Tears, anger as pupils register at Bodindecha

Some teachers and other students at the school booed and forced a man who led the student protest against the school’s admission policy to leave after he accompanied the students there.
Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej and Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat yesterday denied previous news reports that school director Suwat Wiwattananon had submitted his resignation.
However, a high-ranking source from Obec said Suwat submitted his resignation to Secondary Educational Service Area Office 2 in Bangkok last Friday, prior to his departure for another country on the same day.
Chinnapat said 50 students registered with the school, although Singthong Buachoom, an adviser to the education minister, estimated around 100 students or less would enrol in afternoon and weekend courses.
Bodindecha would probably give them an arts-maths programme to study.
In a letter to parents, the school said the director would meet with them and students at 11am this Saturday.
“As Suwat was scheduled to meet them on Saturday, the news reports telling that he will resign are not true,” Chinnapat said.
The Obec official said the 50 or so students would begin their first classes from 2.40pm on Monday, 12.40pm from Tuesday-Friday and 8am on Saturday. The last period would end at 4.50pm. Teachers who teach them would be paid overtime rates.

‘ROOM FOR MORE COURSES’
Suchart said the move to open afternoon and weekend courses was a clever use of resources and infrastructure. Teachers and the school would be given more funds. Perhaps, the school could open an evening course in the future.
Meanwhile, there were reports that Mongkholkit Suksinthara-nont, the head of an anti-corruption network, who led the protest, told a media outlet he was not confident in the capability of the school’s teachers. This allegedly caused a teacher, Kaweechart Chanphang, to argue loudly in response and warn him not to do anything involving the school. The teacher accused Mongkholkit of ruining the school’s reputation. Other teachers and students then booed him, causing tension and many students waiting to register wept.
Kaweechart told reporters all teachers would treat this group of the students the same as they treat other students.
Phakwan, a Mathayom 3 graduate who registered with the school, said she was sorry about the protest that caused trouble for Bodindecha. She insisted she did it to protect her rights. She would apologise to teachers and other students and hoped they would understand her.