Thailand: 2008 International Council of SDA English Language Schools

February 15, 2008 Bangkok, Thailand 

From February 6 to 13, 2008, the 8^th annual meeting of the International Council of SDA English Language Schools was held at the Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok. Thirty-one participants from China, Czech Republic, England, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Romania, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States of America were present at this 2008 International Council. Dr. Vernon Parmenter, GC Associate Secretary overseeing language schools and the AVS program, chaired the meetings and Elder Gary Rustad, the associate secretary of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, acted as the vice-chair and secretary of the meetings.

At this meeting, Joshua Nieblas, Field Services Representatives of ARMS, was present; the North American Division was represented by Jose Rojas, Director of Volunteer Ministries and Ernest Hernandez, Volunteer Processing Coordinator, the Euro-Asia Division by Sergey Zhadan, Assistant to the Education Department Director; the Northern Asia-Pacific Division by Chek Yat Phoon, the Language Schools Coordinator. Chaplains from colleges and universities were invited and the chaplains from Pacific Union College, La Sierra University, Southern Adventist University and Walla Walla University came to participate in this special meeting.
 

Topics on screening, academic and spiritual qualities of the teachers, recruitment and scheduling of the ELS teachers, orientation of the new teachers, mission function of the teachers, insurance issues, processing of immigration and visas, and other policy matters regarding teachers were discussed. Dr. Si Young Kim, KUC SDALS director, presented the topic on “Guidelines for opening ELS and reviving a struggling ELS program and what constitutes a quality ELS program?” Dr Chek Yat Phoon, NSD LS Coordinator, and Dr. Erica Hole of Newbold College, presented the topic on “Evaluation of ELS”.