What do Thai Policy Makers Think about Education? A Critical Analysis of Published Policy Makers’ Statements

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Richard Watson Todd

Abstract

If English language teaching is to flourish and be successful in Thailand across a
wide range of contexts, government support for valuable initiatives and innovations is needed. Although there have been a large number of educational innovations in the last few years, most have had little effect on the English learning of Thai students. To understand why certain innovations are promoted and why most innovations have little impact, we need to understand the thinking of the policy makers, especially at the Ministry of Education. This paper presents a critical analysis of quotations from Ministers of Education, senior education officials and others influential in Thai education from the last few years to attempt to uncover their concerns and their conceptions of education. The analysis reveals that the policy makers subscribe to the ideology of social and economic efficiency as the philosophy driving Thai education, that they promote preconventional morality, that they view ‘traditional’ methods as necessarily detrimental, and that they believe there is a single best way of teaching. The implications of these views for the development of English language education in Thailand are discussed. 

Keywords: Thai education, educational policy makers, educational innovation

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How to Cite
Todd, R. W. (2014). What do Thai Policy Makers Think about Education? A Critical Analysis of Published Policy Makers’ Statements. Journal of Studies in the English Language, 6. Retrieved from https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jsel/article/view/21846
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Vol. 6 (2011)
Section
Articles
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