Know Asian culture before judging its politics

Like many casual observers of Southeast Asia - who believe that their culturally rooted politics can be carried forward as if there is a universal interpretation of the world - Lee Jones needs to assess the basis of his worldview. The cultural mandate of a people supersedes politics on most occasions.

That the American incursions into Southeast Asia financed the Thai military Japanese collaborators, then went on to support a succession of military dictatorships, while the Western-educated monarch tried his best to work around the resulting corruption, is more about truth than recent interpretations arising out of superficial journalism and academic "studies" such as those undertaken by Jones.

Frankly, as a long time friend of Thailand and its people, I feel it must be difficult for most Thais to understand the culturally loaded judgements, especially when they are made from outside the realm.

The present government is trying to set the development of the country back on a rational course free from the corruption and outright brutality of [former prime minister] Thaksin [Shinawatra], who ran roughshod over not only Western defined political freedoms, but the common decency of the Thai culture itself.

That Thaksin and his followers likely remain the political voting majority, is true, but it was also the way with Juan Peron in Argentina: a simple political majority does not assure human decency from a government.

DEL TURNER

KAMLOOPS, CANADA

Don't apply one-fits-all formula to our schools

In many outlying areas, remotely located, small, rural schools have become endangered species. Pressure to consolidate isolated, often poverty-stricken schools in sparsely populated areas may prove to be counterproductive if the powers that be only consider dwindling enrolments or budgetary constraints.

Unfairly targeted because they cost more per pupil to operate than larger schools.

In actuality, small schools are remarkably efficient when based on cost per graduate and provide good return on financial investment. Other factors range from the children facing longer commutes to their parents becoming less actively involved.

In fact, studies show that small schools lead to fewer dropouts, improved grade performance and greater post-secondary enrolment. Bigger is not necessarily better. Research findings offer broad support for the common-sense notion that young people learn best in intimate settings, where caring and concerned teachers can know how to promote self-directed learning, boost each individual's academic achievement, build self-confident esteem and motivate experiential learning curiosity.

Schools that are community-based and small in scale that achieve established norms and successfully meet set, recognised standards should not be forced to be closed down by myopic, one-size-fits-all formulas.

The premise advocating sustainable support for vulnerable small schools recognises that each and every child, regardless of where she or he lives, deserves a high-quality education. Savvy community schools create flexible, open-classroom environments which serve to maximise potential to the fullest extent through collective, team-concept decision-making. They involve local volunteers and knowledgeable mentors to promote extracurricular activities, utilising creative thinking CD-ROM computer-assisted-instruction IT resources.

They also challenge students to apply theoretical principles to real-life situations and cooperatively find practical "green" solutions related to eco- and agro-conscious sustainable development.

CHANCHAI PRASERTSON

BANGKOK