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

[mike123ca]

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.

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.

As long as Thai government schools are treated as profit centres. Then it will always be money comes first and second will be the grades.

Maybe if there were teacher's unions and parent committee to oversee the financing of the school and the compensation of the school administrators. The details of each school should be transparent to all ( also audited by an outside group) posted where all people can see and compare schools. If Thailand can cleanup the mess of these schools then change and progress can move forward.

[jerrysteve]

No child should ever be turned away for any reason from an education. I can only thank goodness I was born in the West.

[bluegum]

When the system that educates Thai kids is so corrupted, is it really any wonder that so many of them go on to take dishonest advantage of their own positions in later life?

[FOODLOVER]

55555555

[gand]

Have they told PM Yingluck yet?

Yingluck Launches Anti-Corruption Campaign

[surangw]

And to get into a good school big bux under the table are required.

[metisdead]

This is an English language forum, reply in English. If you wish to use your Thai language skills, do so in the Thai language forum. One post removed.

[kerryk]

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.

It is very easy to say in Thai

[bangkapi]

I know that school. It really isn't a very good school.

But then again, the state of education in this country and in most of the world is deplorable.

[Ijustwannateach]

As someone who's pretty familiar with how things are done at a number of schools, I have one caveat to point out: if you didn't have this kind of system in place, the salaries teachers make wouldn't actually allow them to retire, raise families, support their parents, etc., etc.

At public schools, the corruption system is what makes it possible for woefully underpaid public workers to survive. Not much different in that respect from so many other public systems here.

If you want to change it, you can: all you have to do is pay TWICE for one generation. You've got to pay for the 'old school' (so to speak) to get their retirement without the corruption payout, which typically gets bigger for most teachers as they get closer to retirement and have higher seniority. AND you've got to pay the 'new generation' teachers, who will retire without this system, a fair wage. So taxes will go up a lot, because it's the only fair way to make it happen.

So, which will it be? Corruption or taxes?

[Skywalker69]

Surely PM Yingluck will resolve this issue.

Another zero to the protocol.

[yougivemebaby]

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.

DUH

[yougivemebaby]

When the system that educates Thai kids is so corrupted, is it really any wonder that so many of them go on to take dishonest advantage of their own positions in later life?

Well I'm glad at least the police are honest.

[mca]

Looking at the grim grammar on the English version of the school's webpage it seems here's another prime example of a school selling its students short.

And this little depressing gem....

the place where young people would be taught and imparted wisdom, intellect and morality

[sparebox9]

All schools should be like Triam Udom www.triamudom.ac.th http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triam_Udom_Suksa_School

Entrance is by exams only, regardless if you live next to the school or in Betong (the further-est place from Bangkok).

No more auto pass or auto progression to the next grade.

20 classes per year, 50 student in each class, making it 10,000 intake each year.

Traim Udom produces the highest quality of Thai brains i Thailand.

No other school even come close.

The distance second is Satit, incidentally, is located just next door.

Edited May 21, 2012 by sparebox9

[webfact]

School agrees students can stay

Saowanee Nimpanpayungwong,

Supinda Na Mahachai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Officials at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School yesterday agreed to take back more than 20 "old" students after some parents staged a days-long hunger strike in front of the Education Ministry.

"I am satisfied," one of the parents, Narong Niyomras, said about the news.

The hunger strike began on Saturday. It prompted Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej to arrange a video conference yesterday between the parents and representatives of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec). Suchart was in South Korea but decided to try to resolve the dispute.

"I hope no similar mistake takes place in the future too," Narong said.

He and some other parents staged the hunger strike because Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni), one of the country's most popular schools, had initially ruled that their children must leave the school after they completed Mathayom 3 earlier this year. The school said their children were not qualified to study there any further.

However, at yesterday's meeting, the school simply said it was a mistake to decide that the children must leave, Narong said.

According to the last resolution from the meeting, all of the more than 20 students who were earlier told to leave will be able to start Mathayom 4 classes at the school when the new semester begins tomorrow (May 23).

"I am so happy I am allowed to continue studying at my old school," Pakwan Boonpichet, 16, said. She insisted that she was qualified to study further at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni).

Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Maj General Wichai Sangphrapai, who joined the meeting yesterday, said officials at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School had already set up a committee to investigate the school director over why the children were denied seats in Mathayom 4 classes in the beginning.

An informed source revealed that the Obec representatives were in fact very uncomfortable with Suchart's decision to have Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) take back all the students because some had not really met the school's qualifications. Some allegedly had very poor academic records.

