The Education Minister Backtracks On Ex-Pupils Issue

[webfact]

BODINDECHA SCHOOL

Minister backtracks on ex-pupils issue

SAOWANEE NIMPANPAYUNGWONG

THE NATION

Suchart says a panel must be set up to see if students were treated unfairly

BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej backtracked yesterday from his move to get all students linked to a public protest back at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School.

The parents of some pupils staged a hunger strike for several days in protest against the famous school's decision to strip their children of the right to continue studying there. They complained about alleged irregularities and Suchart stepped in on Monday.

However, the minister yesterday stopped short of instructing the school to take more than 200 of its old students back. Instead, he ordered committees be established to look into all complaints about school admissions, including the scandal surrounding Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni).

With the setting up of the committees, Bodindecha will not automatically take all its old students back, as some protesting parents and students were told on Monday. Instead, they will have to lodge complaints with a committee and wait for the results of an investigation.

"If the students were really unfairly stripped of their right to continue their studies at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni), the committee will restore their right. But if not, the committee will provide some remedy by finding another school for them," Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat said.

The committees, set up in all educational service areas, started work yesterday afternoon.

Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) is a very famous school. Some of its Mathayom-3 graduates believed they were unfairly told to leave because executives want to sell their seats to the children of rich parents who agree to pay large bribes or "tea money".

"I have heard so many things about the school executives' questionable behaviour but I never thought they would go as far as taking away seats from rightful students like me," one of the graduates said on condition of anonymity.

Another student who attended a press conference at the Education Ministry yesterday also disclosed that some teachers were not happy with the school's executives and were calling on parents to stage a protest at the school today.

The school said late yesterday it had 20 more seats up for grabs and it had told qualified applicants to claim these.

Chinnapat said Obec had thousands of schools under its supervision and had regulations to follow. "We won't bow to pressure, otherwise many problems would arise," he said, "We will stick to regulations."

Chinnapat said school-admission regulations were announced late last year and no one could simply tear them down now. He said there was no need to transfer the director of Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni), Dr Suwat Wiwattananon, from his post now.

"We can wait till the probe concludes," Chinnapat said. To date, Suwat has denied any wrongdoing.

Suchart tried to appease angry parents yesterday by promising to provide a greater number of quality schools for children in the future.

-- The Nation 2012-05-23

related topic:

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

http://www.thaivisa....ollment-policy/

[jaltsc]

"Suchart tried to appease angry parents yesterday by promising to provide a greater number of quality schools for children in the future."

Shouldn't all schools be of "quality"? Is he saying that his education ministry is satisfied with having most of the schools in Thailand being less than quality?

Maybe he should adhere to the the old saying: "Keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot. Instead of opening it and removing all doubt".

Edited May 23, 2012 by jaltsc

[OzMick]

"We will stick to regulations." Chinnapat said school-admission regulations were announced late last year..........."

Another little gift from PTP?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

"Suchart tried to appease angry parents yesterday by promising to provide a greater number of quality schools for children in the future."

Shouldn't all schools be of "quality"? Is he saying that his education ministry is satisfied with having most of the schools in Thailand being less than quality?

Maybe he should adhere to the the old saying: "Keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot. Instead of opening it and removing all doubt".

Very few Thais, particularly among TPTB think that the schools attended by poor upcountry people should be of the same quality as those intended for the urban elite, that would be a huge waste of government resources and may cause the society to evolve and change over time, no one of importance wants that to happen.

Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types.

The problem is simply when things are taken a bit too far and a school's administration is being a bit too greedy, and putting a commission in place to investigate this particular problem will bring about a reasonable solution, some PR lip service and then once the media attention goes way over time things can go back to normal.

[Moruya]

Isn't Suchart the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes such as these provided they were labeled as "book money"?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

[jaltsc]

Isn't Suchart the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes such as these provided they were labeled as "book money"?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

A little reading material while you are consuming your tea.

[OzMick]

Isn't Suchart the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes such as these provided they were labeled as "book money"?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect App

perhaps he was giving us a hint about the new admission regulations.

[Pib]

Setting up committees is a burearcratic way to put the issue on the back-burner, hopefully get it out of the pulic limelight for while, let the issue die out, etc. The Thai govt must have a zillion ongoing committees looking at all kinds of complaints/issues (most of which just kinda get forgotten about). I guess the minister assumes the parents of the ex-pupils will get tired of fighting the bureaucracy and just fade away. Hopefully the parents and community will keep the issue on the front burner and in the limelight to hopefully get to the truth...whatever that truth turns out to be.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Pib

[waza]

Here you go Yingluck, sort this out ...............

Edited May 23, 2012 by waza

[phiphidon]

"Suchart tried to appease angry parents yesterday by promising to provide a greater number of quality schools for children in the future."

