Tough test ahead as Thailand mulls reopening schools

[webfact]

 

The second semester for most Thai students will start on November 1. But whether their classes are held online or onsite will depend on what schools and parents say.

 

“We are not going to force students to return to school,” Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong said. “If parents are worried, students can study from home or opt for other learning modes.”

 

She also made clear that COVID-19 vaccination would be voluntary for students. In other words, authorities will only give Pfizer jabs to children whose parents are willing to have them vaccinated.

 

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Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/tough-test-ahead-as-thailand-mulls-reopening-schools/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-09-27

 

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[DrJack54]

Where's Brewster

[DrJack54]

Tough test ahead as Thailand mulls reopening schools.

 

Current thread. @brewsterbudgen

Edited September 27, 2021 by DrJack54

[brewsterbudgen]

53 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Where's Brewster

I'm here! Waiting to hear something more definite. Hoping that international schools will be allowed back from next month.

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm here! Waiting to hear something more definite. Hoping that international schools will be allowed back from next month.

It's a tough one.

I had reason to drive past international school Soi 105 Bang Na daily over few months when schools were open.

Blimey.....the number of students and parents at end of school day looked like a premier league game.

I imagine that the vast majority of schools are much smaller

Edited September 27, 2021 by DrJack54

[Bkk Brian]

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm here! Waiting to hear something more definite. Hoping that international schools will be allowed back from next month.

Just got an email and am very happy, my daughter goes back next week, Phuket has been running a sandbox programme for year 5 and under, they are now extending it to year 6 to 13.

 

My daughter is 13 and in year 9

 

Hope Bangkok follows suit for you!

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Just got an email and am very happy, my daughter goes back next week, Phuket has been running a sandbox programme for year 5 and under, they are now extending it to year 6 to 13.

 

My daughter is 13 and in year 9

 

Hope Bangkok follows suit for you!

Any rules regarding vaccination for teachers etc.

 

[brewsterbudgen]

16 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Just got an email and am very happy, my daughter goes back next week, Phuket has been running a sandbox programme for year 5 and under, they are now extending it to year 6 to 13.

 

My daughter is 13 and in year 9

 

Hope Bangkok follows suit for you!

That's great.  You must be delighted - and I'm sure your daughter is too!

[RichardColeman]

Schools will be back long before mass unhoopy tourism

[Callmeishmael]

33 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Any rules regarding vaccination for teachers etc.

 

The MOE arranged vaccinations for Thai teachers a few months ago.  Foreign teachers were not included in the scheme, even if their school submitted their names. 

 

The real question is parents and grandparents.  Despite masks and hand-washing kids are little disease vectors and many Thais live in multiple-generation families.  Have all of the grandparents been vaccinated?  The last time I checked the percent of over-60s who had been vaccinated was lagging far behind the percent of the general population that had been vaccinated.

[Bkk Brian]

59 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Any rules regarding vaccination for teachers etc.

 

Yes all teachers vaccinated and all parents vaccinated, aside from that then normal covid measures within school and one negative antigen test carried out weekly, the school provides them for 100 baht each.

[Bkk Brian]

24 minutes ago, Callmeishmael said:

The MOE arranged vaccinations for Thai teachers a few months ago.  Foreign teachers were not included in the scheme, even if their school submitted their names. 

 

The real question is parents and grandparents.  Despite masks and hand-washing kids are little disease vectors and many Thais live in multiple-generation families.  Have all of the grandparents been vaccinated?  The last time I checked the percent of over-60s who had been vaccinated was lagging far behind the percent of the general population that had been vaccinated.

This is in Phuket, all foreign teachers were vaccinated weeks ago and yes all parents and grandparents etc

[cclub75]

A few weeks ago they said that the condition for school reopening on november 1 was.... 85 % of children 12 to 18 years... vaccinated with Pfizer (+ staff and teachers)...

 

As usual, maximum confusion.

 

Today, they gave news about quarantine, curfew.... but still nothing clear about schools. It's mind blowing.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The second semester for most Thai students will start on November 1. But whether their classes are held online or onsite will depend on what schools and parents say.

And not forgetting the vaccination level.

[wensiensheng]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Just got an email and am very happy, my daughter goes back next week, Phuket has been running a sandbox programme for year 5 and under, they are now extending it to year 6 to 13.

 

My daughter is 13 and in year 9

 

Hope Bangkok follows suit for you!

Just a little bit more on this, I just heard from my daughters school in Phuket that the sandbox scheme can only be for 50% of a schools secondary students.
 

Different schools are using different ways to use up the 50% “allocation”. My daughters school is going to open for all year 10, 11 and 12 students. year 8 and 9 are not included at this point. However, if the take up from years 10,11 and 12 is low, then they may open it up to years 8 and 9 and see what demand there is.

 

apparently one other school is considering opening up all classes to 50% capacity on a first come first served basis and another school considering opening for years 8 and 9 on Monday through Wednesday and the older years on Thursday and friday, or something along those lines. The critical point is seemingly that no more than 50% of secondary students can be in school at the same time. But schools can mix and match as they wish.

