Students and parents call for school director's removal over "lack of transparency of donations"

[webfact]

Students and parents call for school director's removal over "lack of transparency of donations"


Image: Daily News

BANGKOK: -- Hundreds of students and parents gathered at a well known Nonthaburi school to call for the immediate removal of its director who they say asked for irregular donation payments.

The gathering of students and 300 parents took place at the area in front of the flagpole at the school which was not named.

They claim that the director took 500 baht a head for a school camp but also asked for 1,000 baht each meant to be offerings for monks. Parents claimed that there was a "lack of transparency" in the payments reported Daily News.

The director who is very near retirement age denied any wrong doing.

Parents further claimed that promised electrical work on a new section of the school had not been carried out and that a new school field had not been finished. Arguments broke out as no solution was found to the impasse.

The director - who was not named - said there was no truth in the allegations and that the donations were above board. He said that he was near retirement age and was ready to go but wanted to leave his employment properly with everyone understanding that he had done everything with the best interests of the students and school in mind.

Source: Daily News


-- 2016-06-03

[ratcatcher]

"The director - who was not named - said there was no truth in the allegations and that the donations were above board. He said that he was near retirement age and was ready to go but wanted to leave his employment properly with everyone understanding that he had done everything with the best interests of the students and school in mind."

[BigBadGeordie]

School not named, Director not named. True in depth reporting by Daily News, yet again.

[thaiduncankk]

There will be a lot of adverts around the country soon, 'School Director wanted'.

[tomwct]

Amazing Thailand.

[Laughing Gravy]

It would seem the school and the director have some powerful friends or their names would be spread all over the news.

[clockman]

School not named, Director not named. True in depth reporting by Daily News, yet again.

Until the removal of the slander and libel laws. Put in place by criminals, to protect criminals. Nothing will ever change here.

[Cuchulainn]

..........also asked for 1,000 baht each meant to be offerings for monks.........

If people want to make merit, let them do it themselves.

PARASITE!!!

[willyumiii]

School Directors can not be removed.

They pay a lot of money to get those jobs!

[macksview]

another corrupt b*stard feathering his retirement nest.

payed for his job now recouping his 'investment'.

[rkidlad]

I love living in Thailand, but I'm scared to have kids here. I can't afford a big fancy international school and I wouldn't want my kid going to your typical school. Basically you have to pay for these silly things or you're left behind. Having letters come home asking for money for this and that would just infuriate me.

[TPI]

The going rate for a middlin' school was 5 million a year or so ago!

[soalbundy]

I love living in Thailand, but I'm scared to have kids here. I can't afford a big fancy international school and I wouldn't want my kid going to your typical school. Basically you have to pay for these silly things or you're left behind. Having letters come home asking for money for this and that would just infuriate me.

You don't have to send your children to an international school to get good schooling despite what is often written here. My son goes to the village school here and i am satisfied with his schooling, i looked at the maths homework that my 15 year old step daughter was doing and i was impressed, my other step daughter won a scholarship to go to university on the strength of her village schooling and studies technology and production. I have never had a letter asking for extra money except in the case of school outings for my son and that was mainly to cover insurance.

[MaxLee]

Be careful kids, or you'll get an early attitude adjustment,...

[whatproblem]

The only time I get a letter in English (after asking for 3 years ) is when they are begging for money ,I get the letter for holidays when children are back at school ,I not give any more than the school fees because of this

[scorecard]

I love living in Thailand, but I'm scared to have kids here. I can't afford a big fancy international school and I wouldn't want my kid going to your typical school. Basically you have to pay for these silly things or you're left behind. Having letters come home asking for money for this and that would just infuriate me.

You don't have to send your children to an international school to get good schooling despite what is often written here. My son goes to the village school here and i am satisfied with his schooling, i looked at the maths homework that my 15 year old step daughter was doing and i was impressed, my other step daughter won a scholarship to go to university on the strength of her village schooling and studies technology and production. I have never had a letter asking for extra money except in the case of school outings for my son and that was mainly to cover insurance.

Just picking up your mention of insurance for trips.

I know of one 'private' school in the North where money was collected regularly before school trips for insurance, then an accident - bottom line insurance had never been bought for any trips. Luckily the total hospital bill for all injured wasn't that big and the parents all contributed to clear the bill.

