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Steps should be taken by
the government to ensure that recognition of teachers' importance and honouring
those with outstanding achievements be regarded as a priority policy and
essential measures in the reform of teachers, especially the modus operandi
of providing awards in terms of both "honour and work."
Policy Recommendations on Hounouring Teachers
with Outstanding Achievements
By
Professor Dr.Somwung Pitiyanuwat
Introduction
The education
reform can never meet with a success without the reform of teachers. Chapter
7 on Teachers, Faculty Staff and Education Personnel of the 1999
National Education Act therefore requires a teacher reform in all
aspects, as can be seen in the stipulation for promotion of the system
and process of production and development of teachers, faculty staff and
educational personnel. Their quality and status will thus be enhanced,
so that the teaching profession will become a highly respected occupation.
The system for monitoring and co-ordination of teacher production institutions
will also be reformed with a view to strengthening the teacher production
and development institutions to be well prepared for production of new
staff and development of in - service personnel on a continuous basis.
The law therefore requires sufficient budgetary allocations and establishment
of a personnel development fund. Section 53 provides for a reform of teaching
profession organizations in order to establish a body responsible for issuing
licences for teachers, administrators and other educational personnel,
as well as for strengthening the profession, the status of which will be
enhanced in accord with the objective of the Constitution of the Kingdom
of Thailand 1997 (Section 81). Furthermore, Section 54 of the National
Education Act requires a reform of the central unit responsible for administration
of teaching personnel affairs, based on the principle of decentralization
of authority in the administration of personnel affairs to the educational
service areas and educational institutions. Section 55 requires enactment
of a legislation on the salary, remuneration and other benefits for teachers
and educational personnel commensurate with their social status as members
of a highly respected profession.
Besides, Section 55, paragraph 2 of the 1999 National Education
Act stipulates establishment of a Fund for Promotion and Development of
Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel to be used as grants
for innovations, outstanding achievements and rewards in their honour.
As preparation for the implementation of such stipulation, the ONEC deemed
it appropriate to develop a policy for honouring teachers with outstanding
achievements, leading to prescription of the guidelines and measures required,
so as to attain highest effectiveness in the enactment in accord with the
objectives of the 1999 National Education Act.
Objectives of policy development
1. To provide
teachers with encouragement and moral support in their functioning, self
- development and improvement of the quality and effectiveness of teaching
and learning in order to enhance the learners' quality;
2. To ameliorate
the quality of learners, who will be endowed with competence, virtue and
happiness as well as to enable them to attain the full development of desirable
Thais in the age of globalisation;
3. To improve
the standard of the teaching profession and the quality of Thai education;
and
4. To inculcate
the culture of demand for quality in education.
Methods of work
From body of
knowledge and actual situations to policy implementation regarding the
honouring of teachers with outstanding achievements
Three strategies
have been availed of in policy development, namely:
1. Research
based on documents available in Thailand and abroad in order to study and
obtain information on the history, development and lessons learned regarding
the honouring of teachers with outstanding achievements as well as personnel
of other professions in order to prepare a future policy for such activity.
2. Public
hearing of opinions of those concerned The hearings were conducted
in four regions, namely : Lampang for the north; Chanthaburi for the central
region; Udon Thani for the north - east and Songkhla for the south, as
well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. More than 1,000 people and those
concerned participated in these public hearing.
3. Survey and
polling of opinions regarding the policy of honouring teachers with outstanding
achievements proposed by the researcher There were 462 respondents
to the survey questionnaire, while a total of 2,771 replied to the questionnaire
distributed for the Suan Dusit Poll.
The outcomes of the survey and the polling have been utilised for adjustment
of the policy recommendations regarding this matter based on the documentary
research. The policy recommendations duly adjusted were submitted to the
Executive Committee for the Teaching Profession Reform and the Executive
Sub-Committee for the Special Project on the Reform of Training and Development
of Teachers and Educational Personnel in order to study the feasibility
and suitability of the policy for further submission for consideration
of the Executive Committee of the Education Reform Office.
Results of the survey of opinions
of sample groups from among the public hearing participtnats and from those
covered in the Suan Dusit Poll
1. Status of respondents
1.1 From among the 463 public hearing participants who replied
to the questionnaire, 53% of whom are female :
- Administrators : 26%
- Educational personnel : 12%
- Faculty staff at higher education level from among the sample groups
from the north, north - east, central region and south with a similar percentage
of 12.
