EDUCATION / QUICK-TEMPERED SCHOOL DIRECTORS

Obec plans to amend act to allow transfers

SIRIKUL BUNNAG

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) plans to amend the Teacher and Education Personnel Regulation Act to allow educational zone administrators to transfer school directors who hit their students to non-teaching positions outside educational institutions. The planned amendments followed a physical assault case involving a school director in Sa Kaeo who struck 10 pupils on the head with her high-heeled shoes on Tuesday.

Angry parents and residents have demanded the transfer of Paveenrat Vechsathon from Ban Klongmee school in Muang district. The parents also lodged a complaint with police demanding that legal action be taken against the school director.

Obec secretary-general Kasama Voravan na Ayudhya yesterday said the commission would raise the case of Mrs Paveenrat for discussion with the Office of Teacher and Education Personnel Commission about amendments to the Teacher and Education Personnel Regulation Act to give power to education zone administrators.

She said Obec faced legal obstacles in handling such cases, adding that the best the agency could do was to move school directors to other schools, not to non-educational establishments.

The commission felt uneasy with this legal obstacle, she said.

Unless the act is amended, she said school directors facing transfer may bring their cases to the Administrative Court.

Khunying Kasama said the commission has yet to launch an inquiry into the case.

However, it has ordered the office of education zones supervising Ban Klongmee School to look into the past behaviour of Mrs Paveenrat to see if she has been abusive.

An initial report showed the school director was a devoted person but had a quick temper.

She also had problems with local residents, said Khunying Kasama.

Anek Iem-tor, 53, whose son was one of the 10 pupils punished by Mrs Paveenrat, said he and other parents met her on Wednesday to ask about the incident. She told them she was sorry and said they should demand compensation, said Mr Anek, adding most parents felt she showed no sign of remorse and wanted her to be transferred from the school.

They also threatened to stage a rally to get her thrown out if no action was taken.

Bangkok Post

Saturday March 31, 2007