Cash goes out for parents to buy school uniforms

Schools across the country should begin receiving money from the Education Ministry on Thursday for school uniforms.

Jurin: First school has received money

Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said parents would be told immediately about the arrival of the financial aid after the money reaches the schools. The parents can then buy their children uniforms.

Somdech Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani Memorial School in Phuket was the first school to receive the money, Mr Jurin said, quoting the Basic Education Commission.

The cash will be handed to parents of Mathayom 4 (Grade 10) students at the school on Friday, he said.

The government has allotted 18 billion baht for the 15-year free education policy, part of which is the uniform programme.

The money is to cover the cost of tuition fees, uniforms, textbooks, other necessary education tools and materials and school activities in the coming semester starting in May, the minister said.

Only the money for the uniforms will go directly to the parents.

In the first semester, each kindergarten student will receive 400 baht and a primary student 555 baht. Students from Mathayom 1 to 3 will receive 660 baht each, and from Mathayom 4 to 6 730 baht each, while a vocational college student gets 1,130 baht.

In the second semester, 100 baht, 195 baht, 210 baht and 230 baht each will be handed respectively to the kindergarten, Prathom, Mathayom 1 to 3, Mathayom 4 to 6, and vocational college students for the same purpose.

"This money the ministry is distributing to schools is meant to be directly handed to the parents. If a single baht of the money goes missing, the schools will be in trouble," Mr Jurin said.

Even the schools that have arranged uniforms for sale to the parents cannot withhold the money. They must first hand over the government cash to the parents and then let them decide whether they should buy the school products, he said.

As for the parents choosing to have the uniforms tailor-made for their kids instead of buying them, they are required to show the completed uniforms to the school to prove that the money was being properly spent.

Parents are strictly required to buy the uniforms and need to show a receipt or the clothes they have bought for their children with the money.

They are not allowed to spend this money on other things.

The ministry is also allowing students in almost 32,000 schools to decide whether they want the financial assistance. Schools can bypass the money if they want.

Most of these students are in private schools with a sound financial footing.

According to the commission's latest report, less than 1% of the students have said they do not want the money, which will be diverted to improve about 700 small schools in rural areas if needed.