Wolf ,Wolf, what's the time?

That was the game we played today at Kids' Club: "Wolf Wolf what's the time?" My own kids have been playing it since they were about 2... the Kids Club Kids are 6 and older so I thought it would be easy. I had gone through my introduction and explanation of the game with my language helper yesterday... I knew what to say and how to say it. I was ready.

But they didn't get it. The wolf refused to turn around and look away from the kids. The children could only call out "wolf wolf" if they were robotically repeating it after me. And could only take the steps if they were robotically following me. At first the wolf didn't manage to catch anyone (even though he was the oldest and fastest of the lot!). And even though they only had to run back to the start to avoid being caught, they all ran right around the house and then some! Frustration!!!

Photo: Kids Club on a better day!

Sadly, its not the first time this has happened. As I get more experienced at running Kids Club, it happens less often, but that's just because I am lowering the standards and my expectations! I realise it has something to do with my inadequate Thai, but truly, there's definitely a lot more to it than just that!!! I love Kids' Club and am honestly fond of the children, but their lack of ability to THINK really frustrates me...

When we first arrived in Thailand in 2003, I read in the Bangkok Post that the average IQ here is low and dropping. In fact the average of Thai children is between 87 and 88 points. This was according to a survey done in 2002. There was a plan to develop children intellectually and physically, and raise the IQ to at least 100 by 2008.

Its 2008 now and I am wondering how the programmes fared. I am on a mission to find out, but so far have not been able to find anything.

The 2002 survey results were fairly dire: at least 20% of the children under five years of age had visual, muscular and touch-perception problems. Another survey (from 2001) found that children from six to 12 had low levels of patience, discipline, concentration and self-reliance, while those between 13 and 18 had insufficient creativity, analytical ability, conscience, problem-solving skills and emotional control.

The then minister of education said that these problems were the result of parents leaving teachers in charge of their children's development. Teachers are not trained to maximise children's potential at the right age, he said. The five-year plan included teaching pregnant mothers to eat nutritious food during pregnancy, and stimulating their children's development at the right age.

The minister for mental health said that: "Some parents tend to carry their babies in their arms all the time out of concerns that their babies might fall and hurt themselves. That's not right. If it's time for your babies to start crawling or running, let them do so because it encourages their development."

HAH! This is what I've been saying all along. Whenever I get asked how come my kids are so active, independent, energetic, inquisitive and talk so much.... that's what I say, and that's why I started my moms and babies class (which no one attends because they have all taken the kids to nursery so the teachers can make sure their kids develop)!

Before I get too carried away on this particular rant, let me not forget that South Africa's average IQ is 72! So who I am to comment on a nation's whose national average is 87? But all the same, I do hope that the five-year plan will start showing some fruit soon! And that maybe, just maybe, some moms will come to my classes.

And I think that its time to think!