BMA targets school upgrade

Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang has ordered school principals to improve the quality of education and health and safety standards in their schools.

All schools under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) are required to develop and implement quality education policies to ensure their services are on par with acceptable standards.

“We want schools to focus on what the students are learning. We also want teachers to improve their teaching skills,” Pol Gen Asawin said.

He was speaking after inspecting the Bang Yi Khan Wittayakhom School in Soi Charan Sanitwong 42 in Bang Phlat district yesterday, the first day of the new school year.

The start of school depicted a chaotic scene with teachers spending a busy morning taking care of young students who refused to be parted from their parents and threw tantrums.

Bang Yi Khan Wittayakhom School is a primary school that provides education from kindergarten to junior high school level (Grade 6-9).

It is a bilingual school (Thai and Chinese) which now has 358 students and 16 teachers.

The BMA has also provided access to education for students and children with special needs, Pol Gen Aswin said.

“All students deserve to have equal opportunities to go to school,” he added. The BMA currently provides classes for children with special needs at 127 schools.

The governor urged principals and teachers to create a foreign language classroom, whether it be English or Chinese, for students to improve their language skills.

Apart from the quality of education, the BMA is also working on improving the quality and hygiene of food served at schools, Pol Gen Asawin said.

The City Hall had launched the “Safety City” campaign to improve the health and safety of students. Under the programme, stainless steel food trays had been provided to schools.

According to an expert, stainless steel containers are safer than aluminium ones even if the steels ones are heavier and more difficult for young children to carry to the table.

Long-term exposure to aluminium utensils and containers can be harmful for health, he explained.