1.2 From the 2,771 respondents to the Suan Dusit Poll, 61% of whom are
female :
- Bachelor's degree level : 43%
- Non - civil servants 60% among whom are :
- College/university students : 20%
- Businessmen/those engaged in commerce : 9%
- Employees of private firms/public enterprises : 9%
- Labourers : 8%
Among the civil servants who account for 40% of the respondents
are :
- MOE officials : 19%
- Teachers / faculty staff : 13%
Residence in different regions :
- Sample groups in urban areas : 69% who live in the following areas/regions
:
- Bangkok Metropolitan Area : 37%
- Central region : 21%
- North - east : 19%
2. Opinions of sample groups on the honouring and awarding
of teachers with outstanding achievements*
2.1 Agreement with the honouring and awarding of teachers with
outstanding achievements (99.8, 98.5)
2.2 Objectives of the honouring and awarding of teachers with outstanding
achievements :
Priority 1 : providing teachers with encouragement and moral
support (92.2, 25.2);
Priority 2 : improvement of the quality of Thai education
(85.7, 23.5);
Priority 3 : raising the teaching profession standard
(84.2, 20.0) ;
Priority 4 : improving the quality of Thai youth (77.1,
17.9) ; and
Priority 5 : inculcating the culture of demand for quality
in provision of education ( 62.9, 12.6).
2.3 Agreed with the concept of honouring and awarding teachers with
outstanding achievements so as to :
- propagate their exemplary merit among teachers and the general
public (87.0, 51.8) ;
- propagate their exemplary merit and provide necessary resources for
further activities (90.3, 46.5).
------------------------------
* The first percentage figures represent the views
of public hearing sample groups, while the second are derived from the
Suan Dusit Poll. In case of several possible replies to a question, the
percentage figures are derived from public hearing sample groups, while
those of the Suan Dusit Poll are based on all frequencies.
2.4 Agreed with the honouring and awarding of teachers with
outstanding achievements by a variety of institutions and organizations
and at different levels, e.g. levels of educational service areas, provinces,
education regions, national and international levels (95.9, 98.4).
From the Suan Dusit Poll :
Priority 1 : educational service area level (34.1) ;
Priority 2 : school level (27.4) ;
Priority 3 : national level (26.8) ; and
Priority 4 : international level (10.2).
2.5 Awarding and honouring teachers with outstanding achievements
| |
Public hearings
|
Suan Dusit Poll
|
|
Priority
|
%
|
Priority
|
%
|
| Certificate of honour |
1
|
(94.2)
|
1
|
(46.5)
|
Scholarship for further education and study
tour |
2
|
(84.4)
|
2
|
(15.9)
|
| Trophy |
6
|
(40.4)
|
3
|
(13.5)
|
| Allowance for position |
4
|
(67.2)
|
4
|
(10.4)
|
| Subsidy for future activities |
3
|
(77.3)
|
5
|
(7.3)
|
| Subsidy for unspecified purposes |
5
|
(55.9)
|
6
|
(5.0)
|
From the Suan Dusit Poll, the amounts of financial support for different
types of subsidy are as follows :
|
X Baht |
Scholarship for further education
and study tour |
59,848 |
| Allowance for position |
7,194/month |
| Subsidy for further activities |
71,904 |
| Subsidy for unspecified purposes |
51,349 |
2.6 Agreed with the principle that teachers' honours and awards
should also be accorded to their parent educational institutions (95.0,
87.2).
2.7 Weights of different criteria for various aspects for consideration
of honouring and awarding teachers with outstanding achievements.
|
Public hearings
(Mdin)
|
(Mdn) Suan Dusit
Poll (x)
|
| Academic competence |
100
|
150.9
|
| Organization of teaching - learning activities |
200
|
137.4
|
| Personal conduct |
150
|
133.6
|
| Creativity and initiatives |
100
|
131.0
|
| Recognition of learners' development |
200
|
126.1
|
| Development of educational institution |
100
|
107.4
|
| Ability to exert authority and handle others |
*
|
105.2
|
| Co-ordination with community |
100
|
102.0
|
* Not included in the questionnaire.
2.8 Those entitled to nominate candidates who should be honoured
and awarded
| |
Public hearings
|
Suan Dusit Poll
|
|
Priority
|
%
|
Priority
|
%
|
| Parent educational institution |
1
|
87.5
|
1
|
20.2
|
| Student |
3
|
79.3
|
2
|
19.9
|
| Organization of the network for honouring and awarding teachers |
5
|
79.0
|
3
|
17.9
|
| Parent |
2
|
83.4
|
4
|
14.1
|
| General public |
6
|
55.1
|
5
|
10.0
|
| Fellow teacher |
3
|
79.3
|
6
|
9.3
|
| Newspaper |
7
|
28.5
|
7
|
3.9
|
| Self |
*
|
28.5
|
8
|
3.5
|
* Not included in the questionnaire but suggested for inclusion by
the respondents.
2.9 Agreed with the proposed establishment of a unit independent
from the civil service to be responsible for the search for candidates
with outstanding achievements (95.0, 89.9).
