Survey: teachers slipping from pedestals

The Abac Poll Research Centre questioned 1,344 respondents in the greater Bangkok area.

Of those polled, 64.3 per cent said teachers were becoming less ethical, while 68.5 per cent felt teachers were now more profitoriented.

"Still, more than half reckon there are teachers who do teach children to be good," Abac Poll director Noppadon Kannika said yesterday.

Respondents also had much praise for teachers in the three southernmost provinces and other rural and border areas.

"Teachers in urban areas were in the hearts of only 4.8 per cent of those surveyed," Noppadon said.

Results also showed 81.5 per cent of respondents were unhappy about inappropriate behaviour by some teachers. Over the past year, respondents said they had heard of teachers sexually abusing or starting romantic relationships with their students and that other teachers had punished their students too harsh¬ly.

Respondents said teachers should set a good example for their students to follow.

National Teachers' Day falls on January 16 each year, but 36 per cent of those surveyed did not know which day it fell on.