Students 'expel' director of Pathum Thani school

Triam Udom Suksa Patthanakarn Lamlukka School students gather to "expel" the director for mismanagement on June 29, 2015. (Photo by Pongpat Wongyala)

The director of Triam Udom Suksa Patthanakarn Lamlukka School in Pathum Thani has been temporarily removed after more than 2,000 students called for his expulsion on Monday, accusing him of mismanaging the school's finances.

The junior and senior high school students demanded that director Sathorn Sombun, who was appointed over a year ago, be transferred out of the school.

The students complained he had raised school fees and improperly managed the school’s finances, including the school cooperative.

One student said the school had increased tuition fees to more than 4,000 baht from 2,000 baht by charging for the internet and other new items.

He said the school used to have a dividend sharing system for the school cooperative, but Mr Sathorn brought in an outsider to manage the cooperative. The director is also accused of allocating budgets to build new classrooms, but students said they see no change as they still have to switch rooms.

The students also questioned his decision to repaint buildings they thought did not need repainting.

With so many doubts about the transparency of his financial management, the students requested he be removed.

Mr Sathorn said he had been director of six school and had never had problem. He insisted his management was transparent, and that after working there for over a year he was fully prepared for an evaluation.

Education zone 4 director Mana Phumbua called meetings to look into the dispute.

Mr Mana spent about three hours from 10am in talks with student representatives, teachers and parents, and finally announced that Mr Sathorn and his team would be temporarily withdrawn from the school to allow further investigation.

After the announcement, students dispersed and went to classes.

In November 2013, student representatives at Nawamin Thra Chinuthi Suan Kulap Withayalai Pathum Thani (Klong 14) submitted a letter to then-education minister Chaturong Chaisaeng asking he investigate the school management. Mr Sathorn was the school's director at the time.