2.10 Agreed with the proposed establishment of a Centre for Promotion
of Honouring and Awarding Teachers with Outstanding Achievements to serve
as the hub of the network of organizations providing teachers with honours
and awards (98.3, 93.2).
2.11 Strategies for financial resource mobilisation for establishing
the Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel
|
Public hearings
|
Suan Dusit Poll
|
|
Priority
|
%
|
Priority
|
%
|
| From the state |
1
|
82.9
|
1
|
35.5
|
| From the network of organizations providing teachers with
honours and awards |
4
|
54.4
|
2
|
17.8
|
| From private organizations |
3
|
66.7
|
3
|
15.9
|
| From the Early Retirement Scheme Financial resource mobilisation |
2
|
67.4
|
4
|
11.5
|
| From practitioners of various professions |
5
|
51.0
|
5
|
8.8
|
| From teachers/faculty staff |
5
|
51.0
|
6
|
8.1
|
2.12 Agreed with the concept of the national teacher as the highest accomplishment
in a teacher's career path (85.1, 89.3)
2.13 Aspects for the honouring and awarding of teachers with outstanding
achievements
Priority 1 : overall (national teacher ) (43.4) ;
Priority 2 : morality (31.4) ; and
Priority 3 : by subject area (21.3).
2.14 Suggested criteria for selecting teachers with outstanding achievements
Priority 1 : fair selection method (40.9)
;
Priority 2 : selection based on conduct, morality and academic
competence (20.1) ;
Priority 3 : selection of teachers devoting themselves to social services
(10.1) ;
Priority 4 : appointment of a Nominations Committee with
integrity and fairness (10.1)
Priority 5 : reliable selection standard (8.8).
Policy recommendations on honouring
and awarding teachers with outstanding achievements
1. Co-ordinating mechanisms for the systemic teacher
reform in all aspects at both national level and educational service area
level
Urgent measures should be taken to create mechanisms or network organizations
for co-ordination at the national level and educational service area level
for mutual support of various actions stipulated in chapter
7, Sections 52-52 of the 1999 National Education Act, namely :
- honouring and awarding teachers with creative and outstanding
achievements and honouring the merit of teachers, faculty staff and educational
personnel;
- creation of the Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty and Educational
Personnel ;
- creation of the Fund for Development of Teachers, Faculty Staff and
Educational Personnel ;
- teacher production and development system ;
- issuing professional licences for teachers, administrators and other
educational personnel;
- personnel affairs administration; and
- system of salary, remuneration and various benefits of teachers,
faculty staff and educational personnel.
2. Ways of honouring teachers with outstanding achievements
Both deceased and living teachers can be duly honoured. For the former,
information on their exemplary outstanding achievements and merit can be
disseminated to teachers and the general public. As for the latter, they
shall be accorded both honour and work i.e. the desirable characteristics
of their accomplishments shall be widely disseminated; at the same time,
they shall be provided with subsidies for :
- further improvement of the teaching profession through classroom
research;
- development of teaching - learning activities through the learner
- centred approach;
- enhancing the performance of fellow teachers as members of the network;
and
- research and building of knowledge on the teaching profession.
The ONEC has been implementing a pilot project based on such method for
two consecutive years, i.e. designation of national teachers, master teachers
and Thai wisdom teachers. The project has motivated the teachers in all
parts of country to make stronger efforts for development of themselves,
fellow teachers and their profession, resulting in positive contributions
to the national education reform. The government should therefore give
importance and provide support to the honouring and awarding of teachers
as priority policy and measures for teacher reform , particularly the modus
operandi of according both honour and work. Such steps will enable ONEC's
pilot project to be mainstreamed into regular activities at the national
level. The modus operandi of both honour and work needs continuity, which
will subsequently lead to the fame and recognition of the awards.
3. Criteria for selection of teachers with outstanding
achievements
In selecting teachers with outstanding achievements, eight criteria shall
be taken into consideration, with the main emphasis on the learners' development,
and based on the principle that " a learner is a clear proof of the teacher's
worth." The criteria and the weight of each criterion, in order of priority
, are as follows :
3.1 Learners' development (300 points);
3.2 Organization of teaching - learning activities (150 points);
3.3 Personal conduct (100 points);
3.4 Academic competence (100 points);
3.5 Creativity and initiatives (100 points);
3.6 Development of educational institution (100 points);
3.7 Co-ordination with community (100 points) ; and
3.8 Ability to exert authority and handle others.
4. Method of selecting teachers with outstanding achievements
4.1 Outstanding teachers shall be selected at the level of educational
service area leading to the national level. The selection in all educational
service areas will motivate self - development among teachers and result
in improvement of the quality of the teaching and learning in all areas.
With such criteria carefully selected and without loopholes, the selection
method will receive genuine recognition from the students, fellow teachers,
administrators, parents and community members.
