Thai Students Having Sex - Again!

[george]

STUDENT BEHAVIOUR: Hair dye, revelry, sex . . .

BANGKOK: The Education Ministry is inviting parents to add their definitions of inappropriate behaviour by students to its draft list, which already includes dyed hair, going out at late night and having sex.

Dr Charuayporn Thoranin, deputy permanent secretary for Education, said yesterday parents could post their comments at www.moethaiteen.com.

She said a working panel had already identified 16 acts as improper for students. They include breaking school dress code, having dyed hair, skipping class, theft, rude gestures, going out between 10pm and 4am, and using cigarettes, alcohol or illicit drugs.

The list also covered hanging out, gambling, visiting adult entertainment venues or brothels, having sex, carrying weapons, damaging property, brawling, extortion, and intimidation.

"Our panel is also debating whether students should enter beauty contests. We are going to discuss this further," Charuayporn said.

She said the list marks the first time the Education Ministry and schools will clearly specify what is considered improper in terms of student behaviour. The move is in line with the Children Protection Act, which will take effect on March 31.

Charuayporn said her ministry's list of improper behaviour would be used as guidelines for all schools across the country, which, with the help of the students, will fill in the details.

"Over the next three months, each school will have to hold a forum and engage their students in describing in detail what should be considered improper behaviour. We require student participation in the process," she said.

Charuayporn said the schools would then have to publish and distribute handbooks to their students outlining what sort of behaviour schools expect. Levels of severity would be assigned to the different sorts of improper behaviour, she added.

The Education Ministry currently subjects offending students to warnings, community service, probation, suspension from class, and transfers to other schools.

"But we plan to add another form of punishment - the deduction of students' good behaviour marks," Charuayporn said.

Achiraya Prasutanond, a Grade-11 student at Triam Udom Suksa School, said she supported any move to discourage students from illegal and self-destructive activities like taking illicit drugs and gambling.

"Such activities should be branded as improper, and serious actions should be taken against offenders," she said.

However, Achiraya urged the Education Ministry to relax regulations controlling the students' dress code and hairstyles. "Something a bit fashionable doesn't cause any harm," she said.

-- The Nation 2003-12-24