Teachers working in the deep South are calling on authorities to plug any loopholes in their security measures as more than 300 instructors in Narathiwat province have sought transfers to other, safer areas.
Hundreds of teachers in Narathiwat attend a ceremony to mark Teachers' Day on Jan 16. (Photo by Waedao Harai)
During a ceremony to mark Teachers' Day on Friday, more than 400 teachers in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district observed a minute silence in memory of colleagues killed on duty. A total of 187 teachers working in the restive South have been killed since the insurgency erupted anew in Jan 2004.
Woralak Noisuk, a teacher at Ban Sarayor School in Sungai Kolok district, said safety was a major concern for most teachers, particularly those working in a ''red zone'' with the high rates of insurgent violent attacks.
She urged all concerned agencies to coordinate efforts to plug loopholes in their security protections for teachers.
There were reports that 346 teachers and educational personnel working in Narathiwat have applied for transfers, Thairath Online reported Friday.
Of them, 200 teachers and educational staffers sought to be transferred to other schools under the same educational zone and 146 others wanted to move out to other educational zones for safety reasons.
Those seeking transfers are among 5,640 teachers and educational personnel working in this restive southern province.