Education minister boosts safety, mental care, online restraint
Prasert Jantararuangtong orders tighter school security, mental-health support and restraint in sharing attack details after the Nonthaburi shooting
Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong has ordered schools across Thailand to tighten security and directed education agencies to provide mental-health support following the shooting at a school in Nonthaburi.
Prasert, who was on an inspection visit in Ubon Ratchathani, said he had coordinated with police to help bring the situation under control and issued three urgent measures to deal with the immediate impact and strengthen school safety.
1. The first measure concerns the circulation of information about the incident. Prasert asked social-media users and other sectors to refrain from sharing details or material showing how the attack was carried out, citing the risk of encouraging imitation and harmful repeated exposure to such content.
2. The second measure requires relevant agencies to provide prompt psychological support to those affected. Assistance is to cover injured people as well as students, teachers, staff and others who were present during the incident.
3. The third measure directs schools nationwide to raise their security precautions to the highest level. Prasert said the ministry was particularly concerned about preventing further violence in educational settings.
School safety was the ministry’s highest priority, he said, adding that the incident was something no one wanted to see happen and that the ministry would take measures aimed at preventing a recurrence.
