No child left behind: goal of free basic education for all almost achieved in Thailand
By Jon Fernquest
Basic
education
in Thailand has almost reached the stage where it is truly
free."Truly free" here means no extra charges that might limit the education some children receive because their parents don't have high enough incomes to pay these fees for their children.
These fees include unofficial hidden entrance fees or "bribes" that have to be paid to get a child into a good name school (Read article).
Once the child gains entrance to a school, parents are also requested to pay additional fees on a regular basis.
These fees have been largely eliminated but some still persist.
That is what today's article is about.
Today's article begins after the vocabulary:
basic education -
education that meets basic learning needs, education until "lower
secondary education" [middle of high school] (See Wikipedia)
stage – a particular point in time during a process or set of events ระยะเวลา ช่วงเวลา จังหวะเวลา
official - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ
unofficial - not approved by the government or some authority ทไม่ี่เป็นทางการ
bribes - money or a present given to someone so that they will help you doing something dishonest or illegal สินบน
largely eliminated - mostly does not exist anymore
persist – to continue ยืดเยื้อต่อไป
stage – a particular point in time during a process or set of events ระยะเวลา ช่วงเวลา จังหวะเวลา
official - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ
unofficial - not approved by the government or some authority ทไม่ี่เป็นทางการ
bribes - money or a present given to someone so that they will help you doing something dishonest or illegal สินบน
largely eliminated - mostly does not exist anymore
persist – to continue ยืดเยื้อต่อไป
Parents want end to extra school fees
Court order sought against collection19/11/2009
Sirikul Bunnag
Outraged parents of students at Nawamin Bodindecha 3 School who want to stop public schools charging more fees have launched a legal fight against the Education Ministry.
Khomthep Prapayon, a member of the school's committee and five representatives of the school's parent network, filed the complaint with the Administrative Court asking it to order an inquiry into additional fee collection by the school and to grant an injunction, ordering it not to collect additional fees from parents.
The network also lodged a complaint with the Education Ministry asking it to revoke its regulation on additional fee collection.
outraged - very
angry
public schools - schools owned and operated by the government
fee – an amount of money that you pay for permission to do activity ค่าธรรมเนียม, ค่าตอบแทน, ค่าบริการ
charging more fees - make people pay more for permission to do activity
launched - started
representative – typical of people or things in a group – ตัวแทน, กลุ่มตัวอย่าง, ผู้แทน
a network – a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
complaint – when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน
filed the complaint - officially report to the government that something is wrong
Administrative Court - a court that solves disputes concerning the exercise of public power and government administration (See court website, history of Thailand's administrative court and Wikipedia on administrative law) ศาลปกครอง
inquiry – an official examination of a problem, crime, accident, etc. in order to get information or the truth การไต่สวนหาข้อเท็จจริง , การไต่สวน
injunction – an order from a court that prevents someone from doing something คำสั่งห้ามของศาล
grant an injunction -
lodged a complaint -
revoke – to officially say that something is no longer legal, e.g., a contract, a law, a document, etc. ยกเลิก, เพิกถอน,
revoke its regulation -
public schools - schools owned and operated by the government
fee – an amount of money that you pay for permission to do activity ค่าธรรมเนียม, ค่าตอบแทน, ค่าบริการ
charging more fees - make people pay more for permission to do activity
launched - started
representative – typical of people or things in a group – ตัวแทน, กลุ่มตัวอย่าง, ผู้แทน
a network – a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
complaint – when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน
filed the complaint - officially report to the government that something is wrong
Administrative Court - a court that solves disputes concerning the exercise of public power and government administration (See court website, history of Thailand's administrative court and Wikipedia on administrative law) ศาลปกครอง
inquiry – an official examination of a problem, crime, accident, etc. in order to get information or the truth การไต่สวนหาข้อเท็จจริง , การไต่สวน
injunction – an order from a court that prevents someone from doing something คำสั่งห้ามของศาล
grant an injunction -
lodged a complaint -
revoke – to officially say that something is no longer legal, e.g., a contract, a law, a document, etc. ยกเลิก, เพิกถอน,
revoke its regulation -
Mr Khomthep said the additional school fees went against the constitution, which requires the state to provide free basic education for 12 years.
The ministry's announcement, which allows schools to mobilise resources from parents to support education, has been cited as a reason by schools to collect additional fees from parents.
