Regions Must Decide Punishments For Exam Cheating: Thai Education Minister Pongthep

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Regions must decide punishments for exam cheating: Pongthep
Supinda Na Mahachai
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanjchana denied on Monday that the decision to have 129 educational zones probe the teacher assistant examination was an attempt to shift responsibility for the issue from central government.

He said subcommittees of the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission (OTEPC) in each educational zone had the authority to decide on punishments for wrongdoers, including whether they should be dismissed from the civil service.

Pointing out that his ministry had set up a fact-finding committee led by Education Ministry inspector-general Phisanu Tulsuk, while the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had concluded that 514 test-takers had scored unusually high, Pongthep said any probe undertaken by a central agency would cause undue delay, hence the OTEPC subcommittee of each educational zone had been asked to help investigate.

"It's a division of workload, a decentralised approach that is needed to prevent the probe taking too long," said Pongthep.

"The educational zones have been sent the information indicating exam cheating, such as the list of the high scorers' names, information about pre-exam tutoring for cheating purposes, and information from those who have confessed to cheating," he said, adding that a centralised committee would be launched to follow up on the local findings and provide advice.

He said that the educational zones could proceed with punishments right away, and that he would discuss with his deputy, Sermsak Pongpanich, about what to do with the educational zones that ignored instructions to conduct a probe, possibly setting up a committee to investigate them further.


-- The Nation 2013-03-26

[Bellweather]

Just the ancient and less than honourable game of passing the buck and I don't mean the US Dollar, that's another popular Thai game though. Without a national policy it means that cheating could be treated more leniently in some regions, a government directive is needed but fraud, corruption and cheating are a national pastime and a thorny issue so let somebody else decide.

[bigbamboo]

Obviously central government would never get involved in any form of cheating.

As to punishment I think a spot of detention would be in order.

[yoshiwara]

Kicking it into the long grass. Carry On Chaps!

[Thaddeus]

He said subcommittees of the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission (OTEPC) in each educational zone had the authority to decide on punishments for wrongdoers, including whether they should be dismissed from the civil service.

Translation -I'm a useless little dweeb who doesn't have the ability to make a decision, stand or fall by it, and no conviction to enforce it, so if other people mess it up, it isn't my fault.

[orchidlady]

So if you cheated in say district 1 you may get a slap on the wrist and a fine of 5,000 baht) but if you cheated in say district 5 you may get banned from teaching for 3 years and have to pay 10,000 baht fine. What will the cheaters learn? go take the exam in district 1 and cheat there! never heard of regional punishment for a national exam. What a pathetic excuse for an educational minister unless he's hoping for a regional bidding (pass frpm cheating) war from those caught cheating; highest bidders get off while the lowest bidders take the fall.

[belg]

super enforcement for children ....

figure it out yourself, with enough tea money the corrupt scandal will be forgotten

[moe666]

So what happens to the people at the top who have been pointed at as being envolved in this little fiasco. A clean walk and a bit of backslapping with a hint or two to be more careful next time

[jamhar]

Regional responsibility is not a bad tactic.

But this smells of laziness rather than delegation of responsibility/authority.

The central governing body should at least set guidelines to better ensure fairness across the kingdom.

i'm sure they will figure it out eventually. Going against the ingrained cultural norms take time.

[Thai at Heart]

Isn't this in some way a criminal offence? Fraud, obtaining by deception or some other type of breach of the law?

[ChrisY1]

The Education Ministry is nothing short of a joke.....few or now guidelines....in fact it seems that there are no procedures at all..... these people are a bunch of blame passers.....a disgrace to Thailand!

[Markaew]

Is the MoE assuming no one is paying attention? The MoE "employees" that are involved in this decision need to be fired TODAY! What a perfect example of uselessness of this ministry!

Eliminate this ministry and be done with it! It is useless, ineffective, and a mockery to civilization!

[silopsist]

Why the hell is the government minister involved in this anyway, surely he should be too busy dealing with procurement plans.

Why are there not rules in place already.

Why don't they have questions and answers kept secret from teachers and have a central marking authority then teachers who can't be trusted cannot sell the answers.

obvious really.

Only the other day I was browsing in a shop and the shops cashier was busy copying her homework, I said something to her and she just ignored me, put her head down and caried on copying.

Edited March 26, 2013 by silopsist

[rubl]

Obviously the MoE with the single largest budget in the National Budget (THB 420 billion +/- 18%) can't be bothered with minor details. They're very busy with a new, completely rewritten and consolidated policy on education. That and handing out tablets to schoolkids and students off course

[chainarong]

As I have indicated to DSI, aim higher in your enquiries and that is where the trouble lies , Minister Pongthep is not going to tread on anyone's feet over a matter of cheating , there's more important things to do , like dividing up 2 Tn Bht.

[Thai at Heart]

Could you imagine the ribbing a new teacher in the West would take, if it was perceived that they had cheated on their tests to get the job?

[Locationthailand]

The fish stinks from the head down. Jail and fine the people at the top who created the fraud and received monies and ban the cheaters who did the paper from becoming teachers. Wipe the slate clean because none can hardly set any type of example. As for this idiot representing the Govt and its decisions - send him packing too.