Thousands Oppose School Closure Plan

[Lite Beer]

Thousands oppose school closure plan
Supinda na Mahachai,
Anapat Deechuay,
Chidchanok Putthong
The Nation on Sunday

Phongthep

BANGKOK: -- School heads and networks to meet Phongthep to voice concern; minister wants communities to discuss plan

More than 10,000 people have expressed their opposition in an online petition to the Education Ministry's plan to close and merge low-quality small schools.

Small school networks have submitted their names through www.change.org, calling for a meeting with Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana on Wednesday to voice opposition and demand a halt to his policy on school closure.

And on Thursday, they will discuss the issue with a Senate sub-committee on education.

The small school closures plan has been criticised widely on social media for the past few days and is spiralling into a political squabble, widening polarisation among people who support the Pheu Thai-led administration and government critics.

Democrat Party MPs have also jumped on the bandwagon, expressing opposition to the policy.

Phongthep insisted yesterday his policy aimed to upgrade the quality of education and that it would not affect stakeholders badly.

Community or small school networks and the Thai alternative education council association told a press conference yesterday they had emailed the names of 11,693 people opposed to the plan to the minister. They are due to meet him on Wednesday to discuss the issue and voice their demand.

Association secretary general Chatchawan Thongdeelert said they would meet Phongthep to say they want him to listen directly to the heads of small schools. They will then meet the sub-committee on Thursday to discuss the issue.

They want the ministry to allow communities and other stake-holders to participate in drawing up the criteria under which schools should be closed and merged. Educational area offices should not be the only agencies being allowed to make a decision, he said.

Somboon Rimthao, chairman of the society, said that as the ministry would have to buy school vans to transport pupils to other schools outside their communities, more funds would be provided. They were also worried that students might not be safe and there was no guarantee that parents would not have to shoulder travelling fees in the long run.

"We propose for the government to allow small schools across the country to be legal entities (that can manage their business and legal matters independently). They should be turned into community schools that can provide formal, information and non-formal education to students, parents and residents in communities," he said.

"A community school development fund should be established, and schools allocated Bt200,000 each per year. Doing this, we should save more budget than buying the vans," Somboon said.

They also called on the ministry to allocate budget and provide funds according to number of households in each community - one teacher per 15 households. A commission on community schools and alternative education should be set up in the ministry to oversee this group of schools.

Phongthep said the ministry would close poor-quality schools with fewer than 60 students each then merge them with higher quality schools nearby.

Teachers at schools that are closed and merged would have to continue teaching. They would not be affected, he said yesterday during the "Yingluck Government Meets the People" TV programme.

He also insisted that small schools with good achievements or those located in mountainous areas or on islands would not be closed and merged.

3,000 schools already merged

Over the past 20 years, about 3,000 schools had been merged, the minister said.

"It is not only an instruction from the ministry to close and merge, but relevant officials have to listen to and talk with school directors and local people before making a decision. If merging is likely to bring about better results, they should go ahead. We haven't targeted how many schools will be closed and merged," Phongthep said.

"The policy focuses on upgrading education quality rather than considering a cut in budget

spending."

Educational administrators in the southern province of Satun are among those preparing to close and merge some small schools.

Pilot schools to be merged will be Ban Pak Ping and Ko Ta schools after administrators explain the reasons to locals and parents. A total of 63 schools have less than 60 students each in Satun.

Many previous governments have come up with the idea of closing and merging small schools, but were unable to put the idea into practice. However, some areas have decided to do that. Some found success in improving educational quality, while others did not.

-- The Nation 2013-05-12

[Lite Beer]

Dusit poll: 60% of parents disagree with government policy to close and merge small schools.
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, May 12 - More than half of parents polled said they disagree with the Education Ministry's plan to close and merge small schools because they fear impacts on children and local communities, said the Suan Dusit Poll on Sunday.

The poll, conducted by the Rajabhat Suan Dusit University among 1,292 parents across the country between May 8-11, found that 60 per cent of respondents said they were opposed to the plan to shut down small schools in order to direct students to larger ones.

They expressed concern that the plan to close 17,000 schools will affect students, parents, teachers and relations in the communities. Parents and students would also have to adapt themselves to new environments and adjust ways of commuting.

Some 17 per cent said they agreed with the plan as it will be easy for the ministry's supervision, while 22 per cent said they are uncertain about the idea.

As the new school term was approaching, 38 per cent of parents admitted that the most worrying issue for them was the expenses including school fees, uniforms and learning materials.

The parents who answered the poll also urged the government and the education ministry to speed up education development with clearer curriculums, promoting equality of education and transparency of the budget. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-05-12

[scorecard]

Maybe if we all live longer enough there will be real attention to the highest priorities in education - total change in teaching and learning approaches and more appropriate curriculum, all resulting in better quality of education and preparing young Thais for a value added national economy, therefore developing the country, and a personal better quality of life through their own productivity.

