There is a Thai saying connected with the popular hobby of training and trimming shrubs in the household, "The young plants are easily trained, not the old ones," which is akin to the widely held belief that a talent for music or some other skill is a gift one is born with and so cannot be taught. Such notions make some teachers give up on certain children in their classes as incorrigible or unteachable. However, His Majesty the King takes a different view.
To him, anyone can be taught a new skill. He proved the validity of the concept by teaching those in his entourage to play various musical instruments until they were proficient enough to form the Sahai Pattana (Colleagues in Development) Band. Most of the members had no basic musical training and they were well advanced in age. However, with their devotion and full confidence in the teacher, none other than His Majesty the King, they put their utmost effort into it. His Majesty, meanwhile, was a meticulous, caring, and patient teacher. The achievement of the band brought pride to both the teacher and the learners. In this and other instances, his teaching method and philosophy serve as a true model of an effective teaching and learning for all in the teaching profession to follow.
His Majesty the King attaches great importance to education. He sets himself as a clear example for life-long learning. His royal speeches, addresses, and writings keep reminding all involved of the importance of learning. His royal activities, work plans, and projects aim at demonstrating the solving of problems and at creating learning communities for the development of the quality of life of the Thai people.
His Majesty has a clear concept of lifelong education, and frequently emphasizes the need for graduates to keep on learning and improving their knowledge, as stated in his royal address on the commencement of graduates from Kasetsart University on 14 July 1955:
I would like to remind you that even though you have completed your studies in accordance with the syllabus, and have been conferred the degree, you should keep in mind that this is just the first step in education. You must study and train yourself further, as in all branches of science, new knowledge is always obtained through experiments and research. If you fail to keep up, you will soon become outdated.