D S I May Cancel Teacher Test In Four Thai Provinces

[webfact]

DSI may cancel teacher test in four provinces
The Nation

List of 486 top scorers will be closely vetted to be fair to all

BANGKOK: -- With initial inquiries revealing a high incidence of cheating in assistant teacher exams held in Udon Thani, Yasothon, Chaiyaphum and Khon Kaen provinces, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) may call on the Education Ministry to cancel test results in these provinces. A final decision by the ministry will be announced next Monday.

DSI officials were also dispatched yesterday to inspect a Khon Kaen resort, where people due to sit the exam were allegedly taught how to use signals from communication devices.

Thanin Prempree, director of the DSI's corruption prevention and suppression centre, explained that investigators had initially found irregularities - such as other people taking the exam on behalf of real applicants - in Udon Thani, Yasothon, Chaiyaphum and Khon Kaen. However, he said, for the meantime schools could continue recruiting assistant teachers.

He said the DSI would spend about five or six months investigating the list of 486 people who achieved full or near full marks, to see which of them cheated. People found to have cheated would be replaced.

Meanwhile, Sompong Rojanapattara-pong, director of the Khon Kaen Primary Education Zone 3 Office, and six other officials, insisted yesterday that they had done their best to stop cheating. The officials face a severe disciplinary probe by OBEC - the Office of Basic Education Commission - over allegations they may have helped people sitting the test to cheat.

Thanin said some students were reportedly asked to pay from Bt300,000 to Bt500,000 to cheating gangs if they ended up getting a job.

The DSI man said that judging from available evidence, he was sure that cheating had taken place. DSI officials inspected Chuda Park Resort & Hotel in Khon Kaen yesterday, where a group of alleged exam cheats reportedly gathered ahead of the exam. The hotel staff told us that the group behaved suspiciously," Thanin said.

According to the hotel staff, the group had booked a convention hall and lunch for about 100 people, but during the meeting, they did not want anybody around and did not even use a loudspeaker. "If a staff member went in to serve water, the room would suddenly fall silent," he said.

Thanin went on to say that witnesses had informed the DSI that the test takers paid Bt7,000 to the gang in order to learn how to use the communication devices.


-- The Nation 2013-03-13

[culicine]

That communications devices were even allowed into the exam is astounding. The solution is simple - all communication devicesare to be surrendered at the door (all test takers must pass through a scanner). Heck, attendees at the Impact centre must pass through a scanner to go to the motor show!

[drdoom6996]

This is your current government teaching the new government officials how to do their job. School for the poor, rich, unhealthy and CORRUPT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wpcoe]

That communications devices were even allowed into the exam is astounding. The solution is simple - all communication devicesare to be surrendered at the door (all test takers must pass through a scanner). Heck, attendees at the Impact centre must pass through a scanner to go to the motor show!

And/or use signal jamming devices in the exam room. My vote would be for *and*.

[sirchai]

Thanin said some students were reportedly asked to pay from Bt300,000 to Bt500,000 to cheating gangs if they ended up getting a job.

The pass grade one to 12. With enough cash any university and then they become the main guys of MoE and other educational institutions. Don't need to wonder why things are how they are.

Thailand, the hub of cheating gangs......... .

[diggledunc]

Maybe the tip of the iceberg but perhaps somebody for once is playing a straight bat.

[Ian Curtis]

I read a report in the BP that some exam scripts had been "released" beforehand; similarly in the recent police exscams. In this case there would be no need for electronic devices since the solutions would have been committed to memory.

I wonder whether officials who prematurely release exam papers will have their bank balances checked? Silly of me - of course they won't!

[Markaew]

Maybe the tip of the iceberg but perhaps somebody for once is playing a straight bat.

Don't hold your breath.

[candypants]

and this is the teachers, not the students! there is little hope

[Markaew]

Really, is anyone surprised about this? I'm surprised this is even reported.

Cheating and corruption is the rule of law here. So there is somehow a new found commitment to excellence and honesty? There is a sparse few that are committed to education in Thailand and none of them are in the MoE.

Schools are for only one purpose and that is to indoctrinate Thais into the Thai culture. They are graded on their level of nationalism. Academics are just a cover for the true purpose.

[Loaded]

I saw an item on Surayud a few days ago about this. Teachers who had worked hard and didn't cheat will have their test passes voided as well. One guy had taken the test many times and this was the first time he had passed, another spoke about the sacrifices her family made to pay for preparing for and attending the tests. Some were in tears. Grossly unfair if they void everyone's result. However, highly unlikely the cheats will be punished and cheating made more difficult in the future. So it goes.

[WonnabeBiker]

Update: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627669-witnesses-in-cheating-case-face-threats-assistant-thai-teachers/

BANGKOK: -- Key witnesses in the case related to cheating in the recruitment exams for assistant teachers have complained that they are facing threats and intimidation.

"They will need protection," the Education Ministry's inspector general Pisanu Tulsuk said yesterday.

He hoped the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) would give the case special status so witness-protection measures can be introduced.

The DSI found evidence showing several officials involved in the scheme, including two high-ranking ones at the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec).

Due to solid evidence of cheating, the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission will decide today on whether to invalidate the exam results. The DSI has recommended invalidation in four to five educational service areas where there is clear evidence of cheating.

The Education Ministry, however, believes only those who cheated should be disqualified.

Pisanu also believes that the cheating did not just take place in a handful of educational service areas.

"Available evidence suggests that the cheating might have taken place in as many as 129 educational service areas," he said.

The Education Ministry suspected that the cheating might have plagued the recruitment exams for assistant teachers after more than 500 test takers scored unusually high marks.

Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said his office would set up another five fact-finding committees to investigate the alleged cheating in 10 more educational service areas.

"For the sake of transparency, we will appoint outsiders to the committees," he said.


-- The Nation 2013-03-22

[WonnabeBiker]

4 out of 129 suspicious regions, surely the criminal gangs can chalk this up as a success!

Anyone wanting to sue a school needs their license. When you start, fill out a bunch of power of attorney forms. One will be needed to obtain this license.

Weeks later, no license has materialized. This is some government agency not doing their job. Go figure what the state of this country is...

How desperate must these applicants are in the light of the national minimum wage being 9,000 Baht. Pay years' of the future salary just to get the job?!

This society has no conception of the value a good T.A. brings and how demanding this job is. (I've witnessed the workload - many elderly teachers would even use the best M4 students for their own preparation and other tasks they are getting paid to do).

[diggledunc]

Maybe the tip of the iceberg but perhaps somebody for once is playing a straight bat.

Don't hold your breath.

Totally agree. Anybody palying a straight bat I am sure will be stumped soon. Apologies for the bad pun.