BANGKOK (NNT) – The Ministry of Education has kept the start of the new academic year when schools will be reopening at 17th May, with the possibility of pushing back the date to 1st June, should the COVID-19 situation remain difficult to control.
The Ministry of Education has announced it is not changing the school opening date of the new academic year from 17th May, in order to limit the impact on education and the parent’s livelihood.
The Minister of Education Trinuch Thienthong said today the decision has been agreed to by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), however the date could be pushed back to 1st June if the COVID-19 situation has not improved.
She said classes and activities at each school will be determined based on the risk factors and specific context of each area, while schools should allow students to choose the class format they want by themselves, from providing take home class exercises, to online learning.
Meanwhile, the national date for Secondary 1 and Secondary 4 levels entrance examination on 2nd May has now been postponed, with the new examination date scheduled for between 4th and 12th May.
Examination venues must strictly implement health and safety measures, including a capacity rule where no more than 50 people can be present in an examination room, or a registration room. Classrooms at other schools could be used in addition to the main venue to avoid crowding. The OBEC is now working on the examination plan, which will be presented to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on 30th April.
Meanwhile, concerns have been raised on the delay in new public school teachers’ qualification tests and licensing, which could result in a teaching staff shortage in some places. The Ministry of Education and the OBEC has agreed to encourage schools to help each other, including schools in the sister schools scheme. Schools may also assign a position to a person already on the teachers list, and should report to the authority if they can’t solve the problem.
