FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Bid to help private schools in Thailand pull out of Covid-19 crisis

Bid to help private schools in Thailand pull out of Covid-19 crisis

The Office of the Ombudsman is coming up with measures for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to consider to help mitigate the Covid-19 impact on private schools nationwide.

Chief Ombudsman Somsak Suwansujarit said on Sunday that the Covid-19 crisis has affected the liquidity of 3,563 private schools in Thailand, with some having to close due to a drop in new students and guardians’ inability to pay tuition fees.

He said many private schools were not able to pay their teachers’ salaries, while financial institutions refused to grant them loans. He also said that if loans are granted, they are at a higher interest rate.

“So far, 12,253 teachers and education staff have been laid off. If this continues, it will affect children’s education opportunities, as many parents rely on private schools as an alternative,” he said, adding that private school operators also get no government subsidies.

He said the Office of the Ombudsman has been working with related agencies like the Interior Ministry and Revenue Department and has come up with the following proposals:

• 50 per cent discount on water and electricity.

• New regulations allowing private schools to take loans at low interest.

• Allocating funds to provide a 5,000 baht monthly subsidy to teachers and education staff for three months (April to June).

• 100% subsidy for private school operators for two years, which can be reduced to 70 per cent once the Covid-19 situation returns to normal.

• Considering tax rebates for people who donate cash to private schools.

• Issuing guidelines to give private school teachers access to universal healthcare under the gold card or social security schemes.

• Push to boost private school teachers’ salaries.

• Boosting lunch subsidies for private schools facing liquidity problems and using remaining funds to purchase educational equipment.

• Reducing land and building taxes for private schools that promote arts and sports, vocational training, tutoring and building life skills.

• Amending the rules of the School Aid Fund so laid-off private school teachers can be compensated.

• Setting up a fund to support private schools.

"These problems need to be solved quickly because students may lose opportunities to study,” Somsak added.

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