Education online
Re: "University challenge", (BP, Aug 12).
Education reform has been the talk of the nation since the beginning of this century. It is quite clear now that the era of face-to-face teaching (F2F) is over. But many Thai universities still operate as teaching factories. Stale and outdated curriculum, boring and dull lectures, and exams have become hallmarks of higher education.
In the last 10 years, open access to online courses from edX, MOOCs and IEEE has changed the way we learn. It is time the Thai educational system shifts from F2F teaching to online mode. Online teaching and learning should be integrated at all levels. It will help in reducing the cost of education which involves transport, parking fees, uniforms and books.
It does not make any sense to treat students as a herd and confine them to a classroom while they are connected to the internet on their mobile phones, browsing the internet and spending hours on social media. The fact is that in 2018 all young Thais are online, but not their schools, colleges and universities.
I concur with Dr Udom that "universities must transform themselves into learning space, not just classrooms and campuses."
Kuldeep Nagi
University puzzlement
Your front page report, "University challenge" (BP, Aug 12) presents somewhat of an enigma. On one hand we read that universities are turning students away, that the entrance exam competition is causing chaos, that many universities are student-saturated. Now we read there is declining enrollment and empty classrooms. It's got to be one or the other.
As Yul Brynner said in the Broadway show, The King and I, "It's a puzzlement".
Bublichkee
People power works
Re: "Judges to move office, houses to Chiang Rai," (BP, Aug 12).
Bravo to those who persisted in ousting those greedy legal beagles from their intended habitat at Doi Suthep. People power is not dead in Thailand, so please don't underestimate what a determined population, or a segment of the population, can achieve through persistent demands and protests.
David James Wong
Don't laud Trump yet
Re: "Trump's economy win," (PostBag, Aug 11).
Jason A Jellison is clearly a huge fan of Donald Trump given that he trumpets the wisdom of so-called free market, laissez-faire economic policy implemented by the "liar in chief".
First of all, a basic understanding of the subject matter would enable Mr Jellison to appreciate that a result of the inevitable consumption and output lags between economic stimuli (in the form of massive tax cuts, in this case) and anticipated economic outcomes, would suggest that we have yet to see the real impact of Trump's policy changes. Allow a good 18 months to begin to see effects -- apart from the meaningless froth of short-term stock market gains -- on the real economy.
Additionally, if it is the "hands-off", free-market approach of Trump that is the cause of such economic success, then why is Trump intervening massively in those very markets by imposing tariffs on goods and services traded internationally? You can't have it both ways. Either the market knows best, or it doesn't!
Trump is having to intervene in the operation of what are actually very imperfect markets. The solution is essentially a mixed economy one, rather than a total reliance on purely state intervention or entirely free market approaches.
The debate should be about when, where and how the government should intervene in the operations of the macro or micro-economy, and not if.
GMT
'Spectrum' a real loss
The Bangkok Post had something special in Spectrum. Its commitment to investigative reporting was driven by an editor, Paul Ruffini, and his Thai reporters who believed passionately that the story comes from getting into the field, seeing for yourself, and talking to people affected.
Spectrum reported without fear or favour, deepening our understanding of Thailand and its neighbours. Its demise is a loss for this country and the region.
Downcast in Din Daeng
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