I'm not holding my breath.

[jaltsc]

"We propose for the government to allow small schools across the country
to be legal entities (that can manage their business and legal matters
independently). They should be turned into community schools that can
provide formal, information and non-formal education to students,
parents and residents in communities," he said.

What a great idea!!!! That's the reason schools in small communities have failed. Too much oversight. If these schools are left to act independently, cronyism and bribes will be eliminated, and every student's work will be judged on its own merit as they progress to a higher level of academic competency. Hey, see how well this type of system worked for the Bangladesh building inspectors

Edited May 12, 2013 by jaltsc

[hellodolly]

More than 10,000 people have expressed their opposition in an online
petition to the Education Ministry's plan to close and merge low-quality
small schools.

They can then have one large low quality school

Phongthep insisted yesterday his policy aimed to upgrade the quality of
education and that it would not affect stakeholders badly.

B S his policy is to make more money in the trough available. What does the Education ministry know about education. They have to keep changing the minister and will never get together a coherent plan to upgrade the education in Thailand as long as the Minister of Education qualifies for the position by his support for the present administration over his or her's ability to do the job properly it will remain poor quality.

Somboon Rimthao, chairman of the society, said that as the ministry
would have to buy school vans to transport pupils to other schools
outside their communities, more funds would be provided. They were also
worried that students might not be safe and there was no guarantee that
parents would not have to shoulder travelling fees in the long run.

O how did we not know there was going to be more money involved.

Phongthep said the ministry would close poor-quality schools with fewer
than 60 students each then merge them with higher quality schools
nearby.

What happens if the small school is the one with the high quality?

What happens if it involves two villages that have on going differences that often resulting in fights.

Teachers at schools that are closed and merged would have to continue
teaching. They would not be affected, he said yesterday during the
"Yingluck Government Meets the People" TV programme.

Are they going to teach at an empty school?

Are they going to bus them also. If the school is inferior to the other one it is because of the quality of the teacher so with this plan it will bring down the average of the quality in the now enlarged school.

When I use the word quality please understand I am just using the word they use. It is not my opinion.

[mccw]

I'd think the mini can contract is the main driving point for this policy. + a dash of hoping those rural communities just won't bother / be able to sending kids miles away to go to school and so the PTP lands population will get good n dumber so can lap up the propaganda for one party state with President Thaksin at it helm

Like the head teacher says just a little extra funding would be more useful and less costly than buying a fleet of mini van and drivers. Far too common sense an equation for an red brain dead though. 1 driver could be 1 more teacher, duhhhh 1 mini van could be some desk top computers and Internet connection eeeer, wich is more useful in eduction?

Tablets, yes yes, plenty of money for tablets, but not for schools for students to sit in with teachers to teach in and certainly not anywhere close to where the kids actually live.

Of all the hair brained corrupt idiot policy. This one really takes the biscuit

[hellodolly]

Maybe if we all live longer enough there will be real attention to the highest priorities in education - total change in teaching and learning approaches and more appropriate curriculum, all resulting in better quality of education and preparing young Thais for a value added national economy, therefore developing the country, and a personal better quality of life through their own productivity.

I'm not holding my breath.

I agree with you completely. The article from MC T had the line in there that guerentees failure to gain a quality education

"Some 17 per cent said they agreed with the plan as it will be easy for

the ministry's supervision, while 22 per cent said they are uncertain

about the idea."

As long as they keep the revolving door of unqualified Ministers of education going nothing will change in the quality of the education in Thailand.

What they need is a party in power with the guts to select the very best person for the job and let them do the job. If in the next election another party comes to power it to should have the guts to let the best person stay on. As long as it is nothing more than a political football the quality of education will remain the same if not go down hill.

Thailand has an education system that truly sucks but believe it or not it is better than in many other countries.

Edited May 12, 2013 by hellodolly

[Bluespunk]

"We propose for the government to allow small schools across the country

to be legal entities (that can manage their business and legal matters

independently). They should be turned into community schools that can

provide formal, information and non-formal education to students,

parents and residents in communities," he said.

What a great idea!!!! That's the reason schools in small communities have failed. Too much oversight. If these schools are left to act independently, cronyism and bribes will be eliminated, and every student's work will be judged on its own merit as they progress to a higher level of academic competency. Hey, see how well this type of system worked for the Bangladesh building inspectors

Going off topic, but you do realise hundreds died in the Bangladesh tragedy.

[paulmw]

Can you really see a Thai parent accepting why her son or daughter failed in tests, until their mind set is changed not even community schools or small school networks will work here.

As you can see this is just a prelude to the protests, when Thailand will enter kicking and screaming into ASEAN and the AEC, welcome to the real world Thailand.

[sonar6ca]

60% of parents disagree with government policy to close and merge small schools.
I wonder how many of those voted for the reds?

[belg]

you get what you voted for, don't you