1) My 60 year old aunt finished up to grade 7, which was the highest level for women at the time (1957). She studied math, history, hygiene, and decorum. Since my aunt was a Chinese woman, she was also expected to learn how to sew dresses, cut hair, and cook in school. Her school didn’t have any English programs. My grandmother had no education, because women were expected to concentrate on being a housewife and their household duties. Most building were made of wood, but some walls had bricks. There were seven teachers for 150-200 students. Students bought books at the higher level but borrowed them at the lower level, since they were handed down to new students each year. The government donated pencils and notebooks. The brown notebook had a picture of the king on its cover. The students wore standard uniforms, and both boys and girls were required to have short hair. Naughty students were beat with a stick on their legs, hands, and bottom. Other punishment methods included standing on one foot, stretching out both arms, and holding a ruler in your mouth for 30-60 minutes. Her sister was the first person in her family to attend university, which was at Ramkhamhaeng – the first open university to accept commoners. The earlier teaching methods were recitation, reading, and memorization. She thinks that modern methods should allow students to develop opinions, create ideas, and actually produce something by doing it.

2) My father went to government high school. He studied math, social studies, and the Thai language. His school had a female English teacher who was Thai. His uniform was brown shorts and a short-sleeved white shirt, which was a hand-me-down from his older brother. The books were made with bad paper, so they kept falling about. There were no air conditioners, overhead projectors, or computers. The classroom only had wooden furniture, a blackboard, and some chalk. Boys studied at a higher level than girls, since they were expected to head a family. He was punished with a stick for not doing his homework, so he was very afraid of the teachers. He was the first person in his family to attend university. He studied management at Kasetsart University. Thai education moved slowly, so textbooks were usually outdated. Now, he is impressed by the Thailand’s new libraries and the Internet. In his opinion, students should learn to love learning. They should enjoy the process of understanding.

3) My mother studied at a temple primary school. Her family was poor so she could wear old dresses instead of an uniform. However, she begged to wear an uniform like other girls and disapproves of the short skirts worn by female students today. She says that in the past there were no talking dictionaries, which was better since students learnt spelling quicker  if they look it up in a book. People thought that the education of boys was more important, since girls will only become housewives and raise children. Teachers hit students for punishment. She didn’t study English in school, but her sister did at higher levels (from a Thai teacher). Her sister was the first person in her family to attend university. Her sister worked hard at a tiring part time job to pay tuition fees. In the past you could not study if you didn’t have money, but now the government distributes scholarships or offers loans. She believes that the most important thing is not education, but developing your mind. Education only develops brains, but a developed mind makes somebody less selfish and kind.

4) My grandfather studied up to the secondary level. When he was young people studied in the temple. His wat had five teachers and there were seven students per class. Students learned spelling, reading, math, and the Thai language. There were no  English teachers because there were no English classes. His two textbooks were called “Jindamanee” and Patomkorka”. He didn’t wear an uniform because he was poor. He wore only shorts and many boys didn’t wear shirts to school. Hungry boys with no money could get lunch from the school’s monks, but girls couldn’t since they weren’t allowed to interact in the same way. Students were punished by rod. When they talked too much or failed to do homework they were hit on the leg in front of class. His brother was the first person to attend university, and he majored in education because he wanted to become a teacher. The family was so proud to have an university graduate in the family. He wants to be a young student again, so that he can learn about computers, high technology, and English. He thinks that Thai schools should bring back the rod for punishment.

5) My mother studied until four years of primary school. She studied at a two-story temple school that was made of wood. Monks were the only teachers. Students went home for lunch, because there was no canteen. Compulsory education lasted only four years. The school didn’t have a blackboard or any paper. Students had a slate that they wrote upon with a type of nail-rock instead of pencils. Towels were used instead of erasers, and the textbook was called “Manee-Manee”. Boys wore brown shorts and a white shirt. Girls wore a blue skirt and a white shirt. Neither of them wore shoes or socks. They went barefoot to school. Boys studied in temples with monks and went to higher levels of school. Girls studied separately and finished after four years of primary school. She studied math and the Thai language. There weren’t any English teachers at all. His daughter [my student] is the first in her family to attend college. She feels that modern students are lucky because they have the Internet and libraries, plus girls can study at the same level as boys. She is proud of me and remembers driving me to the Rajabhat on her first day. She thinks that students should feel pride about going to a Rajabhat.

