Can Int'l school re-open next month?

[SidJames]

23 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

Well, as predicted a nice late announcement on Friday. After hours of preparation we're now not allowed to open according to the CCSA.

 

What a farce. 

I just heard the same, lions led by donkeys ????

[blackcab]

Bangkok Patana is not opening on June 1st. Here is the email sent out today by the Head of School:

 

Update: CSL Continues

29th May 2020   Dear Parents,   The school campus will not reopen on Monday 1st June, as we were hoping. CSL will continue until we hear anything different from the Government. We have heard from the Government they will regularly review the situation.   In the meantime, we will continue our efforts to make sure we are ready when we get the approval to welcome students back to campus. In preparation, if you have not yet completed the Health and Travel Declaration and the Code of Conduct, please do so as soon as possible.   Please watch the video below, it details all the information your child(ren) need to know before returning to school. https://youtu.be/S8mizinssu0     I remain optimistic that the school will have an opportunity to open before the end of term. I hope you have a relaxing weekend.

[DrTuner]

Right, 30mins ago got email they will not be re-opening next week. Hrrr. Four weeks to go until holiday. tiktok.

[ThLT]

Once International schools will re-open, they'll be continuing their previous term (the one that was cut off by COVID)?

When will the first term of the new school year start (the one that usually starts in August)?

 

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, ThLT said:

Once International schools will re-open, they'll be continuing their previous term (the one that was cut off by COVID)?

When will the first term of the new school year start (the one that usually starts in August)?

 

No (not Bangkok Patana anyway) - Children have been receiving excellent support with home schooling, online learning and online live learning, IF there is a return back to school this academic year (which is due to end in June 26th) the school year will continue (not picking up where they left off months ago).

 

Patana has offered a THB 50,000 deduction from Term 1 fees of Academic year 2020/2021.

 

The behavior of this government has created extreme uncertainty. They've allowed Thai Schools to open but blocked international schools from opening. I do not see the logic.

 

 

 

 

[tikkymummy]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

No (not Bangkok Patana anyway) - Children have been receiving excellent support with home schooling, online learning and online live learning, IF there is a return back to school this academic year (which is due to end in June 26th) the school year will continue (not picking up where they left off months ago).

 

Patana has offered a THB 50,000 deduction from Term 1 fees of Academic year 2020/2021.

 

The behavior of this government has created extreme uncertainty. They've allowed Thai Schools to open but blocked international schools from opening. I do not see the logic.

 

 

 

 

None of schools in Thailand allowed to open either international schools or Thai schools. As ministry of education announced before they will re open on 1st July. 

[samran]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

They've allowed Thai Schools to open but blocked international schools from opening. I do not see the logic.

Not quite - the 1st of July is the official start date. It just so happens that all the international schools are on summer holidays by that point.

 

Don't get me wrong, I would have loved my kids to go back this week, but on consideration it would have been a bad look if the international schools got some sort of dispensation. Plus, I think the education minister has a stake in an international school. Probably would have been a bad look all around.

[ExpatOilWorker]

Play areas for the younger kids are opening up. Schools could be next.

 

RollerLand at Tukcom Chonburi, Tukcom Udonthani and RollerLand, Little Bike, AdventureLand, JumpZ, Deep at Harbor Pattaya are now open. However, Bangkok metropolitan area branches are still closed due to government announcements.

[BobbyL]

20 hours ago, ThLT said:

Once International schools will re-open, they'll be continuing their previous term (the one that was cut off by COVID)?

When will the first term of the new school year start (the one that usually starts in August)?

 

Same as always (August) for nearly all of the British curriculum schools here. International schools never closed and continued to teach remotely online. 

[BobbyL]

4 hours ago, tikkymummy said:

None of schools in Thailand allowed to open either international schools or Thai schools. As ministry of education announced before they will re open on 1st July. 

