The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) has set up a panel to investigate a school director and two qualified teachers from Buri Ram province who "dishonestly" sat screening exams for assistant teachers.
Obec’s secretary-general Apichart Jeerawuth on Monday assigned the Bureau of Personnel Administration Development Management and Legal Affairs to look into the case of the three men, reportedly brothers.
Recruitment exams for prospective assistant teachers were held at 89 education offices and the Bureau of Special Education on April 19 and 20. The exams screen candidates for 1,888 assistant teacher vacancies countrywide. A total of 91,577 applicants sat the two-day tests.
Officials believed the exams had gone smoothly until they discovered three of the "candidates" were in fact qualified state teachers in Buri Ram — Phitak Supalerk, director of Ban Nong Sai School, Chompon Supalerk, teacher at Muang Faek Pittayakom School, and Thanakit Supalerk, teacher at Ban Nongkratoom School.
Mr Phitak took the exam in Samut Sakhon on April 19. Mr Chompon and Mr Thanakit sat the exams over both days in Nonthaburi province.
“All of them sat the exam with permission from their supervisors,” Mr Apichart said. "Someone has alleged that Mr Phitak is also a tutor."
Caretaker Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng said the three had "obviously" acted "dishonestly". "There is no reason for a state school director or teachers to take an exam to work as an assistant teacher," he said.
Nine applicants from Buri Ram sat the exam in Samut Sakhon, but were also registered at another test centre. “We must look at a possible connection with these test takers,” the minister said.
Supoj Jiamjai, director of Buri Ram Primary Educational Service Area Office 1, said he had spoken to Mr Phitak by phone, who said he sat the exam to better understand what type of test it was.
Phanicha Inchang, acting director of Buri Ram Primary Educational Service Area Office 4, said Mr Thanakit claimed his child aspired to be an assistant teacher, so he took the exam in order to offer advice.