The Unique Role That Teachers Play in Thai Culture [Season 4, Episode 49]

Ooooh, topical! This week, Greg and Ed discuss the unique
role of teachers in Thai society, where educators occupy a
uniquely reverential role, often in stark contrast to western
countries, where it is 'just another job.' Ed notes that the
issue of how teachers are treated is near and dear to his heart,
given that he has spent the last twenty years teaching Thai
students.


But Ed makes clear that (in his opinion) there's a
contradiction between the type of independent-minded graduates
that Thailand would like to create and a traditional education
system that requires this level of reverence for teachers. It's
almost as if critical thinking and independent thought actually
depend on disobedience (at least a little anyway).


Greg reads an interesting passage on the history of Thai
education that notes that monks originally worked as teachers,
which leads to his theory that some of the extreme respect
afforded monks was transferred to the concept of "a teacher" as
they split off into their own profession. Ed concurs and adds
that Chinese culture is steeped in Confucianism's reverence for
social hierarchies, and Thailand likely was affected by the
spread of Chinese culture across Asia.


Either way, there's no need to listen to us - the Thai
students protesting now are pretty much saying the same
thing!


We also take a listener voicemail all about the best pizza
in Bangkok! We're not experts, but our friends at BK
Magazine have something to add.


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