The matter was reported to the regional education off, never any response.

Parents then formed a committee to oversee all future school activities at school and away from school.

Parents committee now pay the insurance from their fund and anybody is welcome to check the books or offer other suggestions for alternate insurance etc.

Their own rule, copy of receipt and insurance policy must be distributed to all parents before the event.

Through their scrutiny and management the costs of many school items have been reduced.

At another school two years back one teacher sent a note home demanding that all parents contribute 500Baht to a fund so teacher could buy a Christmas gift for all kids in the class.

One parent confronted the school head in the playground and asked for an explanation. Teacher dismissed that day and a letter of apology went home to very parent same evening, plus a request from the head to be informed quickly if parents had any concerns about anything similar.

Head was deluged.

[shawn000]

I love living in Thailand, but I'm scared to have kids here. I can't afford a big fancy international school and I wouldn't want my kid going to your typical school. Basically you have to pay for these silly things or you're left behind. Having letters come home asking for money for this and that would just infuriate me.

Not all schools are the same, the same as anywhere else, some have better reputations than others. Overall, the standards are not as good as in some countries, but that does not mean that it is not possible to find a decent and free school that will provide your (future) child with the necessary education to meet their potential. A lot of people knock Thai education like they knock everything in Thailand, they may have some knowledge and they may have none, but I can guarantee that all of those who only have bad things to say have one thing in common, they are ignorant to the good state schools and they are ignorant to the fact that a few of the universities are actually world class, and these universities, every year, take thousands of state educated students.

[Travel2003]

Full Transparency is something which is still several generations away in Thailand.

Remember, not that long ago since many of the so called western countries introduced full transparency.

And some still don't have it................. in the name of national security.

[hgma]

we have a school counsel. parents teachers and college members give account of finances and activities. planning and suggestions.

Fact of the matter is communication.

Guess w'r lucky!

[sanukjim]

School not named, Director not named. True in depth reporting by Daily News, yet again.

A real news reporting unit would have found out the name of the school and director but TV seems to just copy what the bib or oter media sends to them,Their reporting is about as good as their English crammar and headlines.

[nausea]

The real problem is that some people pay a lot of money to get these positions. They have to get some return on their investment, it's a self-perpetuating system.

[Winniedapu]

"The director - who was not named - said there was no truth in the allegations and that the donations were above board. He said that he was near retirement age and was ready to go but wanted to leave his employment properly with everyone understanding that he had done everything with the best interests of the students and school in mind."

toothy.jpg

Might be true...

But, if it wasn't true and he was up to his neck in fraud and embezzlement. as so many are, would he own up?

Maybe not. And if not, one needs to take what he does say with a grain or two of salt.

W

[Winniedapu]

I love living in Thailand, but I'm scared to have kids here. I can't afford a big fancy international school and I wouldn't want my kid going to your typical school. Basically you have to pay for these silly things or you're left behind. Having letters come home asking for money for this and that would just infuriate me.

Not all schools are the same, the same as anywhere else, some have better reputations than others. Overall, the standards are not as good as in some countries, but that does not mean that it is not possible to find a decent and free school that will provide your (future) child with the necessary education to meet their potential. A lot of people knock Thai education like they knock everything in Thailand, they may have some knowledge and they may have none, but I can guarantee that all of those who only have bad things to say have one thing in common, they are ignorant to the good state schools and they are ignorant to the fact that a few of the universities are actually world class, and these universities, every year, take thousands of state educated students.

Thai universities 'world class'? Which ones and what was their ranking? As I recall, in the last list of the world's 100 best Universities, none was in Thailand. Might be wrong in my recollection, but I would need evidence to change my view. Reasonably so.

W

[Wilsonandson]

A few extra pictures of this protest.

[mrwebb8825]

They obviously know the name of the school and the director. How do you think they got the picture?

This happened at a school in Nakhon Nayok a few years back. The news people showed up with cameras and live coverage and the director was dismissed the following day. No mention about if the money was ever accounted for.

[attrayant]

There's no reason for teachers to be reaching into students' pockets every week for any amount of money. Donations to the temple? Let the family take care of that. Need to pay for a class trip? It should have been budgeted in advance.

My dept head tells me that all home room teachers are required to get a certain amount of cash from students every so often. It's part of the teacher's performance review.