Govt 'cleaning house' in corrupt education sector

[Lite Beer]

NATION ANALYSIS
Govt 'cleaning house' in corrupt education sector
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- The sudden transfers of high-ranking Education Ministry officials has not raised the eyebrows of ministry officials.

Of the five major education agencies, two are regarded as "weaknesses": the Office of the Basic Education Commission and the Office of Vocational Education Commission.

Education Ministry permanent secretary Suthasri Wongsaman will become Educational Council secretary-general; Educational Council secretary-general Assoc Prof Piniti Ratananukul has been moved Office of Higher Education secretary-general; and Assoc Prof Dr Kamchorn Tatiyakawee will be the ministry's new permanent secretary.

The permanent secretary post is like a housewife who organises and co-ordinates between the ministry and the government and the National Council for Peace and Order.

It is a significant post, as she has to tackle tough teacher and educational personnel issues.

The government and the National Reform Council want to improve the quality of teachers by overhauling teacher training and education, improving the system to grant teacher licences, reform the teacher evaluation system and their academic standing. These issues directly involve the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission, Khurusapha, and the Teachers Council of Thailand, which are under the supervision of the ministry permanent secretary.

The transfer order is also aimed at eradicating ill practices and corruption in connection with educational agencies such as in the office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Education Personnel and the Business Organisation of the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel. Corruption scandals hitting these agencies have eroded public faith in them.

After removing the three boards of directors, NCPO order 7/2558 dissolved the three boards - the move seen as the seizure of management power of three agencies that puts them under the Education Minister's control.

The order empowers the Education Minister to have unprecedented full authority over the three agencies.

The order also resulted in the suspension of the heads of the three agencies, pending corruption probes by the Budget Scrutiny committee.

Putting the jigsaw together, the transfer is nothing short of "cleaning the house" in the teacher arena. The mission certainly needs a strong man who can withstand pressure till all the issues are resolved.

Suthasri and Piniti are set to retire this year and Kamchorn next year. The latter has experience in investigation because he has probed the corruption at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Latkrabang.

Kamchorn had been handpicked for the "super board" in the education sector. It is not surprising that he has been picked to be in charge of this important mission.

Reportedly, no one except Kamchorn knew about the transfer in advance. It is apparent that this

transfer is not politically motivated or interest-oriented and is not about punishing anyone. This is about a crackdown on corruption related to teacher circles.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Govt-cleaning-house-in-corrupt-education-sector-30258267.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-19

[NongKhaiKid]

Govt cleaning house in corrupt education sector !

They're going to need a very big vacuum and a ' smart ' one too which knows how to operate selectively.

[tifino]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNOrp_83RU

Edited April 18, 2015 by tifino

[Strangebrew]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNOrp_83RU

Nothing to see here - move along.jpg

Cop riding tandem on killer whale where is passengers helmet ? write that man a ticket. Hmm what is his hands doing?

[SoilSpoil]

In a land where sanuk, being lazy is more important than working hard. In a country where corruption is an art form and in a country where face value is more important than the truth, grades and student progress are a not real,cleaning the house is a waste of energy.

Face the truth and rebuild your house. From scratch and with the help of foreign experts from Japan, Korea and Singapore.

[zaphod reborn]

In a land where sanuk, being lazy is more important than working hard. In a country where corruption is an art form and in a country where face value is more important than the truth, grades and student progress are a not real,cleaning the house is a waste of energy.

Face the truth and rebuild your house. From scratch and with the help of foreign experts from Japan, Korea and Singapore.

Are you saying that investigating and prosecuting government officials who illegally extorted money from parents and who took that money and money intended to be used for the betterment of student education for their personal benefit is a waste of energy?

I agree that an overhaul of the education system is needed. However, it starts with better pay and training of teachers. It seems some of the reforms mentioned may be a start in that direction.

Edited April 19, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[Confuscious]

Every time I read about this Govt is going to tackle "this or that" corruption problem, I think that they are going the right way with this country.

But after a few days/weeks/months it shows that or:

1. They gave up to cleanup that corruption,

2. They cleaned up that corruption and created a bigger mess because they didn't count with the side effects.

Face it, the people of this country live on values that make corruption a vital element of their life and all we hear and read about this Govt going to tackle "this or that corruption problem is only "dust in the wind".

[lildragon]

Every time I read about this Govt is going to tackle "this or that" corruption problem, I think that they are going the right way with this country.

But after a few days/weeks/months it shows that or:

1. They gave up to cleanup that corruption,

2. They cleaned up that corruption and created a bigger mess because they didn't count with the side effects.

Face it, the people of this country live on values that make corruption a vital element of their life and all we hear and read about this Govt going to tackle "this or that corruption problem is only "dust in the wind".

