Bangkok High School Students Stage Hunger Strike In Protest Of Enrollment Policy

[webfact]

Bangkok High School Students Stage Hunger Strike in Protest of Enrollment Policy

BANGKOK: -- A number of high school students are staging a hunger strike in front of the Government House in protest of a famed Bangkok highschool's enrollment policy.

More than 50 ninth graders from Bodindecha School and their parents have gathered in front of the Government House to stage a hunger strike for the third consecutive day today, to demand continued enrollment into the tenth grade at their current school.

One of the parents, Narong Niyomraj, said that 200 ninth graders have been suspiciously disqualified from continuing their education at the same school, despite the school's promise that 80 percent of the current students would be enrolled into the tenth grade.

The parent believes that the school has unethically accepted more new students at the cost of their childcare's allocated places.

Despite some officials' attempt to mediate the conflict, the students and their parents have vowed to continue their protest until their demand is met.

Prior to this, Education Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech had set up a committee headed by Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Sasithara Pichaichannarong, to look into the allegation.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Basic Education Commission, Shinpat Poomrat, has also been assigned to negotiate with the students and their parents. However, no progress has been made so far.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-21

[harrry]

I bet the noodle and somtum stalls did great business.

[Slaps]

Thai girls on hunger strike?

Not for long

.

[Thaddeus]

Thai girls on hunger strike?

Not for long

.

But reading......

More than 50 ninth graders from Bodindecha School and their parents have gathered in front of the Government House to stage a hunger strike for the third consecutive day today

If they are gathering every day, does that mean they are un-gathering in the evening.

I'm sure they can sit there defiantly not eating for a day, and then grab some noodles on the way home.

[GentlemanJim]

Regardless of whether they are maintaining a hunger strike or not, it is a shameful indictment on any nation when even the children and their education are subject to the relentless corruption in this country.

[Skywalker69]

Thai girls on hunger strike?

Not for long

.

[Seri]

There's no need for any mediation. The school must explain why students with higher scores are not retained while those with lower scores are.

This stinks of TEA MONEY and I bet the school has accepted money from parents whose children got low scores.

Whether it's real hunger-strike or not is irrelevant.

[Reasonableman]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/533386-thai-education-minister-suchart-welcomes-donations-to-schools/

It appears the converse is also true, non-donations to schools are unwelcome.

[GentlemanJim]

There's no need for any mediation. The school must explain why students with higher scores are not retained while those with lower scores are.

This stinks of TEA MONEY and I bet the school has accepted money from parents whose children got low scores.

Whether it's real hunger-strike or not is irrelevant.

My wife has just been telling me that this particular school is renowned for this. It isn't tea money, it is pure and simple blatant corruption, where the poorer students, regardless of ability are flung on the scrap heap in favour of the lazier unmotivated wealthy students.

[Semper]

This stinks of TEA MONEY and I bet the school has accepted money from parents whose children got low scores.

Yes this is how it's done (and not only in BKK), so you'll win the bet if there are any takers.

[Heng]

Or in other words... kids and parents that thought they had secured their spots at 'old' facility improvement/donation rates are being pushed out by those who are paying more.

Wouldn't be a problem if the administrators were a little more patient. Owning a popular school (which Bodindecha is) is such a cash cow.

[chuang]

Corruption at work...

[gand]

Be happy, most don't make it to the 9th grade.

[gand]

Surely PM Yingluck will resolve this issue.

Edited May 21, 2012 by gand

[Dodobird]

overweight students take this opportunity to go for diet ...

[TomTao]

Lets see how the government handles this with their pledge to 'root out corruption', I have heard of one school in Chumphon, a school for gifted children, where no student, no matter how gifted can get in unless they know the right people or have a large balance in their savings account.

[Heng]

Where my kids go to school, you can get your kids on the cover of the quarterly school magazine for only 100,000 Baht. What better way to teach your kids that they are better than the other 90%?

[gand]

Lets see how the government handles this with their pledge to 'root out corruption', I have heard of one school in Chumphon, a school for gifted children, where no student, no matter how gifted can get in unless they know the right people or have a large balance in their savings account.

Gifted as in large bank accounts apparently.

[TomTao]

Lets see how the government handles this with their pledge to 'root out corruption', I have heard of one school in Chumphon, a school for gifted children, where no student, no matter how gifted can get in unless they know the right people or have a large balance in their savings account.

Gifted as in large bank accounts apparently.

Yes, and the kids with the genuine higher inteligence are left languashing in the public schools being ignored by teachers.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

[givenall]

Did these students just got to Thailand. This has been the way for almost forever, and these people also have contributed to the tea money policy at one time or another.

