THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Teacher returns to classroom after Anti-Corruption Organization intervention

Teacher returns to classroom after Anti-Corruption Organization intervention

The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand has called on Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan to look into the order to transfer Chai Nat-based kindergarten teacher Om-aree "Kru Om" Khaengrit from her school this week following her Facebook post on August 16 about allegedly substandard lunches for pupils that included plain instant noodles without meat or even an egg.

The organisation's Facebook post on Thursday read: “We demand Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan step in and see to it that an investigation is conducted to punish the wrongdoers swiftly and justly in the case where Kru Om-aree Khaengrit of Wat Wong Duan School in Chai Nat's Han Kha district exposed alleged irregularities in the school's lunch meal project resulting in substandard food being provided to pupils.”
Following pressure from Thai netizens via the hashtag #Saveครูอ้อม, parents’ threats to move their kids out of school if Om-aree is punished, and news reports on Wednesday (August 28) about the 32-year-old teacher’s appeal against the "unfair" transfer order, Chai Nat Primary Educational Service Area Office director La-or Wilai issued a second order transferring her back to teach at Wat Wong Duan School with effect from today. This latest order reasoned that Om-aree still had work to do in teaching pupils while the previous one - issued on August 28 - stated the need for her to be transferred to temporarily help with the office's “urgent work” from August 27 “until the (unidentified) mission is complete”.
On Wednesday, the office also issued a transfer order for school director Suthep Singsom to work at the office with effect from today. 
When Om-aree appealed against the first transfer order, La-or reportedly told her in front of Chai Nat Office of National Anti-Corruption Commission director Sonthaya Raksawong that the office needed her to assist with a team currently being formed on pre-school education.
Om-aree earlier filed a police complaint that her office door was splashed with pig blood on August 21 - a day after a female cook assistant at the school posted on her Facebook page a photo of two bags of pig blood “for sale”, which the cook assistant claimed was a joke. The teacher suspected the vandalism had something to do with her August 16 post on Facebook about the substandard lunch meals for pupils, after which school director and cook had claimed the lunch meals were of good standard but there was a lack of ingredients on the day Om-aree took the photo.
The whistle blowing led officials from the Chai Nat Office of National Anti-Corruption Commission to visit the school to gather evidence on August 27 to determine if there were irregularities.
Following the first transfer order, many of the parents said they would submit a letter to the Education Ministry asking that it be cancelled, as this wasn't fair to a good person who tried to expose alleged corruption. They also threatened to take their children out of the school if the school personnel continued to cover-up the alleged irregularities in the school lunches and bully Om-aree.

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