Obec Should Be Probed Over Assistant Teachers Exam Cheating: Thai Panel

[webfact]

Obec should be probed over exam cheating: panel
Chuleeporn Aramnet
The Nation


Chinnapat

BANGKOK: -- A fact-finding panel has recommended that a probe be launched against Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat for dereliction of duty, after cheating plagued a recent recruitment exam.

The exam was held to fill positions for Obec assistant teachers.

Headed by Education Ministry permanent secretary Panita Kambhu na Ayutthaya, the fact-finding panel has suggested that Chinnapat, Obec deputy secretary general Anan Ra-ngabtook, former Obec assistant secretary general Suthep Chittayawong, and Suthep Chittayawong, a former director of Obec's Bureau of Personnel Administration Development Management and Legal Affairs, be probed for grave disciplinary offences.

The panel claims the cheating has caused grave damage.

Chinnapat yesterday shrugged off the panel's recommendation.

"Obec is a big agency. The line of command is expansive. So, there's always a risk [of problems]," he said. He said relevant authorities should also take into account that Obec's power was decentralised.

"Otherwise, all executives of big agencies would work with a weary heart in future," Chinnapat said.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is looking into the allegation that hundreds of candidates cheated in the Obec-organised exam, after they achieved unusually high scores. The DSI says it has already found solid evidence against a number of suspects.

Obec is preparing to host another recruitment exam next month. Chinnapat yesterday attended a video conference as part of arrangements for the exam.

"We have set up various committees to monitor the situation and to detect any irregularities," said Chinnapat, adding that public confidence would only be restored with a smoothly-run, cheat-free exam.


-- The Nation 2013-05-21

[Robby nz]

Wondered about the "unusually high scores" thing right from when this thing first surfaced.

Are the exams so difficult that the candidates are not expected to know the answers or is it that those applying are so thick that they cant get the answers right.

Surly if they are looking for a high quality of teacher they should welcome high scores

Would think those who got high scores without cheating will be very pissed off and unlikely to apply again.

What is the old saying "Those who can do, those who cant teach"

[NongKhaiKid]

It's not surprising that senior officials of Obec shrugged of the allegations and claim it's a big decentralised organisation so how can they be responsible ? There's a free and easy attitude to cheating here, remember the incident at Ramkamheng University when Thaksin's son was caught taking papers into an exam and the Vice President of the Uni said cheating was " no big deal " or words to that effect.

As we all know, especially those who are / have been involved with teaching, stories of cheating, paying for an exam pass or an improved pass grade are ten a penny but as usual nothing is ever done except talk about it of course.

The attitude is being successful is important and it doesn't matter how you do it except don't get caught.

[A Member]

Wondered about the "unusually high scores" thing right from when this thing first surfaced.

Are the exams so difficult that the candidates are not expected to know the answers or is it that those applying are so thick that they cant get the answers right.

Surly if they are looking for a high quality of teacher they should welcome high scores

Would think those who got high scores without cheating will be very pissed off and unlikely to apply again.

What is the old saying "Those who can do, those who cant teach"

Goes to show the Thai mentality because as soon as high marks are returned alarm bells sound that something's wrong which means they don't think much of the candidates and cheating is endemic anyway so it can't be right. Yes it must be a terrible feeling for a good candidate who can't get a good pass mark without being suspected of cheating.

[yoshiwara]

So now we have read in short time evidence of organised cheating for admission to both teaching and the police.

Credit for the stories having blown but a disturbing message nonetheless.

[simple1]

So now we have read in short time evidence of organised cheating for admission to both teaching and the police.

Credit for the stories having blown but a disturbing message nonetheless.

As is the culture of paying for promotions that underlines the endemic corruption in government agencies

[thhMan]

Probing is nothing new.

The Aliens have been doing it for years

[JetsetBkk]

"Otherwise, all executives of big agencies would work with a weary heart in future," Chinnapat said.

Not if they did their jobs properly and documented all their communications with subordinates.

[Emdog]

My exes brother wanted a teaching job, and was told flat out to pay X amount of baht to get the license. What the heck, they don't teach much of anything at school, so why would the teachers be required to know something? "Pouring from the empty into the void" as Gurdjieff said.

"What is the old saying "Those who can do, those who cant teach" to which I added (being an ex teacher in USA myself) "and those who can't teach, administrate."

[drdoom6996]

Teachers can't pass exams that they give their students. So why are you worrying about the assistants?

[seajae]

as everyone here kepes saying, "doesnt matter". The thai's will continue to cheat, bribe and pay their way into their govt jobs no matter what, that is until such time that we get a govt that has the balls to eliminate the graft which will never happen so why does everyone keep bitching about it, just accept their way of life

[lee b]

Is anything done by the book here

[yoshiwara]

My exes brother wanted a teaching job, and was told flat out to pay X amount of baht to get the license. What the heck, they don't teach much of anything at school, so why would the teachers be required to know something? "Pouring from the empty into the void" as Gurdjieff said. "What is the old saying "Those who can do, those who cant teach" to which I added (being an ex teacher in USA myself) "and those who can't teach, administrate."

The actual ending is 'Those who can't teach teach teachers'. Those with a Cert Ed will know.