one year of study presumably in Thailand or abroad.

4. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + any non-education degree + Certificate of Professional Knowledge Tests for Foreign Teachers.

There seems to be no problem for those who qualify numbers 1 and 2, but it's really a problem for those under numbers 3 and 4, who will either take one-year graduate education diploma, which costs about 60,000, 80,000, 100,000, 120,000, or 144,300 Baht or pass the Professional Knowledge Tests for Foreign Teachers, which cost 4,000 Baht, but only less than 5% pass rate.

My personal experience with one of the toughest tests (Curriculum Development, Learning Management and Classroom Management, which terms and concepts are familiar to me) on Friday, October 3, 2008 (but didn't take the tests on October 4, 2008, since it's Saturday, and I'm a Seventh-day Adventist), and those of other test takers, give a definite conclusion that foreign teachers have no better option than taking a one-year graduate education diploma either in one of the colleges/universities in Thailand or abroad [as implied in Clause 3 (2) of the TCT notification].

Luckily, there is the best option among them which is offered by one of the state colleges/universities in the Philippines, Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, a highly accredited state college, which granted Senator Manny Villar an Honoris Causa in Doctor of Philosophy in Institutional Development and Management, now with its phenomenal enrollment growth to more than 6,000 students in a short period of time as 18 years. It is now in its second reading at the House of Representatives to becoming Central Cotabato State University. Its program in Bangkok is offered by St. Robert's Training and Management Center in consortium with the International Academy of Management and Economics, Makati City, and is affiliated with PWU's DLC-Bacolod St. Robert's Training and Management Center, headed by Dr. Robert Galindez, the DLC off-campus dean, and also President and Dean of Philippine Christian University-St. Robert's International Academy Iloilo extension. With other off-campus programs in Hong Kong and California, USA, please remember that Dr. Robert Galindez has been able to successfully bring the off-campus program to address the need of the Filipino teachers in Thailand. Therefore, let us grab this opportunity, since there is nothing to worry about the name "Sultan Kudarat" and its reputation.

Why SKPSC off-campus is the best option? (See the attached MSPowerpoint file)
1. The shortest program accomplished by May 2009, before you can renew your work permit (and by January 2010 for MAT, 16 months; and about 24 months for MBA)
2. It's ladderized diploma can be ugraded to MA in Teaching major in English, and MBA.
3. Very Affordable with staggered payments
4. Classes are held in Bangkok on Weekends (and special classes for SDAs on Saturday nights, Sunday whole day, and Sunday evening)
5. Curriculum can be easily adjusted to the subject areas required by TCT, since it's a state university which status is like the University of the Philippines that does not require any Special Order, and the dean has the right to do so.
6. Qualifies graduates to take LET, or teaching board exam in the Philippines
7. Qualifies graduates to apply the diploma in other countries
8. It's non-thesis MAT degree is qualified for a PhD program under the new regulation
9. Accepts transfer of credits to a maximum of 12 units
10. Other opportunities (please inquire)

Please feel free to ask more (FAQs) questions for you to be able to make the best decision. Please remember the clock is ticking.

Schedule of Classes:

Classes Started: October 25, 2008 (8-4PM; To be arranged for SDAs including evening).
Next (3rd) Class: Nov 29-30, 2008.

For Seventh-day Adventist teachers, this is your opportunity without jeopardizing your Sabbath services. Please join our newly created forum site by clicking Adventist Teachers in Thailand so we can have some forum on how to be free from Sabbath meetings.

Sincerely,

Rolly Obedencio
yllorco@yahoo.com
+66-84-672-1173
http://worldeducation.blog.co.uk/

CAUTIOUS NOTE:
There isn't any question on endorsement from Philippine Embassy-Bangkok. Endorsement from the embassy is not necessary since SKPSC is a state college, which its operation is directly mandated by the law of the Philippine government. Out of courtesy, SKPSC sent an endorsement letter in the manner of a courtesy call to H.E. Ambassador Antonio Rodriguez of the Philippine Embassy, Bangkok, which was received and confirmed through LBC on October 22, 2008, a day after the embassy's advisory came out on October 21, 2008:

Republic of the Philippines
SULTAN KUDARAT POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
ACCESS, EJC Montilla, Tacurong City

October 13, 2008

Hon. Antonio Rodriguez
Ambassador
Embassy of the Philippines in Bangkok, Thailand
760 Suknumvit Road, Opposite Soi
30/1 Prakanong, Bangkok 10110
Bangkok, Thailand

Dear Ambassador Rodriguez,

We are pleased to inform you that the Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, a state-owned higher education institution with office address at EJC Montilla, Tacurong City, province of Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao has concluded a Memorandum of Agreement with St. Robert’s Management and Training Center duly represented in Bangkok by Saen Sibat Co. Ltd., to pursue a collaborative endeavor in the field of education through the offering of the Ladderized Master of Arts in Teaching.

