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Historical Practices And Modern Interpretations: Understanding The Wai Khru Ceremony As A Thai Educational And Cultural Tradition, Ryan V. Guffey, Anothai Kaewkaen

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

While working in Thailand, education professionals from Western backgrounds often remark on a certain social eminence accorded to teachers by Thais, and many will also experience, especially in abridged form, the rituals of the Wai Khru, or Homage to Teachers, ceremony. However, it could be that few without direct cultural orientation can appreciate these traditions to the depth such long-standing cultural practices deserve. More detrimentally, they may not be aware of the social expectations these traditional views place on educators within Thai society. Drawing on primary sources from Thai literature and media and their own experiences as educators in Thailand, …