Thread: Formal School Year in Thailand

This site pretty much sums it up:

THE THAI SCHOOL CALENDAR


[FONT='Times New Roman', Times, Serif, serif]The school year begins in May and ends in February, with a semester break from late September to mid-October. Most hiring is done during February and March, or for the universities, in early August. Schools in the provinces often close briefly during the local rice planting and harvesting seasons. [/FONT]
[FONT='Times New Roman', Times, Serif, serif]The following are public holidays in Thailand, when you may have time off from teaching. [/FONT]

• January 1: New Year's Day
• February: Magha Puja (commemorating the preaching of the Buddha)
• April 6: Chakri Day
• May 5: Coronation Day
• Mid-July (full moon): Asanha Puja (commemorating the Buddha's first sermon)
• Mid- to late July: Khao Phansaa (beginning of Buddhist lent)
• August 12: Queen's Birthday
• October 23: Chulalongkorn Day
• December 5: King's Birthday
• December 10: Constitution Day

cheers nat

Thanks Nat. I wasn't very clear in my OP (late night and drunk) but looking for some official document issued by Ministry of Education that says the formal school years from 2007/8 and 2008/9 are from [date] to [date]. Reckon I might be pushing my luck.

That would never happen in Thailand, so just go by my post. Holidays? You might find out the day before.

Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr

the formal school years from 2007/8 and 2008/9 are from

Even the public schools here seem to follow different calendars. One of my students goes to public school and her first day back after vacation was the 14th. Ms. B's daughter goes to private school. She started the 15th. On my morning run I first started seeing significant numbers of kids in uniform on Monday, the 19th, but the school buses didn't start to roll until the 20th.

We just had a good long look at the Ministry of Education web site and there is no calendar to be found. (It is just as crappy as most Thai government web sites: dead links, out of date site map, etc., etc.)

They make it up as they go along

Thanks guys and yes Mrs. Kerr spent half a day on the phone to the Ministry and no one seemed to be able to say. Despite this there has been a big push in the Thai TV reminding parents that it is time for the kids to be back in school. Just thought some of the teachers on here might know.

Urrggg ... dealing with the petite functionnaire in developing countries (well anywhere for that matter) is a complete pain in the arse. Thanks for your time guys.

My stepson had more days off than when he was there.
He went to Wat Pra Sing and most days off were Budda Days.
In the fours years he went there he never ever did a full week.

WK - Ms. B wondered why you needed some official document from the Ministry of Education? Why not just get something from the school itself?

^That about sums it up! Each school Director runs his or her school as a private fiefdom. They arbitrarily decide when the school opens or closes and just about everything else.

The brilliant Ms. B has located the appropriate Ministry of Education regulation.

The pertinent part, in Thai, which appears in an amendment to the original regulation states:

“ข้อ 6 ในรอบปีการศึกษาหนึ่ง วันเริ่มต้นปีการศึกษา คือวันที่ 16 พฤษภาคม และวันสิ้นปีการศึกษา คือวันที่ 15 พฤษภาคม ของปีถัดไป”

(I hope I got that right....)

Roughly translated this says that the official school year begins on May 16 of each year and ends the May 15th of the following year.

So, that's the official school year. However, the period of summer vacation, which would dictate the actual beginning and ending date of classes, is up to the local school, as long as their school year fits within the dates stated by the regulation....

^

Love it. The official school year is 16/05 through 15/05 the following year. Beautiful. What genius came up with that one? They don't even have to update it -- ever.

^Funny thing is, the original regulation (year 2538) said May 1st through April 30th. They amended it in 2543 to the May 16th to May 15th dates.

Ms. B is a bloody beauty! I knew there must be some administrative instruction somewhere. Strange as it may sound this is the best news I've had for weeks. Mrs. Kerr is also very, very happy. Big thanks to Mrs. and Mr. Buad hai for helping out over the weekend.

It was good practice for the law student....

^Come on, explain.... I guess some school is giving you trouble and stating rules and regulations which don't exist and now you have the ammo to let them shoot themselves in the foot

I'll let the OP explain if he likes. Suffice it to say that the formal definition of the "school year" has importance beyond the actual dates the little darlings are away from home.

Originally Posted by buad hai

Funny thing is, the original regulation (year 2538) said May 1st through April 30th. They amended it in 2543 to the May 16th to May 15th dates.

A brilliant piece of work. Only one amendment. Thai politicians could use their help in writing a "final" constitution.