International schools were due to reopen last Monday (1st June). They were told this as a provisional date in mid May by ISAT. Most international schools informed parents and planned for a return of students for this week. It was only at about 3pm last Friday we were informed we could not open again. 

[blackcab]

21 hours ago, ThLT said:

When will the first term of the new school year start (the one that usually starts in August)?

 

Bangkok Patana starts the new school year on Wednesday 19th August 2020.

[XGM]

On 6/3/2020 at 6:12 AM, ThLT said:

When will the first term of the new school year start (the one that usually starts in August)?

Every International school starts in a different date. Up to them, as long as it's not earlier than July 1st.

[BangkokTeacher]

The arrogance of some of the International school managers really has to be seen to be believed. They bulldozed their way through May telling their parents that they would reopen on June the first whilst whipping their staff up into an utter stress fired frenzy and spending literally millions of baht on "improvements" such as infra red heat detectors and kick boards for each door. No one had actually told them that they could do this and they were, quite rightly rebuked by the government. Why should rich kids get to go to school when ordinary Thai's could not? Cue Heads scuttling into their offices and not being heard much of for the last week....The evidence is all on Youtube though!

 

BT

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, BangkokTeacher said:

The arrogance of some of the International school managers really has to be seen to be believed. They bulldozed their way through May telling their parents that they would reopen on June the first whilst whipping their staff up into an utter stress fired frenzy and spending literally millions of baht on "improvements" such as infra red heat detectors and kick boards for each door. No one had actually told them that they could do this and they were, quite rightly rebuked by the government. Why should rich kids get to go to school when ordinary Thai's could not? Cue Heads scuttling into their offices and not being heard much of for the last week....The evidence is all on Youtube though!

 

BT

Thats some chip on your shoulder....  As you are a Teacher I wonder if you have any experience or exposure to International Schools, or if you do, you just hate your job and your head teacher.

 

The only attitude I have ever encountered from numerous Schools (Patana, NIST, St. Andrews, AISB) has been one of humble professionalism.

 

 

There was wide spread media reports of all schools reopening. The Head's had little choice but to respond to this with letters to parents.

 

As with many nations, the media has a lot to answer for, in this case in reporting that schools would open.

 

Direct quotes below - not a sniff of the arrogance you mention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BangkokTeacher]

I fear that the arrogance came when the Heads planned to open, and told their parents that they were planning to do so, when they uploaded videos to Youtube outlining what would happen, without the express permission of the government, not OPEC. However, obviously you are much better informed than I. I bow to your superior knowledge. Blaming the press though? That is rich....

[johnray]

 

 

[BobbyL]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats some chip on your shoulder....  As you are a Teacher I wonder if you have any experience or exposure to International Schools, or if you do, you just hate your job and your head teacher.

 

The only attitude I have ever encountered from numerous Schools (Patana, NIST, St. Andrews, AISB) has been one of humble professionalism.

 

 

There was wide spread media reports of all schools reopening. The Head's had little choice but to respond to this with letters to parents.

 

As with many nations, the media has a lot to answer for, in this case in reporting that schools would open.

 

Direct quotes below - not a sniff of the arrogance you mention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutely correct. The international school where I work and friends I know in other 'real' international schools in Bangkok have been doing exactly the same thing with regards to this.

 

 

 

 

[BobbyL]

16 hours ago, BangkokTeacher said:

I fear that the arrogance came when the Heads planned to open, and told their parents that they were planning to do so, when they uploaded videos to Youtube outlining what would happen, without the express permission of the government, not OPEC. However, obviously you are much better informed than I. I bow to your superior knowledge. Blaming the press though? That is rich....

The news in international schools in Bangkok indicates there was a meeting in mid - May between the CCSA, MoE, OPEC etc to plan the reopening of internationals schools on 1st June. The reason for this was that international schools are far better equipped and able properly implement social distancing measures. It was seen as almost a 'trial' phase in preparation for the Thai schools mass reopening on 1st July.

