PM Abhisit Calls For Tougher Scrutiny Of Tutorial Schools

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PM calls for tougher scrutiny of tutorial schools

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Responding to a recommendation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission to tax private tutorial schools on their lucrative, non-tax business, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the right solution should instead be to regulate their standards and upgrade teachers' academic quality.

He said those profiteering from their operations should be specifically dealt with-and government teachers who encouraged students to take special tutorial courses would face disciplinary action. He also reminded the NACC that its primary responsibility is to monitor the government's performance or the corruption of high-ranking officials.

The premier instructed the Education Ministry to examine operations of these schools to determine their cost and their profits, but not as a way of regulating median fees. Costs differed depending on teaching methods, as certain schools only played VCDs for students to watch.

"If it is proved they have been profiteering, there will be action taken against them," he added.

According to the Finance Ministry, there are 2,715 private tutorial schools across the country, 2,685 of which are located in Bangkok. Their annual revenue from tutorial fees amounts to Bt10 million, half of which is profit. A 30-percent tax would generate substantial state revenue.

The NACC recently submitted a recommendation to the government, saying it was acting on complaints from parents who cited high fees and worried about safety features in their schools. Private tutorial schools are among many special or extra-curricula schools exempted from taxation.

Abhisit said the best way to gather information on whether teachers encouraged students to seek special tutors should come from the students themselves. He did not say how the government would get involved in a monitoring mechanism to get such feedback from students in private tutorial schools.

On safety features, Abhisit said the Education Ministry should immediately inspect all schools and impose existing regulations on those found to be violating safety.

Many Cabinet members discussed the issue and voiced their opinions. Deputy Education Minister Chaiyos Methakorn said the new admission system into universities had prompted students to seek extra tutorials, an opinion Abhisit said needed to be discussed further with rectors of all state universities.

Deputy Finance Minister Juti Krairuek dismissed media speculation the government wanted to tax schools to fund its populist policies. Commerce Minister Alongkorn Polabutr said taxing, if imposed, should be calculated on sales of teaching materials sold to buyers through franchise.

Education Minister Chinnaworn Bunyakiat said he would discipline government teachers who did not fully commit to their careers while moonlighting as tutors in private schools. Inspections of safety features, or new regulations on out-building fire safety facilities, would be soon issued.

-- The Nation 2011-01-12

[Scott]

I would think that increasing taxes would simply result in an increase in fees.

I thought these schools were regulated under the Private School's Act. If so, then taxing them may not be legal.

[Ijustwannateach]

There are abusive tutorial school situations out there- I think the worst is when a teacher basically gives more support (or even sample questions from his future tests) but the students have to attend the extra paid sessions to receive them. At a minimum, teachers shouldn't be tutoring their own students and/or using material directly from his actual classes without explicit school authorization.

However, with the high pressure and huge curriculum (not to mention large class sizes), the schools are needed. As long as the practices mentioned above are avoided, I don't resent my students' tutors.

I doubt the gov't will manage to do much taxwise in this direction- too many powerful vested interests already, who already add to the income flowing upstream more indirectly. A tax would alienate those connections and be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Better for the government to continue to benefit from the additional economic motion of the money (in the form of more purchasing by teachers) and sales/VAT tax on that activity.