It’s time to face the truth and the reality…both positive and negative!
The truth is there are many Filipino teachers who are qualified to teach in Thailand but they lack fluency and accuracy in communicating their ideas in English.
The reality is many Filipino teachers accept a monthly salary of 15,000 Baht and even lower.
The truth is many Filipino teachers see each other as enemies and competition resulting to character assassination and endless gossiping that destroy their jobs and camaraderie, worst, their being a Filipino.
The reality is many other foreign teachers view the Filipino teachers as part nuisance and part gem in the foreign teaching industry.
The truth is many Thai employers think that the Filipino teachers are taking away their money back home in the Philippines.
The reality is many Thai employers would rather hire westerners than Asians for two main reasons: they’re good for business and their accent is favored by the community.
The truth is at least to almost all western teachers; their monthly salaries are all spent in Thailand.
The reality is many Filipino teachers are submissive and law-abiding to Thai laws especially concerning to teacher licensure.
The truth is many Thai school employers would prefer hiring Filipinos than other foreign teachers due to their dedication and commitment to teaching.
The reality is many parents would love to see a white than a brown teaching their kids.
The truth is many Thai schools can afford to pay higher than 30,000 Baht to a qualified western teacher but they think it’s too much.
The reality is many Thai school directors or principals would rather ask for a human resource agency to supply them with foreign teachers for two reasons: they could get a cut from the budget and they won’t get disturbed fixing their work permits.
The truth is teaching English as a second or foreign language in Thailand is taken lightly by many Thai schools in the context of their culture on the importance of “fun.”
The reality is there is more chance of getting a teaching job in Thailand than in the Philippines.
The truth is Filipino teachers need to learn any fruitful from their Thai and western counterparts just to keep their jobs.
The reality is the number of cases of Filipino teacher exploitation both by agencies and Thai schools have increased dramatically.
The truth is many Filipino teachers are being exploited because they always feel vulnerable and that the Philippine government is slow in responding to their concerns.
The reality is many Filipino teachers remain grateful to the host country for allowing them to work despite of their demise.
The truth is many western teachers feel superior and secured in the host country for they are treated as special and important.
The reality is many western ‘teachers’ in Thailand are not academically trained as teachers in their respective home country.
The truth is there is more number of Filipino teachers than any other nationalities teaching in Thailand.
The reality is each needs to find his way in and out Thailand regardless of his nationality.
The truth is every foreign teacher is replaceable in Thailand.
The reality is Thai teachers are paid less than a Filipino teacher and far less than a western teacher.
The truth is Thai teachers are the key in developing the English language of their own countrymen.
The reality is everybody seems happy living in Thailand despite of these problems.
The truth is living in Thailand is far much better than living in the Philippines.
….so what’s your truth and reality?