Shouldn't all schools be of "quality"? Is he saying that his education ministry is satisfied with having most of the schools in Thailand being less than quality?

Maybe he should adhere to the the old saying: "Keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot. Instead of opening it and removing all doubt".

Very few Thais, particularly among TPTB think that the schools attended by poor upcountry people should be of the same quality as those intended for the urban elite, that would be a huge waste of government resources and may cause the society to evolve and change over time, no one of importance wants that to happen.

Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types.

The problem is simply when things are taken a bit too far and a school's administration is being a bit too greedy, and putting a commission in place to investigate this particular problem will bring about a reasonable solution, some PR lip service and then once the media attention goes way over time things can go back to normal.

"Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types."

Do you believe in your statement above or are you just baiting?

[GentlemanJim]

Here you go Yingluck, sort this out ...............

This photo is just begging for a caption contest.

From left to right

1. "If only she knew I just side-swiped 15% from the advertising campaign..hee hee_"

2. "She really really does believe we are going to do this"

3. "Just smile and humour her, and I must try to stop this nervous gesture of washing my hands, her brother will do something to distract the masses from this soon"

4. "Ha ha Lalala, Upsy Daisy here I come, I'm the only upsy one, I'm the only Daisy doo, Ipsy upsy Daisy Doo, La La Maka Paka"

5. Will this is just right boll*x, they said when I joined this party I would have a new S-Class Merc inside the first 12 months and now it looks like the Toyota Camry is back on the cards.....Boll*x"!

[Thaddeus]

"Suchart tried to appease angry parents yesterday by promising to provide a greater number of quality schools for children in the future."

Shouldn't all schools be of "quality"? Is he saying that his education ministry is satisfied with having most of the schools in Thailand being less than quality?

Maybe he should adhere to the the old saying: "Keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot. Instead of opening it and removing all doubt".

Very few Thais, particularly among TPTB think that the schools attended by poor upcountry people should be of the same quality as those intended for the urban elite, that would be a huge waste of government resources and may cause the society to evolve and change over time, no one of importance wants that to happen.

Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types.

The problem is simply when things are taken a bit too far and a school's administration is being a bit too greedy, and putting a commission in place to investigate this particular problem will bring about a reasonable solution, some PR lip service and then once the media attention goes way over time things can go back to normal.

"Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types."

Do you believe in your statement above or are you just baiting?

Well there had to be a first time I agree with you Don.

Money should not automatically qualify, ability should.

[Buchholz]

Isn't Suchart the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes such as these provided they were labeled as "book money"?

Yes and No.

Yes, he is the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes.

No, he didn't label it "book money", he labeled it "donations"

Thailand: legalized bribery in schools?

Education minister proposes legalizing "donations"

How do you eradicate the scourge of parents forking over cash to schools to buy better treatment for their kids?

Legalize it.

That's how Thailand's Education Minister, Suchart Tadathamrongvej, hopes to do it at least.

Under a pending policy, any school that feels underfunded by the nation's education ministry, he said, could feel free to amass "donations" -- not bribes -- from generous parents.

Global Post - February 13, 2012

http://www.globalpost.com/globalpost-blogs/southeast-asia/thailand_schools_bribery

[Buchholz]

Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej backtracked yesterday from his move to get all students linked to a public protest back at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School.

When coupled with all the backtracking involving the promise to provide free tablets to all students and the discontinuation of providing free school uniforms, the parents of school children must really be tiring of this government's lies.

.

[OzMick]

"Suchart tried to appease angry parents yesterday by promising to provide a greater number of quality schools for children in the future."

Shouldn't all schools be of "quality"? Is he saying that his education ministry is satisfied with having most of the schools in Thailand being less than quality?

Maybe he should adhere to the the old saying: "Keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot. Instead of opening it and removing all doubt".

Very few Thais, particularly among TPTB think that the schools attended by poor upcountry people should be of the same quality as those intended for the urban elite, that would be a huge waste of government resources and may cause the society to evolve and change over time, no one of importance wants that to happen.

Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types.

The problem is simply when things are taken a bit too far and a school's administration is being a bit too greedy, and putting a commission in place to investigate this particular problem will bring about a reasonable solution, some PR lip service and then once the media attention goes way over time things can go back to normal.

"Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types."

Do you believe in your statement above or are you just baiting?

While I believe his "should" may have been satirical, it is a fact of life that they do, despite government attempts at levelling the playing field.

I should make the bleeding obvious more so by stating that I am NOT referring to THIS government.

[OzMick]

Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej backtracked yesterday from his move to get all students linked to a public protest back at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School.

When coupled with all the backtracking involving the promise to provide free tablets to all students and the discontinuation of providing free school uniforms, the parents of school children must really be tiring of this government's lies.

