EDUCATION
SIRIKUL BUNNAG
Private school operators have called for speedy amendment of the 2007 Private School Act, saying that the law has hurt schools' business and unfairly reduced staff benefits.
At least 100 private schools would go out of business next year if legislators failed to fix the flaws within this parliamentary session, they said.
"The parliamentary session will end next week and the bill has not reached the discussion table," said Weerawat Wannasiri, chairman of the Private Vocational Schools Association, who led a protest rally at the House by some 1,500 private school operators and staff yesterday.
"Private schools are in trouble and we need parliament to treat the amendment of the law as an urgent item on its agenda," he said.
He said the law requires 40,000 staff, who are not teachers and executives, such as janitors and temporary employees, to exit the Social Security Fund and enter the Private Teacher Welfare Fund, which offers less in benefits.
The law also requires private schools, which range from kindergartens to vocational schools and includes international and bilingual schools, be registered as a juristic person. School owners must transfer the ownership of school land and property to this juristic person.
The asset transfer had put schools in a difficult position because the property typically belonged to school owners or their families, said Somsak Ampornwisitsopha, president of Private School Licence Holders and Teachers Club.
The transfers would also incur heavy taxes, he said.
"Thirteen Bangkok private schools have already decided to close down this year because of the requirements. About 100 schools are thinking of following suit next year," he said.
The new welfare system for private school employees also made it difficult for operators to recruit staff, he added.
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