So I am not sure what kind of sympathy I can give them

[Briggsy]

Wanna get your kids into Chulalongkorn Demonstration School? Higher up the food chain than Bodindecha but the principle is the same. Just for starters, not the annual bung, the going rate is 600,000 Baht. Payable as a donation to the Alumni Association, of course.

[USNret]

Did these students just got to Thailand. This has been the way for almost forever, and these people also have contributed to the tea money policy at one time or another.

No, but they just got to the 9th grade. You can't hold the kids accountable for the sins of their fathers. If they had an expectation of re-enrollment in 10th grade if they met academic standards, and they in fact met those standards, then I'm 100% behind them. Kudos to the kids for taking it to the street. Embarrassing corrupt officials is the only way to get attention, it seems.

[Payboy]

Secretary General of the Basic Education Commission

Commission - sounds about right.

[Thai at Heart]

Did these students just got to Thailand. This has been the way for almost forever, and these people also have contributed to the tea money policy at one time or another.

No, but they just got to the 9th grade. You can't hold the kids accountable for the sins of their fathers. If they had an expectation of re-enrollment in 10th grade if they met academic standards, and they in fact met those standards, then I'm 100% behind them. Kudos to the kids for taking it to the street. Embarrassing corrupt officials is the only way to get attention, it seems.

This may be a start of something interesting. If they were in the school, and passed the tests, how on earth can the school kick them out because other new students paid fresh money? I love this type of stuff in Thailand, and I await the parents being dragged onto chat shows, and the principal having to squirm his way out of this one, because there isn't a way out.

Tell the new parents, sorry, you can have your money back? Love it. Go kids and parents over this issue because tea money is a horrible pernicious system in this country.

[webfact]

Minister to Settle Parents' Row with School

BANGKOK: -- The education minister will meet with parents of high school students from Bodindecha School who have been denied admission to the tenth grade at the same school tomorrow. Meanwhile, the school's director insists that the selection process was conducted with transparency.

Education Minister Suchart Thadathamrongvech assigned his adviser Pornpichit Sukannart to negotiate with representatives of parents and ninth graders from Bodindecha School who have gathered in front of Government House to stage a hunger strike to demand further study in the tenth grade at their current school.

Pornpichit said after the negotiation that the problem was caused by the school itself.

The parents will be invited to discuss the issue with the education minister tomorrow and the ministry will hold a press conference about solution to the problem.

In the meantime, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Police Major General Wichai Sangprapai, who joined the meeting with parents and students, stated that a committee has been set up to investigate the school's director and principal for selection of students to further study at the school.

A representative of the parents said he was satisfied with the outcome of today's negotiation and viewed that the problem was caused by the school's mistake and it must prevent the problem from happening again.

In the meantime, Bodindecha School Director Suwat Wiwatthananon insisted that the selection process was conducted with transparency and in line with the Office of the Basic Education Commission of Thailand's and the Education Ministry's rules.

-- Tan Network 2012-05-21

[LuckyLew]

Loosely translated, someone has been tasked with negotiating a financial arrangement so that these hunger strikers up and go home and stop creating such a fuss

[OzMick]

Did these students just got to Thailand. This has been the way for almost forever, and these people also have contributed to the tea money policy at one time or another.

No, but they just got to the 9th grade. You can't hold the kids accountable for the sins of their fathers. If they had an expectation of re-enrollment in 10th grade if they met academic standards, and they in fact met those standards, then I'm 100% behind them. Kudos to the kids for taking it to the street. Embarrassing corrupt officials is the only way to get attention, it seems.

This may be a start of something interesting. If they were in the school, and passed the tests, how on earth can the school kick them out because other new students paid fresh money? I love this type of stuff in Thailand, and I await the parents being dragged onto chat shows, and the principal having to squirm his way out of this one, because there isn't a way out.

Tell the new parents, sorry, you can have your money back? Love it. Go kids and parents over this issue because tea money is a horrible pernicious system in this country.

"....you can have your money back..." is a phrase is impossible to express in Thai.

"want my money back" spoken in English is apparently gutter peak no civilised person would utter.

[GentlemanJim]

I think the results of all this could be some rather over crowded classes in the 10th grade at the school this year. I wonder if the school administrators are scrambling to try and up all of the exam scores of the children accepted to be above all of those now refused. Whatever happens there is going to be some pretty pis**d off parents about.

Edited May 21, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[gand]

Looks like home schooling it is then.

[culicine]

To settle this, why don't they just rerun an entrance exam for all students - set their target number of students and take the best of them. Now one comes to realise what these 'famous schools' are all about - making money. Some schools take the best students from around the country - they practically teach themselves and get into good universities. It's nothing to do with the quality of education provided. Parents love it though, they get to mix and rub shoulders with other wealthy connected parents - it's all about networking for them.