Topic: Hua Hin School

[Uncle Che]

Another post rescued from the old board

Hua Hin School

Most of HH's leading citizens once attended this school but it has gone a long way down since those days. This, the largest school in northern Prachuap Kirikhan province, the main school for this royal resort, is now in a situation where we have:
* A place where over 100,000 baht disappeared from the school coffers, & nothing was done about it;
* A place where the official boss (only in title) talks about putting TVs in the classrooms but many classes don't even have working lights;
* A place where there are no textbooks except illegal photocopies;
* And where students are told that foreign teachers aren't really teachers, & so should not be treated with the same attitude (respect?) as Thais.

The newly appointed head of the MEP has virtually taken over the school, & this is leading to a strong them-us divide between the local & foreign teachers. The school used to use a local TEFL training place/agency to find staff but is now recruiting directly. However, if you are considering working for this place, think twice & then think again. The corruption isn't just financial, alas.

[guran]

Absolutely true. This is a school for people desperate for visas or some income. I feel really sorry for the handful professionals, both foreign and Thai, who has to put up with the self-serving leadership. Parents!, please keep your children out of this mess.
 

[Troopie]

Update:
The school has now told all foreign teachers that as their budget is too small (embezzlement  doesn't help), salaries will be severely cut for the next school year, by 5,000 baht a month in some cases. One lady teacher with an M.A., who admittedly only works 14 hours a week (but has to stay on campus all day, of course), will be offered 18,000 a month next term.  The official reason for this is that due to parents' complaints, the fee for the MEP is to be cut to 12,000 per pupil. To hell with improving the programme -- let's scare off the qualified staff & hire a bunch of backpackers, then the parents will be happy -- right?
There may not be many EPs or MEPs in Hua Hin, but don't send your kids here unless you really don't give a damn about them!

[hero]

To hell with improving the programme -- let's scare off the qualified staff & hire a bunch of backpackers, then the parents will be happy -- right?

Unfortunately this is probably the case - at a great many schools where cash is the only thing sacred

[Johnny Rotten]

Looking at it from a different direction:

The school doesn't have cash and therefore is trying to cut costs to survive. Of course, the teachers/students suffer. If there is a MoE inspection a brown envelop bulging with 1000 baht notes helps to feed a positive report, hence they stay afloat for another year. In fact as I write this I'm thinking f****** hell why am I here when their own people don't even care once cash is offered.

[bcqcboy]

Wow, you make Korean high schools look so good!

There's a little corruption and some nepotism, to be sure; however, one's always paid well and on time and treated with the utmost respect.

[guran]

Hua Hin school should be called Hua Hin detention center. Education here has never been a priority but most parents couldn't care less and the rest don't know. 

[AjarnJack8]

I have to echo the bad reports about this school.  The administration was changed to supposedly improve the school but other than remodeling it has been a step backwards.   I would compare it to a ghetto school in developed countries with the corruption, students vandalism & lack of respect for each others or the teachers. Sadly there is a lack of support from the administration for foreign teachers.  The students are not held accountable for bad behavior and it seems that the Thai teachers enjoy knowing that the students are disrespectful to the foreign teachers.  The pay difference is the biggest source of jealousy between foreign and Thai teachers and the kid's know they can get away with anything when it comes to misbehaving in a foreign teacher's class.  I could go on about the problems with teaching in most Thai high schools -- but why reinvent the wheel?  You folks should already be familiar with those if you've ever taught here in Thailand at a high school.  My advice is to avoid this school as a place to teach and to learn English. 

[Due Diligence]

Just got a call from them. Stopped him instantly so not to waste his breathe .  I'm too nice.

[ex-huahinajarn]

Hi.

This thread certainly got me interested

Would this new head of MEP or possible new director happen to be the previous director of a school located about 40ks south down the highway??.

I lived in the town 2004/2005 and did a teacher training course at the school. The foreign teachers there I spoke with echoed the general sentiments of this thread.