He said the school director had circulated a letter urging parents to attend school meetings on Sunday and Nov 29 as the school wanted to mobilise resources to support education from parents.
The school wanted to collect 1,700 baht per head for students studying at Mathayom 1-4 (Grade 7-10), and 900 baht per head for students studying at Mathayom 5-6.
If parents had financial problems, the school would ask them to pay later, Mr Khomthep said.
ministry - a
government department dealing with an area of activity กระทรวง
announcement - information given to public ประกาศ
ministry's announcement - when a government department gives information to the public
resources – things such as money, workers and equipment that can be used to help achieve something ทรัพยากร
mobilise resources - bring together resources and prepare to use them ใช้ทรัพยากร
support - help, by giving money, for example สนับสนุน
support education - สนับสนุนการศึกษา
cite – to mention something as an example กล่าวถึง
reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
cited as a reason - mention something as a reason
circulate – to pass from one person to another ยังคงมีการแพร่ระบาดอยู่
circulated a letter - pass a letter around from person to person
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
attend meeting - when one person goes to meeting, discusses issues, and makes decisions
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take วิงวอน, ย้ำเตือน
urging parents to attend meeting - tell parents strongly that they should go to meeting
announcement - information given to public ประกาศ
ministry's announcement - when a government department gives information to the public
resources – things such as money, workers and equipment that can be used to help achieve something ทรัพยากร
mobilise resources - bring together resources and prepare to use them ใช้ทรัพยากร
support - help, by giving money, for example สนับสนุน
support education - สนับสนุนการศึกษา
cite – to mention something as an example กล่าวถึง
reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
cited as a reason - mention something as a reason
circulate – to pass from one person to another ยังคงมีการแพร่ระบาดอยู่
circulated a letter - pass a letter around from person to person
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
attend meeting - when one person goes to meeting, discusses issues, and makes decisions
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take วิงวอน, ย้ำเตือน
urging parents to attend meeting - tell parents strongly that they should go to meeting
"The school has no right to force parents to pay those fees as the ministry announcement states clearly that any school wanting to mobilise resources from parents to support education must seek approval from the school's committee first," Mr Khomthep said. "But Bodindecha 3 School had never sought the committee's approval. The ministry announcement also states that any fee collection must be voluntary. But the school fixed the amounts of the fees that parents must pay."
School director Chonant Marutwong could not be reached for comment.
Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said public schools still needed to collect additional fees from parents as state subsidies were not enough for some schools to efficiently manage the education.
However, additional fees must be paid on voluntary basis, he said.
The Basic Education Commission would look into the fee collection at the school, Mr Jurin said.
states that... -
says officially that..., informs that..., advises that...
แจ้งว่า ....
the ministry announcement states that - ประกาศของกระทรวงแจ้งว่า ....
state clearly - said officially in a way that is esaily understood
voluntary - people choose to do, are not forced to do
paid on voluntary basis - paid only if you want to pay
comment - remark, telling what you think or what your opinion is about an issue หมายเหตุ
could not be reached - could not be contacted, could not find them to talk by phone or talk face-to-face
could not be reached for comment - could not contact and ask for comment
subsidy – an amount of money that the government or another organisation pays to help to reduce the cost of a service or product เงินสนับสนุน, เงินชดเชย (the verb form is subsidise)
state subsidies - money that the government gives to reduce the cost of a service or product เงินชดเชยที่รัฐเป็นผู้จ่ายให้
efficiently - doing tasks successfully without wasting time, energy or resources อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ
the ministry announcement states that - ประกาศของกระทรวงแจ้งว่า ....
state clearly - said officially in a way that is esaily understood
voluntary - people choose to do, are not forced to do
paid on voluntary basis - paid only if you want to pay
comment - remark, telling what you think or what your opinion is about an issue หมายเหตุ
could not be reached - could not be contacted, could not find them to talk by phone or talk face-to-face
could not be reached for comment - could not contact and ask for comment
subsidy – an amount of money that the government or another organisation pays to help to reduce the cost of a service or product เงินสนับสนุน, เงินชดเชย (the verb form is subsidise)
state subsidies - money that the government gives to reduce the cost of a service or product เงินชดเชยที่รัฐเป็นผู้จ่ายให้
efficiently - doing tasks successfully without wasting time, energy or resources อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ
(Source: Parents want end to extra school fees, Court order sought against collection, 19/11/2009, Sirikul Bunnag, link)
