Obec deputy moved ahead of exam probe
Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) deputy chief Anand Rangabthuk has been transferred to the position of Education Ministry inspector-general pending a disciplinary probe against him and three other officials in relation to cheating in the as
Anand has been replaced by Education inspector-general Phitsanu Tulsuk, who also heads the case’s fact-finding committee.
Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said the Cabinet approved the transfer of three C-10 officials yesterday including Anand, Phitsanu and Office of the Education Council deputy head Jurairat Saengboonnam, who would also be transferred to an Education Ministry inspector-general’s post.
Phongthep said the transfer orders were made according to the three officials’ wishes. He said Anand asked to be moved to allow for the disciplinary probe in relation to exam cheating against himself, Obec chief Chinnapat Bhumirat, Obec’s Bureau of Personnel Administration Development and Legal Affairs director Krai Katethan, and former Obec chief assistant Suthep Chitayawong.
Phitsanu, who was assigned to probe the exam cheating scandal when news of it first broke, was an appropriate candidate to succeed Anand and could handle the new assistant-teacher exam on Saturday through to Monday, the minister said.
And Jurairat wanted to be an Education Ministry inspector-general to aid the country’s preparations for the launch of the Asean Economic Community in 2015, Phongthep said.
Deputy Education Minister Serm-sak Pongpanich backed Phongthep’s comment that Anand was willing to move to help ensure the probe’s transparency and ease any reluctance to testify on the part of his subordinates. Phitsanu would help prevent cheating on this week’s exam, Sermsak said.
