Going outside to raise the national flag during a thunderstorm is unusual, if not dangerous. But it happened at a school in the southern province of Chumphon.
According to media reports, a school director refused to abandon that day's morning class ceremony, disregarding harsh weather and fears of lightning strikes, despite warnings from her subordinates. Therefore, two students performed the ceremony, while another student held an umbrella for them. All were soaked with rain and terrified.
Fortunately, there were no tragedies. However, parents of students at risk vented their anger, demanding that the Education Ministry punish the director by moving her to another area. The director later apologised for her thoughtless act, saying she forgot to think about the students' safety as she wanted all to "look perfect". It was the first day of the new school term.
Discipline is, indeed, necessary, but students' health and safety must not be compromised. Yet, it turns out that several teachers, driven mostly by school authoritarianism, often do the opposite, as happened in this case.
Examples of such poor or bad judgement on the part of teachers or school administration abound. Over the past years, society has witnessed cases of teachers or school directors penalising students or forcing them to follow absurd rules out of their obsession with uniforms.
In one case, a school in the North, despite chilly weather, prohibited students from wearing warm clothes during an outdoor ceremony as the teachers believed -- albeit wrongly -- that students looking the same in uniform would make a perfect photo op.
There have also been cases of students being forced to line up under the scorching sun for long periods, with disregard for dangerous UV rays.
It is also sad to see reports of some students not being so fortunate, as bad luck and bad judgement on the part of teachers can end in tragedy. There were at least two tragic deaths last year.
One of them was a seven-year-old boy who suffered from asthma. The poor boy was punished by being made to run laps after his teachers found that he had misplaced badges in a scout programme. The boy did several rounds until he collapsed and later died.
The other was a teenage student with lupus -- an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, and other organs. She was told to fill an empty place left by her classmate in an outdoor dance programme on a very hot day. Such conditions are extremely dangerous for people with lupus. When the student fainted, eyewitnesses said help was delayed as teachers wanted to finish the performance before the cameras. The teenager was eventually admitted to hospital but never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead 12 days later.
Most observers would agree that such tragedies are merely the tip of a dangerous iceberg.
Despite strenuous calls to abolish authoritarian practices and allow students to express themselves more freely, top-down control remains strong and reinforced. The Chumphon case attests to this.
It's welcome news that the Education Ministry swiftly launched a probe. It must now reveal the result, including any punishment handed out to the director. More importantly, the ministry must allow an independent body to carry it out. It must also state that it will no longer tolerate a repressive culture in schools, and those who perpetuate it must face the music.