Obec secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat said yesterday that students should be taught to respect rules. "I don't think we should be swayed by pressure or public sentiment." But he said he would respect policies issued by political-office holders.

Suchart plans to hold a press conference on the Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School row, after he returns from South Korea.

He has plans to host a banquet for the protesting parents and the affected students of Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) at 8.30am today, after which a press conference will be held.

-- The Nation 2012-05-22

[sparebox9]

There should be about 10 classes per year (my estimates).

So just add another 2 chairs per class won't hurt.

Case close.

"Some allegedly had very poor academic records." I think this sentence is just to discredit the students; make them look bad.

[FOODLOVER]

Can you have beer during a hunger strike?

[StefanBBK]

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.

Don't even get me started on this.

Large sums of tea money is all it takes to get your kids into better schools.

Sent from my GT-P7500 using Thaivisa Connect App

[Thai at Heart]

What a tangled web we weave.

Students, some with poor records, who's parents no doubt paid earlier believing that this made their kids immune from being moved on, probably with reported results that don't reflect their lack of performance. Then a bunch of new parents pay up believing this buys their way in and kicks out the lower performing kids to insure small class sizes and a supposedly elite school and whammo, all comes tumbling down because of a "mistake".

If they just graded kids honestly everywhere, set out the criteria for continued attendance, how much better would the performance of all the kids improve? The poster before is right, with the tax take in the country so low, there is little chance that schools will get the funding they need. But even if they did, would it be spent properly?

[gand]

Can you have beer during a hunger strike?

Then I have been on a hunger strike for years!

[gand]

I think they can get this poor of an education for a lot less money?

[gand]

Thailand should have their version of 'College Bowl' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177442/

[belg]

snacks provided by CP and chang

[garrya]

Regardless of what has lead to this situation, I find it really disheartening.

I applaud to these people for being brave to stand up against corruption.

just an observation; I don't know what makes people say their cheap jibes about these people? How can the one find this funny?

[allan michaud]

Maybe the people in charge were reading all the recent stories of parents paying insane amounts of tea money to get their kids into school, and felt they needed to up their rates. I am pretty sure it all comes back to the almighty Baht as usual.

[tingtong]

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.

true,

but on the other hand, maybe it just signals to the kids and their parents that an era is over: that is, the free ride till grade 9...

thus the week is disqualified.

maybe it is time to shape up, learn to read, do the homework, and dont just think that all grades a free handout.

while here the "all pass" policy is in place, many other parts of the world you need to work for that, else you fail, and repeat the year, or else you wont be accepted to your chosen school...can like, can dislike, that was and is reality. there is education for the rich, and there is education for the smart...if you neither of them, you might find some trouble along the way, ie. not getting your chosen school, profession, life.

and as some mentioned, a gather-ungether hunger strike?? come on! who cant see the humour in there?

[Thai at Heart]

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.

true,

but on the other hand, maybe it just signals to the kids and their parents that an era is over: that is, the free ride till grade 9...

thus the week is disqualified.

maybe it is time to shape up, learn to read, do the homework, and dont just think that all grades a free handout.

while here the "all pass" policy is in place, many other parts of the world you need to work for that, else you fail, and repeat the year, or else you wont be accepted to your chosen school...can like, can dislike, that was and is reality. there is education for the rich, and there is education for the smart...if you neither of them, you might find some trouble along the way, ie. not getting your chosen school, profession, life.

and as some mentioned, a gather-ungether hunger strike?? come on! who cant see the humour in there?

Well that is a double edged sword. Paying means you actually expect some kind of performance from the school and teachers also. Not every kid in the country is grade A+, but when the results are fudged anyway to allow everyone to pass, what is the point in being forced to pay, when you can't work out whether little Somchai is achieving anything anyway.

[GentlemanJim]

All schools should be like Triam Udom www.triamudom.ac.th http://en.wikipedia....om_Suksa_School

Entrance is by exams only, regardless if you live next to the school or in Betong (the further-est place from Bangkok).

No more auto pass or auto progression to the next grade.

20 classes per year, 50 student in each class, making it 10,000 intake each year.

Traim Udom produces the highest quality of Thai brains i Thailand.

No other school even come close.

The distance second is Satit, incidentally, is located just next door.

And 20x50 is.............. Did you go to this school?

[tingtong]

yet i dont see those free international schools popping up.

also no hunger strikes why the existing ones doesnt take on just anyone...

i meant rich, ie. seat for pay unis and schools. not tea money kind, but tuition fees, with no guarantee else than a chance to study. no work done from student, then pay up again for repeat the year.

works the other side of the world.