The Education Ministry will offer jobs to 10,000 assistant teachers to man smaller classrooms post-Covid-19 lockdown as classes are to be split.

Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said class sizes will be reduced for social distancing. The pre-pandemic ratio was 20 students per teacher.

When schools re-open on July 1, the ministry hopes to reduce that ratio to 7:1.

“So, the ministry has to recruit more teaching staff,” he said.

Some people will also be employed in non-teaching jobs.

Licensed primary-education assistant teachers are being offered jobs although they will be hired on a temporary six-month contract, Mr Nataphol said.

Part of the problem that prevents them from gaining permanent status is that they will be required to teach in a province outside of where they registered for their licence.

The ministry has allocated 540 million baht to finance the hiring of 10,000 assistant teachers, which will help spur employment, the minister said.