The process of providing these tablets is a perfect example of political ineptitude. While providing an expensive, and what may be a very short -lived (tablet in the hands of a 6yo), freebie to a small group of parents, they have managed to annoy a much larger group who no longer receive the subsidies. NOT a vote winner.

[GentlemanJim]

This is all so typically Thai on the part of the Education Minister. When faced with the angry parents, distraught pupils and media, he says 'no problems everyone can have their places back', once he has escaped them then he says sorry, can't do that I actually meant we are going to have lots more committees and investigations.

I don't know but it seems to me Thai politicians must get paid extra for being on committees and investigation teams as they have committees at every possible opportunity. Does anybody know?

Unless you live in a 100% socialist state then those with money will always be able to send their kids to schools that out perform, out resource those provided by the state. That is just the way of the world. However once the schools have entered in to a contract with you then they can't just change the goalposts if they get a better offer.

[OzMick]

Actually the committee thing is a great dodge. First you get a few of your mates on a nice little earner for, say, 6 months. It appears you are doing something when you are not, and by the time the committee reports in, say, 6 months, the kids will have found another, lesser school or wasted half an academic year.

It might not win at any votes, but it's a lot smarter than tilting at a windmill that might just be owned by one of Thaksin's mates.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Very few Thais, particularly among TPTB think that the schools attended by poor upcountry people should be of the same quality as those intended for the urban elite, that would be a huge waste of government resources and may cause the society to evolve and change over time, no one of importance wants that to happen.

Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types.

The problem is simply when things are taken a bit too far and a school's administration is being a bit too greedy, and putting a commission in place to investigate this particular problem will bring about a reasonable solution, some PR lip service and then once the media attention goes way over time things can go back to normal.

"Of course children of people with money should have the advantage of getting a better education, no one disputes that but some fringe commie types."

Do you believe in your statement above or are you just baiting?

I am stating my perception of the attitude obviously held by those Thais that have any say in how the system is structured, and believe that few Thais would disagree as a statement of reality as it is, with little hope for effective change.

I would like to think it could be different in some abstract ideal world, but think such hopes are pretty pointless in the current corrupt political/economic systems, not just Thailand's, but common in the world, and certainly nearly all English-speaking countries.

WRT to Thailand specifically, I think the problem is as endemic as corruption and therefore has nothing to do with which mafia-network/political party happens to be in charge at the moment. Nearly as entrenched and difficult to change in other countries too though. . .

This is all so typically Thai on the part of the Education Minister. When faced with the angry parents, distraught pupils and media, he says 'no problems everyone can have their places back', once he has escaped them then he says sorry, can't do that I actually meant we are going to have lots more committees and investigations.

I don't know but it seems to me Thai politicians must get paid extra for being on committees and investigation teams as they have committees at every possible opportunity. Does anybody know?

Unless you live in a 100% socialist state then those with money will always be able to send their kids to schools that out perform, out resource those provided by the state. That is just the way of the world. However once the schools have entered in to a contract with you then they can't just change the goalposts if they get a better offer.

"Socialist" is so value-laden as to be pretty much meaningless in international contexts - for example, do you consider Finland to be a socialist system?

I think they've managed to establish what I consider a pretty ideal educational system, and per-capita spending relative to GDP isn't too far out of line with the woeful ones of the countries I mentioned above.

They've just used rational principles and effective management - not to mention little corruption - in order to do so.

[animatic]

"Instead, they will have to lodge complaints with a committee and wait for the results of an investigation."

Sweep it under the carpet by creating an 6-18 month 'investigation',

meanwhile the students have had to find other places to learn.

Problem solved.

or:

Follow the money would be the best advice.

Threaten to check ALL the bank accounts of the schools executives,

to see if they are 'unusually rich'...

Or if the children are reinstated now, the investigation can be more low key.

[Thai at Heart]

"Instead, they will have to lodge complaints with a committee and wait for the results of an investigation."

Sweep it under the carpet by creating an 6-18 month 'investigation',

meanwhile the students have had to find other places to learn.

Problem solved.

or:

Follow the money would be the best advice.

Threaten to check ALL the bank accounts of the schools executives,

to see if they are 'unusually rich'...

Or if the children are reinstated now, the investigation can be more low key.

As I said on another thread, I love to watch the perpetrators of this type of corruption squirm. All that needs to happen is the kids keep sitting down in protest. They don't even have to go on a hunger strike. What is the government do? Arrest them for blocking the pathway.

[slapout]

Another Minister who have ben raised to his level of incompitence in the position he holds.

He may be known for his slight of hand and the dealing out of funds, which he has access to, thus his appointment.

If this is the proposed leadership to get the Thailand education system, into a world competative mode, hub of education, etc, may the gods have mercy on the children.

[billd766]

"Instead, they will have to lodge complaints with a committee and wait for the results of an investigation."

Sweep it under the carpet by creating an 6-18 month 'investigation',

meanwhile the students have had to find other places to learn.

