Topic: Potisarnpittiyakorn School

[A Proper Pauper]

A memo late last week instructed us not to "disturb" the Thai coordinator "from her working."  We also heard that more posts here may result in the director terminating us all.  We were told we were not allowed to undermine the school's reputation - it is not our right!

Do not disturb her?  We are undermining the school's reputation?  Has she also gone mad? 

Dealing with us and our concerns is her job!  What about all the meetings we have had that "disturb" us from our work?  The lack of textbooks for the first 9 or 10 weeks of the semester?  The continual changes in management and program structure?  The 15 committees that now must meet till people are sick of meeting to make a simple decision?  The refusal to hire a foreign coordinator, while the school saves hundreds of thousands of baht by assigning additional work to us?  The departure of 4 teachers and a very well-liked Thai assistant in a period of 5 weeks because of the actions of the Thai coordinator and the director?  The lies the director has told to us about salaries and bonuses that then changed?  The lies he told to students about why people are leaving?  The complete inability of the Thai coordinator to deal with foreigners who come from different cultures in a sensitive and understanding way?

The school -- primarily her and the head honcho director -- are destroying a program piece by piece, with no idea the damage they have done already.  They are undermining the school's reputation, not us.  They are making the problems, not us.  For example, we were told to sell books to students at full price even though they arrived with just 5 or 6 weeks left in the semester.  We are told to produce worksheets when we have spare time, because the parents want to see them.  We are told to be the best teacher we can be when the school is changing everything under our feet, and providing no one who can really understand and support us. 

So, I will continue to write here and let's see if the director really fires us all.  I don't think he has the courage to do it, but he certainly is stupid enough to and think it won't be a problem for the school.  Seeing this happen is not something any caring person could watch without speaking out against it.  And they have forced us to do it this way now, since we are cut off in every positive act we suggest.

[traveler]

I have sent messages to CC and Going mad regarding this school.  I was invited for an interview next week at this very school.  Honestly, after reading the comments and article CC wrote on Ajarn I decided not to go. However, these were not my only deciding factors. One of my previous schools up North had a similiar situation and can't see myself being in one again.

As good as CC's intentions and contributions were (I appllad you for your efforts! ), it doesn't change the root of the problem in Thailand's educational system. Parliament has to come in and change things. Someone above and beyond the educational system has to take these problems seriously and act on changing them. I am not convinced it will happen some time soon.

I have known great teachers, like CC who have tried and were frustrated in the end.  Some left Thailand, others stayed and were left with their only option: to overlook these matters and be satisfied with being able to contribute to students futures here in Thailand.  It's not right.

[Andy]

welcome to the Hall of Shame

[pelicanbrief]

Here is the worst truth about potisarn...The "omniscient" and "omnipotent" person (former foreign coordinator) who employed people whom he said to be intelligent professional teachers, is now trying to be a good Samaritan by cleaning his own mess. He is now asking those people who claimed to be the most qualified teachers (with master's degree) to tender their resignation to the director.

A bunch of junk deleted

 Act now before it’s too late. Do something on this serious unaccepted conduct of these people. You are being deceived in your own land. Wake up students and parents! They are just after of your money but they don’t care about the future of your children! Wake up! Wake up! 

[hero]

Now I don't know anything about this school - but it seems like the guy above has issues with its teaching staff more than anything else.  Have you been wronged by the school admin or did you fall out with your colleagues?

I'm not making assumptions - but anonymously criticising teachers on this site could easily be misconstrued.

[Andy]

Dude, if ya wanna criticize and flame your fellow teachers, head on over to Ajarn Forum, they'll welcome ya with open arms. But that don't fly here.

If ya wanna post about the school, tell us how the admin failed or did good by ya.