Thai panel set up to look into the case of missing textbooks

[webfact]

Panel set up to look into the case of missing textbooks
Ketkan Boonpen
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A committee has been set up to launch a disciplinary probe in relation to the 530,000 textbooks that went missing from the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel (OTEP)'s Business Organisation.

Education Minister Admiral Narong Pipattnasai said yesterday that the fact-finding committee had presented a report on the issue at the organisation's recent meeting, but some points were unclear. However, the report did confirm that not all books were transferred to the warehouse, and that some 530,000 had gone missing.

Since the fact-finding panel comprised only OTEP officials, they may not want to draw a conclusion. Hence, acting organisation chief Suthep Chitayawong decided to set up another committee - comprising outsiders and OTEP labour union representatives - to review the whole case and investigate those who were involved in the book production.

"The fact-finding committee found that the books had gone missing between the production and the delivery to the warehouse, so we have to ask all related staff whose names are included in the list," Narong said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Panel-set-up-to-look-into-the-case-of-missing-text-30264631.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-17

[NongKhaiKid]

530,000 sounds a lot and no value is given but it's likely to be minor compared to other items, finance etc that manages to go ' missing ' here.

Was the issue of all the luxury vehicles that ' disappeared ' from the customs warehouse ever resolved ?

[z42]

530,000 is lorry loads of boaks... It's hardly a consignment that can be "lost". Surely an audit of invoices, delivery notes and the like would clear it up. Wonder why a committee is needed unless they are deciding who to blame / scapegoat for the whole debacle

[arthurboy]

Obviously the junta's anti corruption drive is falling on very deaf ears. Or this is a case of utter incompetence.

Either way, those responsible must feel they have absolute impunity from any form of disciplinary action.

Powerful connections, anyone?

[BigBadGeordie]

I suspect that they are not missing at all, if they didn't print them, then they can't go missing!

[Nigeone]

Mmmm went missing from production to delivery!!, is this just a paper transaction and there never were any books printed

Where's a market for 530,000 books Thais generally don't read...no this is a scam in my view. Order the books,books don't get printed, money gets paid happy days !

[EnzoRippo]

I'm sorry but 530,000 books => 20 millions THB. At this amount, it's not the job of a committee, this is a police duty. Just call the cops!

[Nigeone]

I'm sorry but 530,000 books => 20 millions THB. At this amount, it's not the job of a committee, this a police duty. Just call the cops!

Yes but I suppose that depends on whose in the loop doesn't it?! It's a big scam..maybe big people involved.

Is this the same story as the other day when it was reported a massive load of books had been destroyed by mistake? Has it developed or a complete different issue??

[EnzoRippo]

I'm sorry but 530,000 books => 20 millions THB. At this amount, it's not the job of a committee, this a police duty. Just call the cops!

Yes but I suppose that depends on whose in the loop doesn't it?! It's a big scam..maybe big people involved.

Is this the same story as the other day when it was reported a massive load of books had been destroyed by mistake? Has it developed or a complete different issue??

"the massive load of books" were just antique irreplaceable treasures.

[PatOngo]

Obviously stolen by the masses to feed their insatiable lust for knowledge.

[NongKhaiKid]

Obviously stolen by the masses to feed their insatiable lust for knowledge.

oh, so they must have been comics.

[bangkokfrog]

Perhaps with all the talk about looming water problems someone is stocking up on toilet paper.

[ChrisY1]

The dosh never made it to the printery......!...but of course...the panel will discover this and then try and pass off another tale.......so no-one get's implicated.

[Kalbo]

I'm sorry but 530,000 books => 20 millions THB. At this amount, it's not the job of a committee, this is a police duty. Just call the cops!

I understand completely what you're saying but come on, Call the cops ? BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

[DLang]

Suspect that they never existed in the first place.

Just the payment did.

Which I suspect has also gone missing.

Never mind, it's just Thai culture.

[jerojero]

Missing? You mean paid for but never printed. Getting pathetic that school children are cheated by corrupt as*holes in the Ministry.

[Manbing]

It was the Burmese wot did it.

They snuck into the warehouse, stole the books and transported them across the border to steal all the Thai knowledge for themselves.

Thank the lord there is a handy local neighborhood scapegoat to blame for everything.

FYI 'Scapegoat' is a word that can be directly translated into Thai with the same meaning.

[Emster23]

I know where they are. They are next to the computer pads every student was to get, buried under the rotting rice in non existent warehouses.