6) My father studied in a temple primary school, where he also lived as a novice monk. He had to take care of himself, which made him independent and brave. The school didn’t have any technology other than a blackboard and chalk. He learned by studying nature. He could not buy books since he was poor, so this material was handed down from previous students. His uniform was brown shorts, a white shirt, and slippers without socks. Sons learned sports and girls learned cooking. Children didn’t study seriously because they had to work in rice fields and raise animals. The teachers used a cane to hit students on the butt and hands. Sometimes students were punished by making them clean something dirty instead. He studied English during the first year of secondary school from a Thai teacher, however few of his classmates practiced English because they couldn’t understand how it was important for their lives. He was the first person in his family to study at university. He skipped classes often and was lazy, something he regrets today. He is amazed about all the modern teaching tools: the Internet, computers, e-mail, telephones, video players, and VCDs. You had to trust your teacher’s knowledge and the contents of a book, but now you can check information out in other ways. He thinks that universities should teach less general subjects and have more specific topics. He feels that all college education is good. Students shouldn’t feel discouraged for attending a Rajabhat instead of an university with higher status.

7) My father studied at a temple primary school until level four. His family didn’t have any money, so he stayed inside his rural village for education. The old wooden school building had a fan, broken furniture, and only old books. Students used charcoal instead of pencils. At first there wasn’t any uniform, but in the later years he wore the usual brown shorts and white shirt. He said that girls were more determined learners then. Boy played football, fought with friends, and failed to do homework. For punishment students were hit by a cane, forced to stand on one leg, and made to clean toilets. He feels that teachers communicate better with students than in the past. The school didn’t have any type of English program. I am [my student]  the first person in his family to attend college. He is very happy to send me to here. Rajabhat students have the power to find good jobs, so they shouldn’t feel bad about the reputation that they can’t qualify for university.

8) My grandmother never went to a government school. She studied at Catholic missionary school 70 years ago instead. Her family was too poor for formal education. They didn’t wear an uniform to church, and their only school supplies included a pencil, a notebook, and the Bible. Girls learned about cooking while boys learned to catch fish with nets. Both learned about the Bible and how to pray. The school had a missionary from Vietnam who taught English. Students were beat by teachers and forced to stand on one leg. Her sister was the first person in her family to attend university. She feels that students should practice more active learning, and that more scholarships should be given to children that don’t have money to learn. She is very proud that six of her students went to college and four became involved with clergy.

9) My father studied until primary school. All the male student in primary school wore the same brown shorts and white shirts. Girls wore a white shirt and a blue skirt. They didn’t wear school-specific uniforms like today. The classroom had a blackboard, chalk, textbooks, and a special corner with comic books. There was a English program with both Thai teachers and a foreigner from Canada. The girls were better at English than the boys who preferred math. Overall, girls weren’t taken as seriously as students although they worked harder and did more homework. Some teachers hit bad children by hand. I am [My student] are the first person in my family to attend college. He feels that education is more wide open for students today. Students can choose subjects that they are interested in, and everybody has a chance to attend school. Scholarships are now offered at universities. Students should act in accordance with university rules and not rebel too much, and beating students should be brought back to install better discipline. The teaching style is more student-centered than ever before, but should be designed more like international schools.  He wants to go back to school again to study with all the modern equipment.

10) My neighbor earned a MA degree from a government university in Bangkok. He studied in a big class with 40 other students. The boys studied math, music, Thai history, Thai language, and English. All the English teachers were Thai. Both genders studied together in primary school, but secondary school was only for  boys. Students carried around mobile blackboards that they wrote on with chalk. The teaching methods involved lengthy talks by a teacher. Students were never asked questions or allowed to participate. In primary school he was a very bad student. He missed school often to play with friends and was very lazy. Students were beat everyday with a cane. He was hit on the palm of his hand for not doing homework and hit again at home by his parents for getting in trouble.

He was born to a very poor family during World War Two. Poverty in Bangkok was very high then, but due to a post-war baby boom his family had 13 children. His older sister was the first person in his family to attend college. He claims that he never took education seriously until high school. English was a major reason for this change. His first contact with a native speaker was a U.S. Army major who lived next door. He learned English through songs on the radio. His high school also had a few books such as Aesop’s fables. His first western teacher was a Peace Corps member who taught English at university graduate school. The local Rajabhat schools began as teacher training schools for civil servants and were started by our king. The old schools didn’t have libraries, so teachers were the only source of information. Modern schools do more group work than ever before. He believes that today’s students must apply new skills to improve society. They need to learn by doing. Most of all they need to learn to produce. Students must become producers rather than consumers. Some Thai students still think like slaves. They are still too dependent on foreigners. Their only plans after graduation is to work for a western or Japanese company at a local factory. They need to move beyond the past. They need to be more creative and design their own future. 

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