 

digressing slightly, my daughters school also told me that the names of all students above the age of 12 have been forwarded to the provincial government for an allocation of Pfizer vaccine. Once it’s approved, parents will be offered the choice of taking it up, or not. No precise timescale on it, but estimation was two weeks.

[Bkk Brian]

6 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Just a little bit more on this, I just heard from my daughters school in Phuket that the sandbox scheme can only be for 50% of a schools secondary students.
 

Different schools are using different ways to use up the 50% “allocation”. My daughters school is going to open for all year 10, 11 and 12 students. year 8 and 9 are not included at this point. However, if the take up from years 10,11 and 12 is low, then they may open it up to years 8 and 9 and see what demand there is.

 

apparently one other school is considering opening up all classes to 50% capacity on a first come first served basis and another school considering opening for years 8 and 9 on Monday through Wednesday and the older years on Thursday and friday, or something along those lines. The critical point is seemingly that no more than 50% of secondary students can be in school at the same time. But schools can mix and match as they wish.

 

digressing slightly, my daughters school also told me that the names of all students above the age of 12 have been forwarded to the provincial government for an allocation of Pfizer vaccine. Once it’s approved, parents will be offered the choice of taking it up, or not. No precise timescale on it, but estimation was two weeks.

Interesting, at the moment the school said its opening up for all year 5 to 13, they've been open for under year 5 for some time. Yes same thing with vaccinations also, name sent off. Lets see if this changes as everything else seems to.

Maybe it will be alternate days, not details yet?

Edited September 27, 2021 by Bkk Brian

[stubuzz]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes all teachers vaccinated and all parents vaccinated, aside from that then normal covid measures within school and one negative antigen test carried out weekly, the school provides them for 100 baht each.

They should be free!

[wensiensheng]

19 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Interesting, at the moment the school said its opening up for all year 5 to 13, they've been open for under year 5 for some time. Yes same thing with vaccinations also, name sent off. Lets see if this changes as everything else seems to.

Maybe it will be alternate days, not details yet?

Yup, like everything, it’s best to keep an open mind until it actually happens.
 

Perhaps your daughters school is opening it up to all secondary students and will see what take up they get? Once they know numbers it will be easier to decide how to phase the class times.

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, wensiensheng said:

Yup, like everything, it’s best to keep an open mind until it actually happens.
 

Perhaps your daughters school is opening it up to all secondary students and will see what take up they get? Once they know numbers it will be easier to decide how to phase the class times.

At the weekend the new timetable arrives, I'll let you know, keep us updated on your daughters school also

[khunpeer]

4 hours ago, cclub75 said:

A few weeks ago they said that the condition for school reopening on november 1 was.... 85 % of children 12 to 18 years... vaccinated with Pfizer (+ staff and teachers)...

 

As usual, maximum confusion.

 

Today, they gave news about quarantine, curfew.... but still nothing clear about schools. It's mind blowing.

my daughter's school in ChiangMai is busy preparing for Pfizer-jabs in October! give them a break because they're in the midst of organizing now!

by the way they told me all teachers here were vaccinated!

I think it is very reasonable, you want a vaccination, you can go back to school, if you don't want that then there's always online...

my daughter's class might be cut in half, 1 week one half has realtime class, while the other half is online, the week after the other half is present in school and the first half will learn online...

nothing really mindblowing here, just following their slow pace...

 

[brewsterbudgen]

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Schools will be back long before mass unhoopy tourism

And rightly so.  They should be back now!

[sungod]

4 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Yes all teachers vaccinated and all parents vaccinated, aside from that then normal covid measures within school and one negative antigen test carried out weekly, the school provides them for 100 baht each.

I've been told 2 tests per week ( Chonburi.)

[Deli]

And in the meantime Norway declared Covid is over.

TiT, welcome to the 3rd world's crisis management.

[Bkk Brian]

Just had an email update from my daughters school (international in Phuket)

 

Permission has been granted to open the school fully to all students, no sandbox measures in place, just one negative rapid test every 2 weeks. Vaccinations for students put on hold due to the vaccines not arriving yet.

 

From Oct 4th

Edited September 29, 2021 by Bkk Brian

[globerunner4]

Of course schools will open. They have to collect all that international tuition. But don’t be surprised when they close again soon after.  ????

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, globerunner4 said:

Of course schools will open. They have to collect all that international tuition. But don’t be surprised when they close again soon after.  ????

They've been collecting it anyway, they never closed just went online

[DrJack54]

Question just out of nosy interest.

What are the fees for random international school.

I was passing big one in Soi 105 Bang Na. Apparently not cheap. 

Soooo many students and parents at start and end of day.

 

[Will B Good]

Way hey!

 

Mulling is back.....haven't seen that for months.

[brewsterbudgen]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Question just out of nosy interest.

What are the fees for random international school.

I was passing big one in Soi 105 Bang Na. Apparently not cheap. 

Soooo many students and parents at start and end of day.

 

I pay around 300,000 a year. And that is cheap for Bangkok.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I pay around 300,000 a year. And that is cheap for Bangkok.

Geeez.....surely that's all up.

School uniforms, books etc included