It's like the taxi Mafias returning to the airport. It's all for a temporary good show of "see we are cleaning up the country" for the news clippings and then it goes back to normal service resumed.

It's all a pony show And some gullible idiots on here actually believe these guys Are an improvement.

[bruceybonus]

Until more people go to jail and have all assets frozen then nothing will change. The recent corruption busts were nothing more than redistribution of power

[Ricardo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNOrp_83RU

Nothing to see here - move along.jpg

Caption-competition time ?

'Cue Aussie Tourist Now Crying Over Cruelty-to-Wales !'

'Thai Police Employ New Greener Transport !'

'Songkran Revellers Defeat Police-Ban on Pick-Ups !'

'New Thai Sea-World Opens !'

'Even the Whale Has it's Own Squirt-Gun !'

'Coming Shortly at Seven ... Khao Pat Whale !'

'RTN Unveils New 2-Man Camoflaged-Submarine !'

'Man from Wales Attempts 90-Day-Report at 7/11'

Edited April 19, 2015 by Ricardo

[Lupatria]

[Thai at Heart]

In a land where sanuk, being lazy is more important than working hard. In a country where corruption is an art form and in a country where face value is more important than the truth, grades and student progress are a not real,cleaning the house is a waste of energy.

Face the truth and rebuild your house. From scratch and with the help of foreign experts from Japan, Korea and Singapore.

Are you saying that investigating and prosecuting government officials who illegally extorted money from parents and who took that money and money intended to be used for the betterment of student education for their personal benefit is a waste of energy?

I agree that an overhaul of the education system is needed. However, it starts with better pay and training of teachers. It seems some of the reforms mentioned may be a start in that direction.

It starts with a published measure of performance on everything.. Survey the schools rigorously, publish their accounts, publish the results. Reward excellence, try to improve the rest. Those that won't or can't be improved, remove and start again.

Then the pay rises can come, for performance..

[Nuddy]

One has to imagine that there was some corruption involved.

However it just sees to be more Bs

[connda]

Govt cleaning house in corrupt education sector !

They're going to need a very big vacuum and a ' smart ' one too which knows how to operate selectively.

Generally, before I go and clean someone else's house, I make darn sure my own house is clean first. Just saying

[blazes]

Reportedly, no one except Kamchorn knew about the transfer in advance. It is apparent that this

transfer is not politically motivated or interest-oriented and is not about punishing anyone. This is about a crackdown on corruption related to teacher circles.

Source: http://www.nationmul...r-30258267.html

NOT about "punishing anyone" AND "it is a crackdown on corruption"??????????

[bangon04]

"The permanent secretary post is like a housewife who organises and co-ordinates between the ministry and the government and the National Council for Peace and Order.

It is a significant post, as she has to tackle tough teacher and educational personnel issues."

So is Dr Kamchorn male or female?

"The latter has experience in investigation because he has probed the corruption at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Latkrabang."

sounds like a male activity after all.....

Edited April 19, 2015 by bangon04

[Emster23]

Like spraying room air freshener at entrance to meth lab. I suggest tear whole structure down and start over.

[FredNL]

After getting a Masters degree, they still think that driving and using lights in their car will have effect on their electricity bill.

Yeah sure....

[chilli42]

No vision, no will, no leadership.

Education as a means to build a better future for the country never has been a national priority or dare I say even on the radar screen. If it were, the fact that Thailands teaching standards were behind those of Cambodia and Laos would never have come as a surprise. A most overdue discovery.

[englishoak]

They arnt cleaning anything, just brushing the dirt under the carpet as usual and side-lining a few into new positions.

If they arnt taking out the trash and actually dumping it but just shoving it into a corner they arnt actually cleaning up squat.

[JoeLing]

At least a start in the right direction. Start cleaning, cleansing

and polishing the house right from the bottom of the system,

without clarifications but with results

If one want's the whole country to improve, education is the first

step to a better future. If they can eradicate corruption from the

top down in the education system and improve education and

qualification as well, I'm sure, slowly-slowly even Thailand will

enter the 21st century.

The basis of understanding what elections, voting, corruption,

social system, morals, responsibilities is and how it affects us

and the whole country is education.

Without it, nothing ever changes

[NongKhaiKid]

Govt cleaning house in corrupt education sector !

They're going to need a very big vacuum and a ' smart ' one too which knows how to operate selectively.

Generally, before I go and clean someone else's house, I make darn sure my own house is clean first. Just saying

One aspect of power is selective blindness plus everyone has to play be your rules.

More than a hint of hypocrisy is saying the wealth of the handpicked NCPO is off limits then starting a clean up elsewhere.

Clean ups of biblical proportions are needed everywhere but that requires something that will never happen and that is a fair and equitable application of the law.