The said program is aimed at helping working students based in Thailand to pursue their post graduate studies through a ladderized approach. All subjects to be taught are based on the approved curriculum of the SKPSC.

It is at this end that we are soliciting the intervention of your Office by endorsing our Program to both local and national agencies based in Thailand for proper dissemination and promotion.

We are attaching the curriculum program for the Ladderized Master of Arts in Teaching program for your ready perusal.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours,

NELSON T. BINAG, Ph.D.
President

CLOSING NOTE:
As confirmed by Dr. Robert Galindez, the Philippine Embassy-Bangkok was sent a recent letter from SKPSC's Board of Trustees, whose chairman was Commissioner Umar, requesting to lift the said advisory as it may hamper the CHED program of the Philippine government in Bangkok. The advisory reached to the ears of Honorable Secretary Roque, to whom the embassy is liable to answer, and to Atty Dado, the DFA-in-charge of all consuls. Thus, Honorable Secretary Roque is pushing the embassy to lift the advisory and issue another letter of recantation which is yet to be seen. He will be in Bangkok by the first week of December to pressure the embassy of the said advisory. (It's a big question why it has taken so long to issue such letter by the embassy, though).

Please visit SKPSC-Bangkok, and take a look at its successful first and second courses.

Dear Dr. Chakrapat Wata:

Greetings!

May I have the privilege of requesting some answers to my queries based on the following provisions:

Quote:

Clause 2 Criteria for testing and evaluation of knowledge of the Applicants consist of:
(1) Thai language and culture.
(2) Professional ethics.
(3) Knowledge for practicing the teaching profession under Clause 5 (a) of the Regulations Governing Professional Standards and Ethics RE. 2548 (2005).

The testing and evaluation of knowledge shall be in accordance with the details attached to this Notification.

Clause 3 Any Applicant with at least one year of experience in teaching operations and the following educational qualification shall have passed the knowledge evaluation criteria under Clause 2 (1) (2):
(1) Education degree; or
(2) Other degrees with a foreign license to practice the teaching profession or a graduate diploma in education taking at least one year of study.

Clause 4 Any Applicant with at least one year of experience in teaching operations and other degrees without either a foreign license to practice the teaching profession or a graduate diploma in education taking at least one year of study shall have passed the knowledge evaluation criteria under Clause 2 (1) (2) and (3).

Clause 5 Having passed the evaluation criteria under Clause 3 or Clause 4, the Applicant shall submit the application for a license to practice the teaching profession, together with the following supporting documents within three years:
(1) Copy of the passport or any other document showing the legally valid entry into the Kingdom;
(2) Copy of the work permit or any document showing the regular residence in Thailand;
(3) Copy of the evidence showing the educational qualifications;
(4) Copy of the foreign license to practice the teaching profession;
(5) Copy of the certificate of teaching operations;
(6) Copy of the certificate of knowledge testing and evaluation;
(7) Two 1~inch full-face front view photographs without sunglasses, taken not exceeding six months.

Clause 6 Any foreigner who is a teacher in any educational institution prior to the date of enforcement of the Teachers and Educational Personnel Council Act RE. 2546 (2003) shall submit an application for a license to practice the teaching profession within one hundred and twenty days from the date of enforcement of this Notification.

The above notification seems only for any applicants who will be qualified to go through any of the three testing and evaluation criteria, but no specific mention of license to be granted to specific types of foreign teachers. It seems that the granting of license to any foreign teacher is under the discretion of the TCT.

Based on the provision above, is my understanding of the implication correct that license is granted to the following foreign teachers who have completed:

1. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + Education degree?

2. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + any non-education degree + foreign teaching license?

3. 20-hour training on Thai language and culture and Professional ethics + at least one year experience + any non-education degree + graduate education diploma at least one year of study in Thailand or abroad?

Is license also to be granted to the following foreign teachers who have completed the 20-hour training on Thai Language and Culture and Professional Ethics and:

4. Experienced BA graduate with more than a year of MA education units, surely more than a diploma (Clause 4)?

5. Has been a teacher anywhere outside Thailand since before 2003 (Clause 6)?

6. Any fresh Education graduate without any experience (Clause 3)?

7. Any non-graduate (i.e. no BA) foreign teacher before 2003 who failed to submit application beyond 120 days from the date of enforcement of this notification (maybe 17th day of June 2006, Clause 6)?

Hoping to receive your due consideration to the questions above.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rolly C. Obedencio