Thai Officials Hands 'Tied' By Limits On Punishments: Interschool Violence

[webfact]

Officials hands 'tied' by limits on punishments

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The problem of interschool violence is made difficult to solve by limits on punishments prescribed in the Child Protection Act, the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec) said yesterday.

Ovec now plans to use disciplinary guidelines in place at Don Muang Technical College as the standard for all technical/vocational colleges.

Ovec secretarygeneral Chaipreuk Serirak said the agency's centre for monitoring and preventing student violence in Bangkok, which has communication centres in the Chatuchak, Victory Monument, Suan Luang and Thon Buri areas, started operations yesterday.

The centres will work with police, colleges, Education Ministry student inspectors and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority. The public is also encouraged to help by calling 1156 if they witness student clashes.

Chaipreuk said he had assigned his deputy Pradit Rasitanont to study vocational colleges' prescribed punishments for misbehaving students and would call a meeting of agencies and colleges to brainstorm solutions to the student violence issue.

Pradit said that other than awarding poor behaviour scores, Ovec could not do much about the problem. The Child Protection Act 2003 limited their options, Pradit said; teachers cannot cane students or move them to study elsewhere, and are liable to be sued by parents if they break the rules on punishment.

As Don Muang Technical College's regulations are considered more thorough than those of other colleges, Pradit said he would apply them as the standard. The college establishes a yearly committee comprising a deputy college director, teachers and studentaffairs administrators. The panel considers allegations and makes suggestions on how to punish students for wrongdoings, such as by cutting behaviour scores.

For example, making an impolite remark to another student would cost them one point, while smoking a cigarette would cost them 10 points. More serious violations are subject to probation and a 20to40point penalty. These include starting or partaking in a brawl, possessing a gun or explosives, and selling drugs. Those facing a police probe or criminal prosecution would be suspended.

Meanwhile, Senator Tuang Anthachai urged the Education Ministry to invest Bt100 million to enable agencies under its supervision to tackle the violence. He urged the ministry to use as a model the tackling of Chiang Rai's "Samurai" student gang in 1997 through the use of privatesector funding of constructive activities.

The Parents' Network and its allies issued a statement urging the media to educate parents on the need to supervise kids, and calling on teachers to monitor student hazing and prevent senior students from negatively influencing younger kids, while watching out for problematic students.

They urged the government to limit access to weapons, impose tougher punishments for illegal gun possession, fund research on preventing violence, and provide space for constructive activities. They also called for the dropping of college symbols.

Ayutthaya police have stepped up random checks on Internet cafes, temporary closed cafes that let students in during school hours or gather for fighting, and even cancelled licences for repeat offenders. Police were also stationed at four brawlprone locations across Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya Island.

-- The Nation 2012-06-19

[theblether]

It's a difficult one......teenagers all over the world seem to go through this phase. We can always blame the parents but there is a period when the kids do just out and out rebel. The message has got to come down clear and hard from the schools themselves, and the police must act swiftly to stamp out low level thuggery. These things have a habit of getting out of hand if they are not taken seriously from the beginning.

[noitom]

This was a homicide. officials' hands should not be tied.

[asiawatcher]

A points system? Tut tut, bad boy/girl... smoking? whilst they pack a gun?

[allan michaud]

You just get points for "starting or partaking in a brawl, possessing a gun or explosives, and selling drugs"

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

[MEL1]

What they should do is change the stupid law which says a child can't be expelled from a school.

Bad eggs would soon run out of schools, and either end up being unablel to graduate, or having to resort to getting down to some serious disciplined learning at their last choice.

It's too easy for the parent to walk to the school and say, "What did you do about my child's problem?", when the problem clearly arises from home!

The schools should have an equal right to send reports to the parents from the very beginning, to warn of issues, and ask the parents what they are doing to curb bad behaviour outside of school hours.

Currently, it is all ar*e over t*t!

-mel.

[Pseudolus]

the cops are making money from the black market supply of guns. Simple as that. Therefore they will not do anything. Especially as previously reported it's often children of untouchable coppers that are doing this. Catch their dads, the real criminals, and then address the break down in society from there.

[Payboy]

Don't expect any action until a stray bullet hits a Benz.

Until now the perps and victims are from the lower echelons of society - not much gravy or glory to be enjoyed by helping anyone there.

Edited June 19, 2012 by Payboy

[belg]

what has shooting to do with school punishments? adult crime, adult time, no ?

[Nisa]

For example, making an impolite remark to another student would cost them one point, while smoking a cigarette would cost them 10 points. More serious violations are subject to probation and a 20to40point penalty. These include starting or partaking in a brawl, possessing a gun or explosives, and selling drugs. Those facing a police probe or criminal prosecution would be suspended.

I guess not smoking will curb violence and schools applying bad grades will help them deal more with these things rather than say charging somebody with murder.

[animatic]

What they should do is change the stupid law which says a child can't be expelled from a school.

Bad eggs would soon run out of schools, and either end up being unablel to graduate, or having to resort to getting down to some serious disciplined learning at their last choice.

It's too easy for the parent to walk to the school and say, "What did you do about my child's problem?", when the problem clearly arises from home!

The schools should have an equal right to send reports to the parents from the very beginning, to warn of issues, and ask the parents what they are doing to curb bad behaviour outside of school hours.

Currently, it is all ar*e over t*t!

-mel.

That concept means we get unskilled bad eggs on the street,

with little chance of a better job than ongoing crime activity.

