Thailand's 'Bad Students' demand education reform

By Jiraporn Kuhakan and Chayut Setboonsarng

 

Students take part in a rally of the Bad Student movement demanding the education minister's resignation at a school in Bangkok, Thailand, October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Jiraporn Kuhakan

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's "Bad Student" campaigners toured Bangkok high schools in a truck on Friday in a protest cheered on by pupils to demand education reform and an end to the harassment of students and of school rules they say are outdated.

 

The school demonstrations are part of an anti-government protest movement that has been growing since July and is also demanding greater democracy.

 

"Stop the harassment of students, cancel outdated rules, and give us comprehensive education reform," said Laponpat Wangpaisit, an activist from the group that calls itself "Bad Student" outside one Bangkok school.

 

From behind school gates, pupils cheered the protesters, sang songs mocking school rules and gave the three-finger salute of pro-democracy campaigners. At one school, pupils put a sign on the gate saying: "Teachers at this school harass students."

 

The protesters were later due to go to the education ministry to demand the resignation of the minister if he does not agree to their demands. The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the protests.

 

Student campaigners complain that Thailand's school system is geared more towards instilling obedience than education.

Concerns over the harsh treatment of pupils have risen this week after the emergence of closed-circuit camera footage of teachers hitting very young children. The clips prompted outrage and calls for measures to be taken against the schools.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-02

 

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2 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Student campaigners complain that Thailand's school system is geared more towards instilling obedience than education.

That about sums it up. 

12 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

and is also demanding greater democracy.

I was led to believe that to get a "greater" democracy, you had to have a democracy in the first place ?

Thailand hasn't got a democracy at this present moment in time !

Edited October 2, 20205 yr by Thaiwrath

2 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

I was led to believe that to get a "greater" democracy, you had to have a democracy in the first place ?

Thailand hasn't !

There was an outbreak of Democracy a few years ago and there was even a second wave of it but Prayuth was able to get it under control and is doing has best to combat any clusters and spikes masks seem to be providing the best protection against free speech and intimidation seems to be controlling any further spread of the dangerous democratic virus.

The seal is broken now. The only way they can get the genie back in the bottle is if there’s another massacre. But that can’t happen for several reasons; social media is far too prevalent and the internet doesn’t forget. And the world couldn’t be seen to be doing nothing if it happened here. This is Thailand not China. China can get away with it ‘cos they’re too big and most people sadly don’t see the bigger picture. As for Thailand, they’d be just the right size to use to made an example of. 
 

Looking at what’s happening with Thaksin’s party it does look like deals are being made. Institutions have realized they’re not as infallible as they thought they were and will have to begrudgingly make concessions. I feel this is just insulting the intelligence and simply won’t work. 

36 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

The seal is broken now. The only way they can get the genie back in the bottle is if there’s another massacre.

Referring to this one?:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Thai_military_crackdown

The kids aren't stupid just want a fair shake of the sav.

"Comprehensive education reform?", "more democracy?", "no harassment from teachers?", "ditching outdated rules?" -- that would be the day.

 

Do these ingrates know no bounds? Bad, bad students, indeed!

 

1 hour ago, heybuz said:

The kids aren't stupid just want a fair shake of the sav.

Only an Aussie would understand your comment:)) Havn't heard that for a while

36 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Only an Aussie would understand your comment:)) Havn't heard that for a while

Im old i still use rhyming slang.

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Student campaigners complain that Thailand's school system is geared more towards instilling obedience than education.

It's long been known they are the foundation camps for indoctrination into Thai society, rules have been long standing on how the minors should be treated and taught to obey the masters.

time to break with old outdated senile dinosaur thinking & institutions that brings NOTHING for the people

19 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

There was an outbreak of Democracy a few years ago and there was even a second wave of it but Prayuth was able to get it under control and is doing has best to combat any clusters and spikes masks seem to be providing the best protection against free speech and intimidation seems to be controlling any further spread of the dangerous democratic virus.

Very smart post FarFlungFalang, thank you for this! 

 

Highlights very well how the pandemic is misused to build and protect dictatorships. And in Thailand, all these "zero local case"-lies are made exactly to isolate the country and to protect the status quo.

Is October 14 the next big protest day ? Could be an interesting day.

 

Just checked the calendar, the 14th is a Wednesday, strange day to have a protest unless the schools are off.

16 hours ago, rkidlad said:

The seal is broken now. The only way they can get the genie back in the bottle is if there’s another massacre. But that can’t happen for several reasons; social media is far too prevalent and the internet doesn’t forget. And the world couldn’t be seen to be doing nothing if it happened here. This is Thailand not China. China can get away with it ‘cos they’re too big and most people sadly don’t see the bigger picture. As for Thailand, they’d be just the right size to use to made an example of. 
 

Looking at what’s happening with Thaksin’s party it does look like deals are being made. Institutions have realized they’re not as infallible as they thought they were and will have to begrudgingly make concessions. I feel this is just insulting the intelligence and simply won’t work. 

Good post as allways rkidlad! 

 

However, not sure about your second sentence: "The only way they can get the genie back in the bottle is if there’s another massacre". I think the powers-that-be (and with this I do not necessarily mean the army, as they are known to be trigger happy) have another plan at first, to get the genie back in the bottle. And this plan might work. You hint to this in your last paragraph already.

 

I think they are now negociating a deal with Thaksin, to make his Pheu Thai party part of a civil "government of national unity". Of course Pheu Thai would never not join the current coalition under Prayut. But, the real powers-that-be will let Prayut resign soon, still in October I predict. And then Pheu Thai might be willing to join a civil government, led for example by Anutin and his party. Insiders know the special relations of Anutin and his family. And Thaksin would be willing to play this game to be able to come back home.

 

In the power game of Thailand, such a "government of national unity" makes absolutely sense and would be a logic step for the elite to protect the political system. Many people especially from the North and Northeast would follow Thaksin and Pheu Thai, and by this would be taken away from the street protests. Hence, it would weaken the protest movement and Move Forward. The hope of the elite is to dry out the protest movement. Additionally this new government would make some concessions, maybe in the school system, to appease the protesters.

 

At the end however, this likely coming move is only to protect the system and the status quo for the next decades. 

 

I am quite sure this is what happens now.

 

Edited October 3, 20205 yr by Flying Saucage

5 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

time to break with old outdated senile dinosaur thinking & institutions that brings NOTHING for the people

Plese do not denigrate dinosaurs !  They were really smart critters in their day

On 10/2/2020 at 7:31 PM, Thaiwrath said:

I was led to believe that to get a "greater" democracy, you had to have a democracy in the first place ?

Thailand hasn't got a democracy at this present moment in time !

Without a major upheaval it never will (be a democracy). 

But the times are a'changing. 

On 10/3/2020 at 8:50 PM, Artisi said:

Without a major upheaval it never will (be a democracy). 

But the times are a'changing. 

Not too sure about times changing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_coups_and_coup_attempts_by_country#Thailand

 

[Oh & by the way, the correct saying should be "Fair shake of the sauce bottle" I believe  ???? ]

On 10/3/2020 at 3:30 PM, Golden Triangle said:

Is October 14 the next big protest day ? Could be an interesting day.

 

Just checked the calendar, the 14th is a Wednesday, strange day to have a protest unless the schools are off.

The day doesn't really matter. The date is the important bit.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Thai_popular_uprising

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thammasat_University_massacre

 

None of the current students were even born then but they know the significance of that date.

 

I truly hope that the Police/Army/Government/ultra nationalists don't respond with guns and violence, but I think there will be a lot of tension on both sides that day.