[sammygood]

wasn't there a uni that sold historical books at 10 baht per ton or something ?

maybe same connection, quick buck made

[scorecard]

I'm sorry but 530,000 books => 20 millions THB. At this amount, it's not the job of a committee, this a police duty. Just call the cops!

Yes but I suppose that depends on whose in the loop doesn't it?! It's a big scam..maybe big people involved.

Is this the same story as the other day when it was reported a massive load of books had been destroyed by mistake? Has it developed or a complete different issue??

Correction: The books you mention were retrieved before they were destroyed, and the were from a university (Silpakorn) not the education ministry printing facility.

The education department facility prints textbooks (they copy originals, breaking all copyright etc., laws) then supposedly distribute them to schools and students.

In some cases they are not free and the students in fact pay more for a poor quality copy then they would for the original, and the students are not allowed to have the original, they are forced to buy the overpriced poor quality copy.

Additionally the copy text books are often delivered 6 months late, therefore the students complete half of the year with no textbook. Would the teacher give them daily handouts of the pages until the book arrives? What's your guess? In many cases no because in many schools teachers can only photocopy things in very small numbers and regardless of the reason. Plus in some cases the teacher's attitude would be 'not my problem'.

The department which does this has been under investigation numerous times over many years.

A university senior told me years ago about this years ago and also mentioned; this is just part of the 'system' which has one focus - make money, with no interest or concern for education, quality, delivery on time, etc.

[JoePai]

the case of missing textbooks

Sounds like an episode from the Goon Show

[DLang]

You farangs don't understand.

The budget only covered buying them. Not actually having them made and delivered.

silly farangs.

[bheard]

At a school belonging to a friend of mine all the govt supplied textbooks disappeared as well. They were sitting around in the office for weeks, just taking up space. She didn't use them, thought they were crap.

One day - not there! At least we had the space back. . . .

[eliotness]

I suspect that they are not missing at all, if they didn't print them, then they can't go missing!

Bit like the missing rice scam !

[wabothai]

I thought I read earlier that they were accidently shredded by hired help.

[FangFerang]

First over 40,000 rare books at a uni "were destroyed by accident" and now half a million books go wandering off....

And everyone wonders where the money for the MOE goes...

[Dumbastheycome]

I'm sorry but 530,000 books => 20 millions THB. At this amount, it's not the job of a committee, this a police duty. Just call the cops!

Yes but I suppose that depends on whose in the loop doesn't it?! It's a big scam..maybe big people involved.

Is this the same story as the other day when it was reported a massive load of books had been destroyed by mistake? Has it developed or a complete different issue??

Correction: The books you mention were retrieved before they were destroyed, and the were from a university (Silpakorn) not the education ministry printing facility.

The education department facility prints textbooks (they copy originals, breaking all copyright etc., laws) then supposedly distribute them to schools and students.

In some cases they are not free and the students in fact pay more for a poor quality copy then they would for the original, and the students are not allowed to have the original, they are forced to buy the overpriced poor quality copy.

Additionally the copy text books are often delivered 6 months late, therefore the students complete half of the year with no textbook. Would the teacher give them daily handouts of the pages until the book arrives? What's your guess? In many cases no because in many schools teachers can only photocopy things in very small numbers and regardless of the reason. Plus in some cases the teacher's attitude would be 'not my problem'.

The department which does this has been under investigation numerous times over many years.

A university senior told me years ago about this years ago and also mentioned; this is just part of the 'system' which has one focus - make money, with no interest or concern for education, quality, delivery on time, etc.

Quite true. And of course the rural areas are the ones that never recieve such texts. No problem.....Half of the teachers are so habitually intoxicated they would not know which page was supposed to read today anyway. Much easier to get the school caretaker to log them as on duty and go somewhere for a drunken episode. And as a reward they sometimes take the caretaker along too ! And who cares? Nobody!

[Nigeone]

The more I hear of these sort of stories the more I despair. A number of years ago I used to think that one day someone strong might come along and sort the corruption out. It's clear to see after viewing life in Thailand and reading the many stories in Thai Visa even allowing for exaggerated storytelling that it's more than a big problem....The whole structure of society is rotten to the core and the ordinary people are losing out in infrastructure education ,health and so much more. It's so very sad that a country with so much potentially is going down the pan. Without the advent of the Internet they would probably got away with it too. Now there going to endure continuous monitoring of every move they make and quite right too. The scale of the problem is just immeasurable !

[inzman]

First the land of crackdowns now the land of committees.