So take a potential thug and make sure he becomes one,

because he has no choices anymore.

I know I see your point too, but I think a 3rd way is needed.

Might be some thing between a reform school and a tech school.

Not quite prison, more live-in scared-straight bootcamp,

but with continued skills education of the miscreant,

in a strict more controlled environment, so when they exit they are

a ) more disciplined

b ) with an employable skill

c ) no prison record.

Edited June 19, 2012 by animatic

[talisman01]

A student at my school has recently been "expelled" for using and small time dealing drugs. It just depends on how this is done and if the family/community agree with the action a school takes.

[MEL1]

A student at my school has recently been "expelled" for using and small time dealing drugs. It just depends on how this is done and if the family/community agree with the action a school takes.

Thai government school or private/international school? I'm genuinely interested.

-m.

[hellodolly]

Just one more item on the list that they will never learn with a pad.

In their first year in school they should be learning respect for others.

It is part of a thinking process that the pad's will never teach them.

The learning process should start at home and when they get to school be reinforced and in some cases introduced. But under the present system it is not going to happen.

There will be a lot of talk and pandering to the people to get there support in election times but nothing done in the school's.

[jonclark]

I think the first thing that should be done is make all vocational students wear the same uniform and make all vocational schools part of a single larger school network with different campuses.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I think the first thing that should be done is make all vocational students wear the same uniform and make all vocational schools part of a single larger school network with different campuses.

I'd go along with this, but think it would only be effective if there were random shuffling each term so students didn't identify themselves with a given campus.

They'd probably find some other way to create us vs them though, maybe by field of study?

"Welders rock!" "Sparkies rule!"

[JohnAllan]

At what point does a child count as an adult? When a student carries a firearm, and uses it, and uses it to such devastating effect, I contend he has lost any right to be considered a child, and needs to face up to the consequences of his pre-meditated - or random - acts of violence, as an adult.

But then, we are in Thailand, where the concept of responsibility for one's actions is alien to the mindset.

Edited June 19, 2012 by JohnAllan

[JohnAllan]

What they should do is change the stupid law which says a child can't be expelled from a school.

Bad eggs would soon run out of schools, and either end up being unablel to graduate, or having to resort to getting down to some serious disciplined learning at their last choice.

It's too easy for the parent to walk to the school and say, "What did you do about my child's problem?", when the problem clearly arises from home!

The schools should have an equal right to send reports to the parents from the very beginning, to warn of issues, and ask the parents what they are doing to curb bad behaviour outside of school hours.

Currently, it is all ar*e over t*t!

-mel.

That concept means we get unskilled bad eggs on the street,

with little chance of a better job than ongoing crime activity.

So take a potential thug and make sure he becomes one,

because he has no choices anymore.

I know I see your point too, but I think a 3rd way is needed.

Might be some thing between a reform school and a tech school.

Not quite prison, more live-in scared-straight bootcamp,

but with continued skills education of the miscreant,

in a strict more controlled environment, so when they exit they are

a ) more disciplined

b ) with an employable skill

c ) no prison record.

As suggested by the army chief. Likely enough reason for the government NOT to consider it . . .

[JohnAllan]

the cops are making money from the black market supply of guns. Simple as that. Therefore they will not do anything. Especially as previously reported it's often children of untouchable coppers that are doing this. Catch their dads, the real criminals, and then address the break down in society from there.

You seem to have aimed somewhat too low down the scale. Try starting at the top of the police hierarchy.

[JohnAllan]

It's a difficult one......teenagers all over the world seem to go through this phase. We can always blame the parents but there is a period when the kids do just out and out rebel. The message has got to come down clear and hard from the schools themselves, and the police must act swiftly to stamp out low level thuggery. These things have a habit of getting out of hand if they are not taken seriously from the beginning.

There's rebellion. And then there's rebellion. And as a long-time parent, with three boys in very different age groups, all great lads, I'd say it is ultimately down to the parents . . . but helped, rather than hindered, by government bureaucracy NOT interfering in unhelpful ways, as it is wont to do.

Edited June 19, 2012 by JohnAllan

[ttelise]

Punish or hold the parents accountable then maybe the parents would do their job and kick some Thai children booty when necessary.

[animatic]

What they should do is change the stupid law which says a child can't be expelled from a school.

Bad eggs would soon run out of schools, and either end up being unablel to graduate, or having to resort to getting down to some serious disciplined learning at their last choice.

It's too easy for the parent to walk to the school and say, "What did you do about my child's problem?", when the problem clearly arises from home!

The schools should have an equal right to send reports to the parents from the very beginning, to warn of issues, and ask the parents what they are doing to curb bad behaviour outside of school hours.

Currently, it is all ar*e over t*t!

-mel.

That concept means we get unskilled bad eggs on the street,

with little chance of a better job than ongoing crime activity.

So take a potential thug and make sure he becomes one,

because he has no choices anymore.

I know I see your point too, but I think a 3rd way is needed.

Might be some thing between a reform school and a tech school.

Not quite prison, more live-in scared-straight bootcamp,

but with continued skills education of the miscreant,

in a strict more controlled environment, so when they exit they are

a ) more disciplined

b ) with an employable skill

c ) no prison record.

As suggested by the army chief. Likely enough reason for the government NOT to consider it . . .

All Thai men do a turn in the army. That was not what I was saying.

There are 'Bootcamps' for delinquents in several countries that are not militarily controlled.

more or less the replacements for the Reform Schools of Bowery Boys days.