 

This information was sent to international schools. International schools then began to put new measures in place. However, on the Friday afternoon before the possible Monday 1st June reopening, the CCSA decided it would not happen. No surprise there. 

 

There is absolutely no blame here on international school heads or management. My school rearranged  classrooms and corridors, purchased infrared scanners, added in new washing and cleaning areas, changed the layout of the canteen and playgrounds etc. That wasn't a waste of time and was actually a good thing as these measures are already in place now for the new school year in August. 

 

[SidJames]

17 hours ago, johnray said:

 

 

Great vid, well done & that's quite a kettle he's wearing.

 

Daily Telegraph piece today:

"School children under the age of 15 are more likely to be hit by lightning than die from coronavirus, new figures suggest, amid mounting pressure for the government to get more to get pupils back into classrooms as quickly as possible.

Scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford have called for "rational debate" based on the "tiny" risk to children and have suggested that if no vaccine is found in the future then it may be better for younger people to continue with their lives, while shielding the more vulnerable."

[SidJames]

Translated from a PBS news item:

 

Draft plan of relaxations of #COVID19 restrictions in "phase 4" (potentially on June 15)

- International schools can reopen
- Restaurants, food courts, hotel can serve alcohol
- Pubs, bars, karaoke venues are still NOT allowed to serve alcohol
- daycare facilities (e.g. kindergarten) can reopen
- events (incl. sports), conferences, concerts can take place (but with safe distancing)
- spas, onsen, "saunas", herbal compressions can offer services again (with safe distancing)
- theme parks, playgrounds, public swimming pools can reopen 
- all sports, competitions w/o spectators
All these measures and points for "phase 4" are still part of a DRAFT PLAN, final decisions will be on FRIDAY - so as of now, nothing is official yet.

[BobbyL]

International schools can reopen

 

final decisions will be on FRIDAY

 

I imagine it will be another late Friday afternoon decision from those chumps ????

[BangkokTeacher]

So, there you are. We can all now open again on the 15th, IF the goverment gives the go ahead at their next meeting, unfortunately my school finishes on Friday, 12th,  so good luck to all the Brits carrying out beta testing for us Yanks.....let us know how it goes. See you August....

[DrTuner]

I think at this point I'd rather get covid than do another day of remote home schooling. Open 'em up.

[BobbyL]

It gets even more strange. We had a visit from OPEC (they normally never visit the school with regards to anything) and a representative from the MoPH yesterday at about 2pm. This was to look at our measures and procedures in place and to give us the go ahead to reopen on Monday 15th June for the final week of term ????. I certainly can't imagine there being a high turnout of students in primary or secondary for just five days. 

 

 

 

[SidJames]

8 hours ago, BobbyL said:

It gets even more strange. We had a visit from OPEC (they normally never visit the school with regards to anything) and a representative from the MoPH yesterday at about 2pm. This was to look at our measures and procedures in place and to give us the go ahead to reopen on Monday 15th June for the final week of term ????. I certainly can't imagine there being a high turnout of students in primary or secondary for just five days. 

 

 

 

You may be surprised.

A lot will just want to see their friends.

Many of the wealthier expats have just the one child so most will really have missed their friends.

Peers are a very important part of social development in children & the one thing that home schooling has against it.

Fingers crossed that the reopening is ratified tomorrow but I won't be holding my breathe.

[ExpatOilWorker]

It is happening.

 

We have now been officially notified that International schools can open on Monday the 15th of June and we are absolutely excited and happy to have our children return to school. Our school has undergone the inspection by SOR CHOR on June 10th........

[blackcab]

From Bangkok Patana:

 

[BangkokTeacher]

Interesting.    https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwHNqDczKDRBnkbPqVbHLqGLHxM?projector=1

[SidJames]

The children will love these last 2 weeks of school.

At least they will get to see their friends. 

Have the soft playgrounds such as Harbourland been given the OK to reopen yet?

[DrTuner]

Had to do a health declaration for the kids, but still no idea if the school will open or not. Oh the suspense.