It’s good that the "one child, one tablet" policy has been ditched (BP, June 23). But the 7 billion baht earmarked for the tablets should be used to retrain teachers, not for smart classrooms. “If the object [of education] were to make pupils think, rather than to make them accept certain conclusions, education would be conducted quite differently; there would be less ... instruction and more discussion” (Bertrand Russell).
Research and test results abundantly show that we’ve been focusing on rote memorisation across the board. But in today’s world, our students have to be taught how to think, not what to think — which requires a sea change in the way teachers and administrators from Prathom 1 on up approach their job. To put hardware, like smart classrooms, before teacher quality is like giving tractors to farmers who don’t know the difference between rice and wheat.
Burin Kantabutra
Don't blame Thaksin
If people source all of their information from the letter sections of the newspapers they might think all of Thailand's problems are the result of one man: Thaksin Shinawatra. In other words, everything was perfect until he became prime minister. Then why was he elected in the first place?
Many years ago, before most of us had ever heard of Thaksin, I said to a Thai friend that economic progress in Thailand only refers to yuppies in Bangkok and not to the millions of rural poor who the government had ignored. He responded: ”You’re absolutely right”. So while Mr Thaksin no doubt deserves a great deal of criticism, he is not the cause of the injustices in this country — he is the result of it.
Eric Bahrt
Yanking at thin air
Regarding concerns over US aid cuts, (BP, June 21), I will say the Americans will come begging like a wet dog, hat in hand when they need U-tapao air base and it is denied to them.
The Americans are a politically myopic nation with knee-jerk reactions to every world event, probably because their leaders are a bunch of misguided jerks as well.
The same could be said for Thailand before Prayuth Chan-ocha took the helm. The US lacks competent leadership.
Perhaps after General Prayuth sets this country in order, he might go to the US to instruct them on how to do the same. I remember the old Israeli joke about an American general asking then PM Golda Meir to give the US General Dayan. She agreed only on condition that the US give her both General Motors and General Electric in swap.
Shalosh Esrey
Honeymoon ending
Coups, as well as elected new governments, tend to have a honeymoon period of a few months. This is the position Thailand is currently in. President Mohamed Morsi in Egypt was in this situation in mid-2012 as was Yingluck Shinawatra in Thailand in 2011. But the feel-good factor never lasts and serious domestic discord breaks out sooner or later.
General Prayuth stepped in just in time to save Thailand from becoming a failed state through violence and likely civil war. As he himself says, his task is to undertake reforms before new elections probably next year. But permanent martial law is no solution to the country’s needs. Look no further than Adolf Hitler, the archetypal failed dictator, who experienced over 30 attempts on his life, many before the outbreak of the Second World War.
BARRY KENYON
Time to turn the tide
I think police should fine people who cut the U-turn lanes. Often they will make a lane of their own, cutting off drivers who have patiently waited in queue to make the turn. Not only is it rude to other drivers, but it makes it difficult for those waiting to complete the turn.
I understand that large trucks and buses must make a wider turn, and should be allowed to do so.
Edward Rowe
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