Bribes to secure school places 'rampant'

Asset declarations for school directors & transparency in school donations, first step to real parent involvement in education, not just position-buying with wealth.

EDUCATION & CORRUPTION

Bribes to secure school places 'rampant'

Educators say quality schooling lies in more than just a name
26/06/2017
Dumrongkiat Mala

Despite the government's efforts to crack down on corruption in state agencies, the practice of parents paying bribes to secure school places for their children is said to be "rampant."

The current drive to combat corruption in schools all began when Samsenwittayalai School director Viroj Samluan was accused of demanding 400,000 baht in pae jia, or "tea money", from a parent in exchange for enrolling his child at Matthayom 1 (Grade 7) at the school.

The case reignited public concern, with demands made for the government to step up efforts to eradicate the practice of parents paying school directors to get their children into prestigious schools that can set them on the pathway to success and riches later in life.

ASSET DECLARATIONS FOR SCHOOL DIRECTORS

The government should force school directors nationwide to declare their assets publicly for all to see (asset declarations) in order to prevent parent bribes to get children admitted to prestigious schools.

Parents should not be allowed to use their personal connections or their wealth to get their children enrolled at select schools.

Asset declarations would stop school directors from operating such a system.

This is according to Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) director Mana Nimitmongkol.

TRADING SCHOOL SEATS FOR MONEY: COMMON KNOWLEDGE

"School seat trading is now common knowledge among parents," Mr Mana said.

"It may not be called tea money directly; it could be a pledge of donations for school development.

"Such payments are in the mid-five figures [in baht] range [around 50,000 baht] for less popular schools and can go up to six [100,000 to 999,999 baht] and seven figures [over 1,000,000 baht] for some prestigious schools."

TRANSPARENCY IN SCHOOL DONATION PRACTICES

School donations may be a good thing, but they should be made without the expectation that a donor's child will be guaranteed a place at any school.

Also, all donations should be transparent, said Mr Mana.

"My recommendation is that receipts must be issued for every donation so all such transactions stand up to scrutiny," he said.

"All donations must be posted on school noticeboards and websites, so donors can check where their money has gone and how it was spent."

TO END CORRUPTION, NARROW QUALITY GAP BETWEEN PRESTIGE SCHOOLS & THE REST

The quality gap between prestige schools and medium-sized schools should also be narrowed, as this is one factor that contributes to the tea money problem.

"The pae jia system is a by-product of social disparity," said the ACT director.

"The quality gap between famous schools and normal schools is too wide."

"That's why many parents are willing to pay an exorbitant amount of money to purchase a seat for their children in well-known schools."

TEA MONEY PRACTICES INSTILL IN MINDS OF CHILDREN THAT CORRUPTION IS OK

Mr Mana warned this kind of mindset is dangerous as it can instill in children the idea that corruption is acceptable or that the wealthy can take advantage of the poor.

"Parents are role models for their children," he said.

"If the parents are corrupt, there is a high chance [probability, likelihood] that their kids will be the same."

CHANGE PRESTIGE-FOCUSED MINDSET

Mr Mana said parents should change their belief that academic success and a foot on the career ladder can only be achieved by attending famous schools.

"I understand this is a stressful game all parents must play, but if your children fail to attend your preferred school, it's not the end of the world," he said.

Athapol Anunthavorasakul, an academic from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education, said: "There is no guarantee that graduates from famous schools will be good citizens or successful people."

GREATER COMPETITION: MAIN DIFFERENCE WITH PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOLS

Mr Athapol said he thought there is not much difference in term of teacher quality and educational tools between big and medium-sized schools nowadays, but the difference is the learning environment.

"The competition among students might be higher in famous schools, so the students need to be more active," he said.

"Parents should ask themselves how they define success for their children."

"Do they define it as getting a seat in a top university and becoming an engineer or a medical doctor, or does success mean your children are creative, skilled in critical thinking and eager for lifelong learning?"

AVERAGE CLASS SIZE OF PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOLS NOW 50, ORDINARY SCHOOLS ONLY 30 

The average class size at most famous prestigious schools now is a whopping 50 students per class.

The average class size at "ordinary" schools is much lower at just 30 students per class.

If famous schools continue to expand the number of students to get more donations, this will eventually harm the quality of the schools.

"You can see that today even students from famous schools need to attend extra tutorial schools,'' Mr. Athapol said.

PARENT PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL DECISIONMAKING IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Mr Athapol said the parents' role is just as vital as that of their schools in creating quality citizens.

He said parents should be more than mere financial supporters for their children, they should also play an active part in their children's education.

"In developed countries, parent representatives [PTA members, see here] can participate in almost every decision-making process at their children's schools, from lunch menus to curriculum planning, but in Thailand parent representatives are set up just for raising funds," he said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special-reports/1275527/tea-money-scandal-brews-concern

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parent-Teacher_Association

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