For Thai students of all ages, the school day begins with routine group activities such as singing the national anthem and prayer. Strict rules govern uniforms and hairstyles, breeding a culture focused on the collective rather than the individual. Inside the classroom, the environment again encourages conformity _ questioning teachers is discouraged.
CLEAR VISION: Schoolboy Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal. PHOTOS: THANARAK KHOONTON
But one student, frustrated by what he sees as impediments to true learning, has stood up and asked: ''Why?''
That simple question has earned Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, 16, a lot of supporters _ and even more critics.
The Nawaminthrachinuthit Triamudomsuksapattanakarn School student's cause was brought into the spotlight early this year when he appeared on a Channel 3 morning news programme calling for an end to the strict rules on students' haircuts.
He was joined by his friends from the Thai Student for Educational System Revolution Association, who were also calling for the abolition of other rules governing ''Thainess'' in schools.
Netiwit was brought onto the show to discuss a petition he had organised to lobby the Education Ministry to scrap its regulations on haircuts.
The petition, and the subsequent media coverage, led to a relaxation of the ministerial guidelines in May, but did not bring about complete reform.
Since then, Netiwit has used the network _ comprising 30 students in Bangkok, as well as 10 from the North _ to advance his broader goal of an education overhaul. How did this all begin?
It started several years ago when I wrote a letter asking the school why [male] students must have cropped hair. I sent the letter to the administrative department at the school, but found myself in trouble very soon after. They called me to the department and scolded me for five hours. They _ the teachers _ said I have a dangerous attitude.
How did that make you feel?
I was always a good student before I sent that letter. After my reprimand, however, I did not want to be involved in school anymore; I began to study these practices deeper because there is so much pressure to conform at school.
I began wondering why I could not ask even a simple question without becoming a target, and started to read more and more books until I realised this concept was based on dictatorship.
What do you mean by that?
Schools across Thailand have an authoritarian attitude. They do not like students to question them because that would weaken their power and stability. It's quite obvious and not difficult to see. Sometimes, when a student asks a simple question, they are scolded which makes them feel scared to ask other questions. I know this because I've asked questions for many years.
What was the response like to your appearance on Channel 3?
Comments on Facebook have been both negative and positive. There are actually more negative comments than positive ones, but I don't mind. On the other hand, I'm glad that people have different opinions; they have started to speak out. It is better than living quietly and expressing no opinions.
Apart from hairstyle rules, what else needs to be changed in schools?
AS ONE VOICE: Students gather before school starts to sing the national anthem.
There are many things to do, especially things concerning ''Thainess'' which I'm fighting so hard to change.
Thainess is actually good, but people have linked it with a culture of dictatorship and subservience which they say we must conserve it. I do not agree with this.
So, what is Thainess?
What is Thainess? Thainess is the lifestyle of all Thais. Your lifestyle, my lifestyle and everyone else's lifestyles. Thainess is not temples or royal palaces. Thainess must be alive.
Does that include the education system?
The educational environment needs to change. We have to change the dictatorial environment such as rules on hairstyles or any other useless rules. Education programmes must be changed as well. It must be an open environment which allows students to criticise and argue with their teachers.
The study of history desperately needs an overhaul, because at the moment we are teaching a fabricated history based on nationalistic ideals.
I think we need to talk and argue more about history. If a student argues with what a book says and can provide sufficient proof, the teacher needs to accept this side of the story.
I argued with a Buddhism teacher recently and was kicked out of class as a result. The lesson was about Karma. The teacher said we were all born the way we are now because of Karma in our past life. I do not believe that this is the real teaching of Buddhism. I said to the teacher, 'You don't understand Buddhism,' and the teacher became extremely angry.
So, do you believe in Buddhism?
I am Buddhist, but not a Thai Buddhist. I don't even put any religion in my ID card as I don't want Buddhist adherents in Thailand to think we are in the same group. Most of them do not understand how Buddhism really is.
What else do you think schools need to change?
The way to pay respect to teachers is not by crawling, such as in the wai khru ceremony [where students get on their knees and bow before their teachers]. Most students don't really love their teacher. The right way to pay respect is to argue, to talk and to criticise. That way, we have respect for each other's views.
Also, singing the national anthem and praying in the morning needs to be cancelled.
When did you start thinking about these things?
I've studied these kinds of things since I was in Mor 2 [Grade 8] and distributed a booklet in school named Julasarn Pridi. One year later, I worked with university students to spread the magazine. Last year, I started a new role as editor of Pajarayasarn magazine. Paja means 'teacher of teachers', and this magazine deals with education issues.
You finish high school next year. What are your plans after that?
I am planning to go to India next year to further my knowledge.
I plan to stay there for a year but am not sure about the future after that. But I do not want to study at a Thai university. I do not want to study in Thailand anymore.
What do your parents say about your way of thinking?
They are supportive. My parents have different ways of thinking as well, especially regarding politics. We give freedom to each other to think.
My mother is more on the yellow-shirt side, but my father stands opposite on the red shirt side. They give me freedom to do whatever I want.
What about teachers in school? Does anybody there support you?
There are actually some teachers who support me. They are a marginal group though who really come to school to teach and do not ingratiate themselves with the school director.
School has centralised governance and the closer they [teachers] are to the school director, the more benefits they can receive.
So, you think there are some good teachers in the school as well?
I have many good teachers _ many of them do not have the same views as me, but they are open-minded and friendly. Teachers have to know that their students are capable of independent thought. Teachers can only give students a direction to follow, but cannot force them on an exact path. They have to realise that criticism is positive and helps you grow as a person.
Tell me about the progress of the Thailand Educational Revolution Alliance.
We meet only monthly as we all study. A new term has just started, so we mostly operate on social media networks. We come from many different educational institutions; some of us are from government schools, some are from international schools and some from temple schools. We try to talk and reach a common understanding between ourselves so we can present our views to the public.
There are not many people involved in the movement right now. Are you confident you can achieve you goal of education reform?
There are not many right now, but I'm sure there will be an increasing number in the future. We may not succeed straight away, but it may happen in the next generation. They may learn from what we do and do it better in the future.
I can only speak out to help the next generation. If they consider what I have said and it stimulates them to demand change, then we have succeeded.
BOUND BY TRADITION: Students take potted ixora plants for a wai khru ceremony at Wat Sangwet school. PHOTOS: BANGKOK POST ARCHIVE
