Agreement overturned

Parents and students who had rejoiced a day earlier after an apparent agreement to allow the students to continue at their former school were angered yesterday when it was suddenly reversed.

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Parents wait in the hall of Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School yesterday before being told all their children will not be enrolled. The decision by Obec reversed an earlier agreement and angered parents. APICHART JINAKUL

School about-turn angers parents

POST REPORTERS

Parents are furious after a Bangkok high school at the centre of bribery claims overturned its earlier agreement to accept all the 57 students it had previously rejected.

Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School has admission regulations and education management standards to uphold and cannot accept as many students as it had agreed.

The move reversed an agreement between Pornpichit Sukannan, an adviser to Education Minister Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech, and parents on Monday that the school would enrol all 57.

Obec's decision follows a meeting yesterday between parents, Obec representatives and the education minister.

The decision sparked uproar from parents. One left a note in the meeting room accusing the Education Ministry of leaving the children scarred.

"Obec has more than 2,000 schools under its supervision.

"We can't tear up the school's admission rules to appease the parents," Mr Chinnapat said.

"Moreover, if all the students were accepted, the classes would be crowded. It would be impossible to live up to academic standards."

Mr Chinnapat said the agency will try its best to find places for students who miss out and called on parents to try to understand.

It is reported that Bodindecha School has agreed to enrol only 20 students to fill places left vacant by those who have declined admissions. Mr Chinnapat said children who feel they have been treated unfairly can lodge complaints with a committee appointed by Obec.

The meeting also agreed that a probe will be launched against school director Suwat Wiwattananon, who is accused of demanding money from parents in exchange for school places.

Mr Suchart pledged to be fair to all sides involved in the school places dispute

He said the ministry would consider expanding popular schools to accommodate demand.

Mr Suchart said some admission regulations are disturbing and should be changed to ensure transparency.

enrol – to put onto the official list of members of a course or college ลงทะเบียน
about-turn – a complete change of opinion or behaviour การเปลี่ยนใจ
furious – extremely angry ซึ่งโกรธจัด
bribery – the crime of giving money or presents to someone so that they will help you by doing something dishonest or illegal การให้สินบน
claim – saying that something is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it ข้ออ้าง ข้อกล่าวหา
overturn – to officially decide that a policy, legal decision, etc. is not correct, and to make it no longer valid ล้มล้าง พลิกคว่ำ
reject – to not agree with a request, offer or proposal ปฏิเสธ ไม่ยอมรับ
admission (system) – the system for selecting students to a school or university ระบบการรับเข้า
regulation – an official rule that controls the way that things are done ระเบียบข้อบังคับ
standards – a level of quality that is normal or acceptable for a particular person or in a particular situation มาตรฐาน, บรรทัดฐาน
uphold – to defend or keep to a principle or law; to show that you support something by what you say or do รับรอง รักษา ยืนหนัด
adviser – a person who gives advice, especially somebody who knows a lot about a particular subject ที่ปรึกษา
representative – someone who has been chosen or elected by a person or group to vote, give opinions, or make decisions for them ผู้แทน
spark – to make something happen, especially something bad ก่อให้เกิด
uproar – angry public criticism of something ความเอะอะ, ความวุ่นวาย
accuse – to say that someone has done something wrong or committed a crime กล่าวหา
scar – to have a permanent effect on someone’s mind, caused by an unpleasant experience that they have had ทำให้เกิดรอยแผลเป็น
supervision – the process of making sure that something is being done properly  การควบคุมดูแล การตรวจตรา
tear up – to destroy a document, etc. by tearing it into pieces; to ignore (to fail to pay attention to) ฉีกขาด
appease – to say or do something in order to make someone feel less angry ปลอบใจ หรือทำให้เป็นที่พอใจ
crowded – packed; full of people or things แน่น
live up to – to do as well as or be as good as other people expect you to เป็นไปตามความคาดหวัง
academic – relating to education เชิงวิชาการ
vacant – empty ว่าง
decline – to say politely that you will not accept something or do something ปฏิเสธ
lodge a complaint – to make a formal statement to someone in authority that someone has done something wrong ยื่นคำร้อง
committee – a group of people who are chosen, usually by a larger group, to make decisions or to deal with a particular subject คณะกรรมการ
appointed – officially chosen for a job ถูกแต่งตั้ง
probe – an attempt to find out the truth about an issue, problem or accident, made by an official group (or by the media); an investigation การตรวจสอบ  การสอบสวน
launch – to start something เริ่มต้น เริ่มทำ
in exchange for – giving something to someone and receiving something else from them of a similar type or value แลกเปลี่ยน
pledge – to make a serious promise to do something สัญญา
dispute – a serious disagreement  ข้อโต้แย้ง
consider – to give careful thought to something before making a decision พิจารณา
popular – a situation in which someone or something is liked by many people เป็นที่นิยม, เป็นที่ชื่นชอบ
accommodate – to prepare what is needed for something ปรับให้เข้ากับ, เปลี่ยนให้เหมาะกับ, จัดให้เหมาะ
demand – the amount of a product or service that people want ความต้องการ
disturbing – making you feel extremely worried or upset ที่ขุ่นเคืองใจ
ensure – to make certain that something happens or is done  ให้การยืนยัน, รับรอง, ให้ความมั่นใจ
transparency – an honest way of doing things that allows other people to know exactly what you are doing ความโปร่งใส