It's easy to tell other people what to do

Pornpimol Kanchanalak's article was full of long quotations and advice for those in power. The prime minister was advised: "A culture of impunity and the equally gripping culture of corruption are not created overnight. But as bad as history can be, it's also possible to overcome. All it takes is the political courage of the man at the top to make a difference."

How nice of you, madam. At the end of the day it's up to someone else to sort out all the problems, not you.

The pathetic level of investigative (or real) journalism in all media outlets here is unbelievable. When do we see a "follow-up" story to all the outrageous crimes committed?

It would be nice to see these "better-than-thou" people stop pontificating and actually do the job of finding the truth, rather than telling everyone else what Hobbes or Roosevelt said decades ago in a different world and a different culture.

DONALD WATERS

BANGKOK

Get out there and make Thai education better

Re: Obec exam was 'too tough', National Affairs, July 24

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) is, commendably, very brave in continuously measuring, without bias, whether our schools are meeting minimum standards of performance. Its test results have long shown that our education system is failing our students, eg only one education zone out of 185 nationwide achieved the government's policy of ensuring literacy among all students. In the core subjects of math, Thai, English and science, only four of these zones meet ministry achievement targets. Only 14 of them met the ministry's policy of using a child-centred approach to teaching.

I agree with Obec Secretary-General Kasama Voravan na Ayudhya that the education zones' performances are far short of target. However, the remedy surely is to raise the achievement levels to meet the goals, not lower the standards to meet achievement levels. Government after government gives lip service to education, but few follow through. For example, a school I visited in the Northeast last week teaches 3,000 students, covering all primary and secondary grades, yet it gets only B10,000 a year for its library. Its secondary-school science laboratory had only one microscope for the whole class.

You, dear reader, should become more active in your children's school, especially if you live upcountry. Pressure the school to focus on your child's needs and support them in their efforts to do so, devoting both time and funds towards that end. With your help, your child can have an education equal to that of, say, the demonstration or international schools in Thailand and earn a diploma that is good for more than decorating a wall. Follow Bertrand Russell's dictum: "Education should have two objects: first, to give definite knowledge, reading and writing, language and mathematics, and so on; secondly, to create those mental habits which will enable people to acquire knowledge and form sound judgements for themselves."

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK

If Thaksin returns, he must beware his bounty

While Thaksin holds no political office, the idea of him providing scholarships to 6,000 needy students is indeed commendable. However, assuming at some stage in the future he will be able to return to the political stage, one presumes that he will be required to cancel all such scholarships as they would surely be construed in the same way as any other vote-buying exercise. It would appear that Thaksin has given this idea about as much thought as he did to his much-vaunted Thailand Elite programme!

PATRICK ROSS

LONDON

What's behind the Asean handshake contortion?

In every Asean group photograph, why must all participants cross their arms in front of their chests in order to hold hands with the adjacent person? I think it looks uncomfortable and stupid, as if they are trying to change a light bulb by holding it and turning around.

Why don't they do it the easy way, letting their arms hang down naturally while holding hands?

SOMSAK POLA

SAMUT PRAKARN

How many stock analysts does it take to get it right?

Re: "Don't reduce number of analysts too far, says SAA", Finance, July 23.

This news report explained why the fundamental analysts among the stock brokers in Thailand are so poor in rendering their reports on "a security's intrinsic value, including macroeconomic factors and individually specific factors". If one looks back on what they said and compares it with the actual results in the past few years, most were on the wrong track and deserve to be sacked. They love to guess the stock index at each year-end and have been miserably and consistently wrong. How can one envisage the trend when the world's financial and economic structure is unstable and uncertain and will be so for many more months to come? There are only a few, mainly from large brokerage houses, deserving thanks from the investors.

No, it is not the number of analysts or the greater number of evaluated stocks that are important: it is the quality of the fundamental analysts that is important. Too many analysts with half-knowledge of what they are supposed to be expert in and too many reports on insignificant stocks give the capital market a bad name. So leave the brokers alone on the number of analysts since competitiveness will force them to be good and selective on their hired guns. Currently, most of them are bad because of the required number |of analysts forced down their throats, |so there is no competitiveness in being right.

SONGDEJ PRADITSMANONT

BANGKOK

Parents are the vital link in child gaming addiction

I recently heard on the radio that the government was going to solve children's addiction to online games by limiting the time they can log on to the Internet. While the purpose is righteous, the implementation is inefficient.

Personal computers are now very ordinary household gadgets. Children can play games on their computers in the comfort of their homes for as long as they want. A better solution to the problem is for parents to dedicatedly monitor their children's activities inside and outside their homes and strictly forbid them to play online games too much. Another better solution is for the government to totally prohibit uniformed students from Internet cafes offering online games regardless of time. This will not only reduce the number of students skipping school but will encourage students to go home directly to change (assuming they don't carry clothes with them to school) if they intend to play games after class. This will allow parents to monitor their children's activities better as they can see and talk to them when they arrive home after class.

Curbing this problem should start with parents. For some reasons, they are letting their children to play online games too long. Why is this so? Maybe the government should ask them first. My supposition is that parents prefer having their children in net cafes rather than in other places which may lead them to jail, or they are simply irresponsible parents who value money more than quality time with their offspring.

MARSHALL NB

BANGKOK