4.2 Those entitled to nominate candidates who should
be honoured and awarded
4.2.1 Parent educational institution
4.2.2 Student
4.2.3 Parent
4.2.4 Organization of the network for honouring and awarding teachers
4.2.5 Fellow teacher
4.2.6 Self
4.2.7 General public
5. Forms of honours and awards
5.1 Awards in terms of financial and non - financial subsidy, priority
being given to the latter
5.1.1 Certificate of honour
5.1.2 Scholarship for further education and study tour (60,000 baht)
5.1.3 Subsidy for future work
5.1.4 Allowance for position (100,000 baht/per year)
5.1.5 Trophy
5.1.6 Subsidy for unspecified purposes (60,000 baht)
5.2 The financial award for future work of a national teacher should be
in the amount of 300,000 baht per year. The amount should be equally divided
into three parts, i.e. 100,000 baht, for the following purposes :
1. Development of educational institution;
2. Development of fellow teachers; and
3. Self - development.
5.3 National teachers with outstanding achievements on a continuous basis
should be designated member of the Royal Institute, or senior scholar of
the Royal Academy of Pedagogy, an organization of honour of the teaching
profession.
6. Responsible organization
6.1 It is recommentded that a Centre for Honouring and Awarding Teachers,
Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel be established as a body independent
from the civil service, i.e. a public organization with legal entity. The
Centre shall have the powers and duties to honour and award teachers based
on the forms and methods piloted by the ONEC, i.e. national teachers, master
teachers, new type of teachers and Thai wisdom teachers. The honouring
and awarding of teachers shall be based on the concept of attaining excellence
in teaching and professional development. In other words, the honour accorded
shall be in recognition of past accomplishments and good deeds, which shall
be widely disseminated. The award given shall be in terms of both honour
and work for further development of the teaching profession by development
of their peers as network teachers and building up of knowledge on the
teaching profession. In this connection, the Centre shall honour and award
all target groups among teachers, faculty staff and educational personnel
as stipulated in Section 55, paragraph 2 of the 1999 National Education
Act.
Besides, the Centre for Promotion of Honouring and Awarding Teachers shall
be in charge of the management of the Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty
Staff and Educational Personnel by utilising the interest from the Fund
for its responsibilities. It will also encourage NGOs to provide incentives
to teachers, faculty staff and educational personnel in terms of honour
and award.
6.2 A mechanism shall be created to link and co-ordinate the honouring
and awarding provided by various agencies or bodies, so as to form a path
leading to the highest honour of teachers by the following measures :
6.2.1 Establishment of a network for honouring and awarding
teachers with the Centre for Promotion of Honouring and Awarding Teachers
serving as the hub of the network for the purpose of developing the teaching
profession and implementing the education reform as required by the 1999
National Education Act.
6.2.2 An additional qualification for candidates for designation as
national teachers shall be required, i.e. they must already have been honoured
and/or awarded by an agency, body, foundation or association in the network
of honouring and awarding teachers, with the status of a national teacher
being regarded as the highest honour to be bestowed on teachers.
6.2.3 Agencies, bodies foundations or associations in the network for
honouring and awarding teachers are entitled to nominate prospective national
teachers, master teachers and Thai wisdom teachers, whose merit should
be widely disseminated.
6.3 A royal decree shall be issued for the establishment of the Centre
for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel, which
shall serve as co-ordinating centre of the network for honouring and awarding
teachers, faculty staff and educational personnel in Thailand.
6.4 The 1945 Teachers' Act, amended in 1980, shall be further amended so
as to enable the Centre for Promotion of Honouring and Awarding Teachers,
Faculty Staff and Educationl Personnel to carry out its functions. The
Centre shall allow representatives of teachers, faculty staff and educational
personnel as well as those outside the world of education to serve as members
of the Selective Committee of Teachers with Outstanding Achievements.
7. Sources of the Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty
Staff and Educational Personnel
7.1 The Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel
shall be established, as stipulated in Section 55, paragraph 2, with an
initial fund from the Early Retirement Scheme of fiscal years 2000-2002
in the amount of 5,000 million baht per year, totalling 15,000 million
baht for the endowment fund. The ONEC, Teachers' Council of Thailand, Office
of the Teacher Civil Service Commission, Office of the Private Education
Commission, professional associations and foundations as well as NGOs shall
seek additional financial resources for the Fund by mobilising the funds
required from the state, private organizations, the network of honouring
and awarding teachers, faculty staff and educational personnel by providing
donors with incentives e.g. income tax exemption, as stipulated in Section
58. These donors shall be highly regarded as those who promote and provide
support to the provision of education in accord with paragraph 57 of the
1999 National Education Act.
7.2 A ministerial rule shall be issued for the establishment of the
Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel.
The interest from the Fund shall be utilised as subsidies for initiatives,
outstanding achievements and awards of teachers, faculty staff and educational
personnel.
  
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