Majority disapprove of "tea money" for schools - poll

Majority disapprove of "tea money" for schools - poll

(Bangkok Post photo)
(Bangkok Post photo)

A majority of people disapprove of the practice of paying "tea money" to famous schools for the enrollment of their children, while admitting that it is a deep-rooted tradition in Thai society, according to the result of an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on 1,258 people various levels of education and occupations throughout the country to compile their opinions on the payment of "tea money" in exchange for enrollment in well-known schools.

Asked whether it is true that prestigious state-run schools collect "tea money" or "donations" from parents in return for the enrollment of their children, a majority -- 66.53% -- of the respondents said it is, adding that the practice has become a deep-rooted tradition; 18.52% said it is not true, saying they believe the schools are properly monitored by state mechanisms; and 14.95% were uncertain or had no comment.

A majority, 66.53%, said they disapprove of the practice, saying that it supports corruption in schools; 21.94% were indifferent, reasoning that the practice is common in Thai society; 10.73% said they don't mind paying for their children to be in a good school; and the rest were uncertain.

Asked whether they had ever paid "tea money", 75.04% said "no"; 24.01% said "yes"; and the rest were uncertain or had no comment.

On a suggestion that a law should be enacted to require school directors throughout the country to have their assets examined before and after their tenure to prevent corruption, 89.51% agreed; 6.04% disagreed, saying the people have the right to make a "donation" to schools; and 4.45% had no comment.

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