The official tagline for my school is “Takpittayakhom School. A world class standard school”. This line is in reference to Takpittayakhom (TPS) meeting the standards set out by the Thai government for a top-tier secondary education school. Criteria such as test scores, specialty programs offered, facility and faculty size, and so on. However, whenever I see the sign proudly displaying that logo at the front of my school I can’t help but think of the second definition of the word standard; to be normal, average, to not stick out. There is a certain structure in place at TPS, and in fact many Thai schools, that values cohesion and convention over individuality and distinctiveness. I do not mean to offer up Thai students as dull or lifeless. Each student does have their own personality, like any kid. The difference is only noticeable when groups of Thai students are together. While grouped, my students demonstrate a special camaraderie that does not set one student apart from the others.
The most striking examples are the student uniform and required haircuts. All boys must have a military style buzz cut, and all girls must have their hair cut to ear-level. A few exceptions are made for girls who take part in traditional Thai dances, but the vast majority of girls at TPS have the same bucket haircut. Obviously it is tough to stand out when all of your friends wear their hair and clothes identical to you, so instead the students seem to embrace their uniformity. Long after school hours, when I pass by my students roaming the night markets with their friends, most of the group will still be wearing their school issued shirt and pants. Never minding the fact that they sweated all day in non air-conditioned classrooms, I had thought my students would want to wear new clothes to show off some fashion in the evenings. Instead I see my students voluntarily wearing uniforms at nighttime which are mandatory during the daytime. I also see students from other schools in our town walking around the market in their respective uniforms. It’s easy to spot students from other schools based on the color or style of their uniform. I now realize the cohesion amongst students that attend the same school influences their outfit decision. Students have pride and want to be seen as a pack, much like sports fans wear jerseys displaying their team colors. My students don’t rush home after school and rip their uniforms off before the front door closes behind them. Rather, they hang around school after hours, breaking off into small groups to head off to the market or grab some dinner, still in their school uniforms because they are still students. They like to be easily identified and affiliated with their own schools.
After school soccer games are still played in uniform, with athletic pants.
Another example of Thai student group-think is evident when I pose a difficult question in the classroom. My English classes are listening and speaking focused so the majority of class time is spent engaging students in English conversation. It is sometimes necessary for me to ask a single student a question in front of the whole class. To explain a new topic I’ll ask a student a question which they already know how to answer. I will then follow up with a new question expanding on the previously learned vocabulary.
For example:
Me: “What is your nickname?
Student: “My nickname is Earth”
Me: “What city do you live in?”
Student: “I live in Tak”
Me: “How long have you lived in Tak?”
Student: ……
Before asking the question, I know that the student will not immediately understand how to answer. I attempt to pose questions that the students can figure out given a few moments of critical thought. Unfortunately, the instant a student does not understand the question I have asked, they break into team huddle with their friends. Five or six students will form a circle leaning over their desks debating in fast, furious Thai the meaning of my words. Their confused and anxious faces will bounce off each other until it is determined if one student in the group has any grasp of the concept. They don’t mind if this process takes 10 minutes of deliberation. When this happens I have to intervene. I tap the original student on the shoulder and ask him the same question. How long have you lived in Tak? He will give me an uncomfortable smile, then turn his head back into the team huddle. Finally, by group consensus, one student will tell me “Teacher, don’t know”, though the original student might not even be the one responding.
In the first few months of teaching I was annoyed by this behavior. I felt like the students were cheating, not willing to learn something for themselves. It was a shock to me coming from the America, where there is a clearly defined asker and askee. Now I have come to view this method of answering questions not as cheating, but as team oriented. It is not that they are unable to think for themselves, but instead prefer thinking together.
As stated, Thai students feel a strong sense of solidarity. Classes at TPS do not break off to different courses throughout the day. They travel with the same group for each and every subject. Since the students stay in the same collection for every class of every day, their attitude is we are in this together. When I ask a student a question, I am actually challenging the entire class that question. A team challenge requires a team effort, so naturally the students put their heads together to solve the problem at hand. Team affiliation doesn’t stop after school hours, so students have no qualms remaining in uniform. They are publicly displaying their collective spirit. Two minds are greater than one, and one team is greater than many teammates.
The Journey of Andrew Cassidy 