Problem solved.

or:

Follow the money would be the best advice.

Threaten to check ALL the bank accounts of the schools executives,

to see if they are 'unusually rich'...

Or if the children are reinstated now, the investigation can be more low key.

Don't just threaten to check all bank accounts.

DO IT.

And if anybody whines or bitches about it, tell them the Prime Minister said we have to stop corruption.

[mike123ca]

"Instead, they will have to lodge complaints with a committee and wait for the results of an investigation."

Sweep it under the carpet by creating an 6-18 month 'investigation',

meanwhile the students have had to find other places to learn.

Problem solved.

or:

Follow the money would be the best advice.

Threaten to check ALL the bank accounts of the schools executives,

to see if they are 'unusually rich'...

Or if the children are reinstated now, the investigation can be more low key.

Put the school administrators on a pay grade.

Then I would have their pay grade not exceed 25% 0f the average teacher pay of that school.

Then each year give them a good tax audit.

[Buchholz]

Isn't Suchart the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes such as these provided they were labeled as "book money"?

Yes and No.

Yes, he is the idiot that claimed it was OK for schools to take bribes.

No, he didn't label it "book money", he labeled it "donations"

Thailand: legalized bribery in schools?

Education minister proposes legalizing "donations"

How do you eradicate the scourge of parents forking over cash to schools to buy better treatment for their kids?

Legalize it.

That's how Thailand's Education Minister, Suchart Tadathamrongvej, hopes to do it at least.

Under a pending policy, any school that feels underfunded by the nation's education ministry, he said, could feel free to amass "donations" -- not bribes -- from generous parents.

Global Post - February 13, 2012

http://www.globalpos...schools_bribery

now he's being burned in effigy...and other bizarre twists...

Effigy of minister burnt as rally watered down

A group of Bodindecha School students and parents yesterday staged a protest outside Government House, burning an effigy of Education Minister Suchart Thadadamrongvej over his "tea money" policy, which had favoured rich families and resulted in a number of students being prevented from continuing their studies in the 10th grade.

The leader of an anti-corruption network, Mongkholkit Suksintharanont, who led yesterday's protest, denied that he had tried to convince people with terminal-stage Aids to set fire to themselves in protest at the tea-money issue at the prestigious Bangkok school.

"I don't think one can force others to kill themselves that way, but people with HIV/Aids may think they will die soon anyway, and may want to make their deaths useful," he said.

A network of people living with HIV/Aids had earlier voiced their opposition to Mongkholkit's statement that three terminal-stage Aids patients had agreed to join the tea-money protest.

Mongkholkit later claimed that "the sacrifice" had been called off because it would have made huge news, which would be bad for the country's image. The burning of Suchart's effigy was therefore carried out instead.

Yossarin Talabnark, a senior official at an education office in Ayutthaya, led 20 students from four schools to the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) to show their support for the policy in favour of tea money and their opposition to protests against it, such as the Bodindecha School hunger strike.

They later moved to Parliament and submitted a petition to Pheu Thai Party asking for an investigation into the matter, targeting Mongkholkit, whom they accused of launching the protest against tea money due to a business conflict.

Mongkholkit had allegedly encouraged Bodindecha students to go on hunger strike.

The students' studies at the upper secondary level had been terminated supposedly because of their very poor grades rather than them having a lesser financial status than those selected to take their places.

Yossarin said Mongkholkit had set up a private tutorial school, which later failed to pass a qualification test under the Education Ministry. "This is likely the main reason leading him to stage protests to smear Bodindecha School," he added.

Obec secretary-general Chinna-phat Phoomirat said the three students who had been re-enrolled but later quit, were not pushed out by teachers and fellow students after the school management recently made an announcement calling on all pupils to not accept them.

Chinnaphat said he did not know why the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had agreed to initially look into the matter and possibly inspect the assets of directors of 20 schools at the request of Mongkholkit.

He will today appear before the National Anti-Corruption Commission to clarify allegations of graft at the schools in question.

A senior DSI official, Nirand Adulsak, said the DSI had complied with Mongkholkit's request and made some progress in interviewing the parents of three Bodindecha students.

However, the agency has not yet decided whether to officially investigate the matter.

-- The Nation 2012-05-30

[Thaddeus]

"I don't think one can force others to kill themselves that way, but people with HIV/Aids may think they will die soon anyway, and may want to make their deaths useful," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-05-30

Is this thought process a result of being uneducated or incapable of being educated.

[OzMick]

" ...three students who had been re-enrolled but later quit........... after the school management recently made an announcement calling on all pupils to not accept them."

Now THAT is a basis for a good court case.

[FOODLOVER]

Unbelievable! Hip hop music for 3 hours! I f snoopy dog 2 hours! Word to your mother.

Edited May 30, 2012 by FOODLOVER