Bangkok: OBEC joins in providing relief to students and teachers who were injured and died from the clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border, closing 751 schools in risk areas.
According to Thai News Agency, Lt. Col. Thanu Wongchinda, Secretary-General of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), reported that following clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border, he received a report from Ms. Rattikorn Thongnet, Director of the Secondary Education Area Office (SEASO) in Sisaket and Yasothon. The report prompted the Office of the Educational Area to order schools under its supervision along the border to evacuate students and close classes urgently. All educational institutions have been urged to monitor student safety and adhere to the incident response plan mandated by OBEC.
At approximately 10:00 a.m. on July 24, Cambodia reportedly fired a cannonball into a convenience store inside a PTT gas station in Ban Nam Yen, Kantharalak District, Sisaket Province. This resulted in injuries and fatalities, including a Mathayom 3 schoolgirl. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Narumon Pinyosinwat, Minister of Education, has initiated urgent relief measures to prevent students from dropping out and to provide psychological support. These measures include short-term plans (7-30 days) and long-term strategies (3-12 months) to restore educational opportunities in the border areas and prepare for potential future incidents. OBEC will also support the families affected by this incident.
The OBEC Secretary-General confirmed that due to the tense situation, 751 schools have been closed. This includes closures across various educational service areas: Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Sisaket, Buriram, Surin, Sa Kaeo, and Chanthaburi. Each area has a varying number of school closures, with significant impacts in Surin and other provinces.
OBEC executives, along with other officials, will visit the affected areas to assess the situation and discuss guidelines for teaching and learning management. They will also engage with parents to inform them of the ongoing situation. OBEC has already alerted educational institutions in the seven provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border to collaborate on an educational management model suitable for students. The institutions have been instructed to follow the incident response plan and guidelines strictly, monitor the incident's impact, and prepare safe school areas as shelters or temporary assistance centers.