Teachers, Background Checks and Coverup
I think it is time for at least one TEFL website to make a stand about some of the current events in the TEFL world. John Karr’s recent arrest for the killing of Jon Benet Ramsey has sparked an outcry about just who is teaching TEFL. If you would believe the media hype, you would think that TEFL teachers in Thailand are a sordid bunch and that in depth background checks are the only way to protect the children. This is completely off base with reality.
The very vast majority of TEFL teachers in Thailand are hard working professionals. In some instances, they are working at the only job they can be hired to do in an otherwise closed labor market. They are in Thailand for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are seeking some adventure, maybe they want a fresh start, maybe they are here with their wife, or maybe they just find that teaching can fill an otherwise boring retirement. Whatever their reason, they do their best to teach their classes in a professional manner, even investing their own money to take TEFL courses. I spent several years teaching in Thailand at several different schools and only came across one teacher who was being inappropriate with students. (I reported him, of course the school did nothing and blamed the girl.)
Thailand is thinking about instituting some form of background checks on teachers. If the Thai government, and it’s a big if, follows through with this idea of background checks, it will undoubtedly backfire. Who will pay for the checks? What kind of checks will be instituted? What kind of offenses will be covered? Will schools still continue to hire teachers and not provide them with proper paperwork? Will teachers still do the 30 day border run or will the 30 day run come under some form of limitation? These are all very good questions. The Thai government has a history of doing half measures and the half measures are what scare honest teachers the most. Face is everything, and I think most schools and government officials would be happy with all of their teacher showing police certificates bought for a few hundred baht at Khao San Rd.
Another serious issue that is cropping up in the wake of the John Mark Karr arrest is the coverup ensuing at both BCC and St Joseph. Information coming both anonymously and even posted as comments say that he worked at both of those schools for much longer than those schools are admitting to. One thing that struck me is that the Assistant Director of Bangkok Christian College (BCC) knew that St Joseph’s Convent School had employed John Mark Karr as a teacher. How do I know? He admitted to it in an interview. The Hall of Shame school supposedly would at least check the references of a teaching applicant, why did they not contact St. Joseph’s and find out why he was fired from that school? Could it be that St. Joseph’s had hired him for more than the 1 week trial period they are claiming? If so, why are they hiding this information? Or maybe BCC is not even doing the most rudimentary form of background checking, ie checking former employers?
Some many questions and at this stage so few answers. Either way, the next few weeks will be an interesting time in Thailand’s slice of the TEFL World. TEFLWatch is and will always be 100% pro-teacher. I would like to hear your comments and questions about the topics raised in this article.
Search Tags: John Karr, Bangkok Christian College, Hall of Shame, BCC, TEFL, Thailand
Comments
2 Comments on Teachers, Background Checks and Coverup
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Employment Screening on
Fri, 22nd Aug 2008 12:36 pm
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life in the UK test on
Fri, 19th Sep 2008 9:44 am
I would think the onus of these checks would fall on the schools themselves. There are thousands of schools around the world that conduct background checks worldwide and I am sure Thailand can adapt a program of something similar. Yes, it will be hard and can cost some money but in my opinion it would be worth the effort. I have heard all of these arguments before and they just do not hold water.
You guys are not alone, a lot of people in the Uk go about these kinda things the same way.
Getting into the United Kingdom is not the same, nor is as easy as one would find it to get into the United States. Life in the UK is totally different. One would say you haven’t seen anything till you have been to the UK. Do it before you miss out the chance.
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!