Teacher associations across the country on Monday protested against a draft law on national education, saying it will limit their academic freedom and hinder students' self-learning abilities.
Teacher association representatives urged the parliament president to put on hold the new bill proposed by the Ministry of Education, which is now being scheduled to be deliberated by the House in its second and third readings.
The bill should be shelved until after the new general election, expected on May 7, said the teacher associations in a joint statement on Monday, which was also Teachers' Day.
Opinions given by teachers nationwide against this draft law were summarised and forwarded to the House committee vetting the bill, but they have appeared to have fallen on deaf ears, said the statement.
The teacher associations also accused the House committee of rushing their review of the bill, which is now being fast-tracked for passage in the two remaining readings.
“You are rushing to pass this bill despite strong opposition by teachers all over the country,” said the statement.
Given there isn’t much time left before the current parliamentary session ends on Feb 23, the statement said that the parliament president should put the deliberation of the bill on hold and wait until the session begins after the upcoming general election.
In response to the protest, Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong stood by the bill, saying she was looking forward to seeing it passed into law very soon.
The bill has been approved by her ministry and the cabinet, and it is now up for deliberation by the House of Representatives and the Senate, she said.
The minister insisted that while the bill was being drafted, all parties concerned were asked for their opinions, which were incorporated into the draft.
She said she strongly believes the bill will benefit the country’s education reform.
Among the four key elements proposed in the bill is to improve homeschooling standards by requiring it to be regulated by the national education policy commission.
The bill also requires executives of every educational institution to have a sufficient background in both teaching and school management, which Ms Trinuch said would ensure their proficiency in managing an educational institution.