More sexual violence by teachers in Thai schools
Thailand's education ministry receives an average of four to five complaints per month about teachers who sexually misbehave towards same-sex students, the Bangkok Post reports.
Apichart Jirawut, secretary general of the Higher Education Commission, said on Monday that these allegations mainly concern teachers who also have physical contact with students through the subject they teach, such as physical education, art and computer classes.
In higher education it usually involves sexual harassment, while in secondary education there is often sexual abuse.
“School leaders need to better monitor teachers' behavior and their relationship with students,” said Mr Apichart. He also said that most of the complaints concern schools outside of Bangkok.
“A teacher guilty of sexually abusing a student should be fired immediately. In addition, consideration should be given to revoking his/her teaching qualification, so that that person cannot also teach at another school.”
180 teachers have been found guilty of sexual misconduct in the past three years. This involves four to five incidents per month.
Mr. Apichart is convinced that this is just the tip of the iceberg. “There are also complaints about teachers selling drugs to students,” he added.
This is nothing new under the sun here in the land of smiles.
My pants almost fall down when I read…
…School leaders need to better monitor the behavior of teachers and their relationship with students…
How regularly do I see here in secondary education, but also every now and then in primary education, that a teacher delivers 1-4 young girls to the entrance of their school, where a car with mostly Thai men (karaoke visitors) of secondary age, let the girls get into their car, and then the teacher concerned, who is in most cases a woman, is settled.
I myself taught for 10 years at a government primary school,
and both at the school where I taught and in secondary education this is normal practice.
The great danger is that Thai children will not be able to tell their story at home so easily.
There is a taboo on honest conversations in the family about sex. It is not without reason that young girls are often the victims of premature and young pregnancies.
So the rig can go its own way.
Cor van Kampen.