Well, this is what a Thai Ministry of Education Regulation looks like when translated. Big thanks again to Buad hai and Mrs. Buad hai for helping me find it. We really couldn't be happier with what the regulation says. Doubt it has much relevance to teachers but could be very important to expats claiming education allowances for their kids

Regulation of the Ministry of Education

Re School Year, School Opening and Closing

B.E. 2549

---

Whereas it is expedient to amend regulation of the Ministry of Education governing school year, school opening and closing, to suit with administration of the Ministry of Education.

By virtue of Section 5 and Section 12 of the Act on Administration of the Ministry of Education B.E. 2546, the Minister for Education establishes a regulation as follows.

Clause 1. This Regulation shall be called “Regulation of the Ministry of Education Governing School Year, School Opening and Closing B.E. 2549”.

Clause 2. This Regulation shall come into force from the date following its promulgation in the Government Gazette.

Clause 3. The following shall be repealed.

(1) Notification of the Ministry of Education dated 10 March 1977 re prescription of school year.

(2) Order of the Ministry of Education No. SP 458/2527 dated 28 March 1984 re Schedule for Opening and Closing of Semesters of Schools of the Ministry of Education.

(3) Notification of the Ministry of Education dated 4 February 1986 re Temporary Closure of Schools in Special Case.

(4) Notification of the Ministry of Education dated 30 March 1987 re Temporary Closure of Schools due to Special Incident or Public Danger.

(5) Order of the Ministry of Education No. OS 261/2533 dated 9 April 1990 re Schedule for Opening and Closing of Semesters of Schools of the Department of Vocational Education.

(6) Regulation of the Ministry of Education Re School Year, School Opening and Closing B.E. 2538.

(7) Regulation of the Ministry of Education Re School Year, School Opening and Closing (No. 2) B.E. 2543.

All regulations, rules, notifications and any other order prescribed herein, or contradictory hereto or inconsistent herewith, shall be hereby superseded.


Clause 4. For schools for which there is a law, regulation and rule specifically applicable in this respect, the law, regulation and rule shall apply.

Clause 5. In this Regulation.

“Special case” means a case where it is necessary to use a school for meeting, seminar, training, examination, lodging, course promoting activity or any other activity beneficial to the community, or other necessary reason preventing its usual activity.

“Special incident” means an incident arising from public calamity.

“Secretary General” means to include director general or heads of other government agencies with a status of a department.

“School” means a childhood development establishment, special educational center school, educational center, college or educational establishment called by other name of the government sector or the private sector, with authorities or objectives in education pursuant to law governing national education and ministerial notifications.

“School head” means a headmaster, principal, director, rector, dean or a similar position called by other name.

“School and student” means a person studying in a school.

Clause 6. In a school year cycle, the school year shall commence on 16 May and end on 15 May of the following year.

Clause 7. Schools shall open and close their usual semesters in a school year as follows.

(1) First semester commencing on 16 May and ending on 11 October.

(2) Second semester commencing on 1 November and ending on 1 April of the following year.

Any school wishing to commence and end its semesters differently from those prescribed in paragraph one shall request its supervising department to determine as appropriate.

Clause 8. The persons authorized to order closing a school in a special case include:

(1) School head, for a period not exceeding seven days.

(2) Director, educational zone office, shall apply to the government agency at the next higher level.

After closing, the school concerned must arrange to open for teaching for such number of extra days to compensate the number of days it was closed.

Clause 9. A school may be ordered to close due to a special incident to suppress the incident or prevent risks which may occur as follows:

(1) The school head may order closing the school for a period not exceeding fifteen days.

(2) Director, educational zone office, may order closing a school for a period not exceeding thirty days. Schools not under supervision of an educational zone office shall apply to the government agency at the next higher level.

When a school is ordered to close, the school must arrange to open for teaching for such number of extra days to compensate the number of days it was closed.

Clause 10. When an authority under Clause 9 has ordered closing a school but the incident still prevail or it is necessary to order closing the school further, the matter shall be at discretion of the school had.

Clause 11. During a school temporary closure in a special case as per Clause 8 or during a school temporary closure due to a special incident as per Clause 9, the school head may require teachers and officers of the school to perform as usual or as assigned.

Clause 12. An order for school temporary closure shall be made in writing except for order made verbally or by other means where after the authority has ordered temporary closure of a school, such order shall be made in writing within three days of date the order was made verbally or by such other means.

Clause 13. The Permanent Secretary for Education shall be in charge of this Regulation.

Announced on 28 September 2006.

(Khunying Kasama Worawan Na Ayudhaya)

Permanent Secretary for Education

In Charge for the Minister, Ministry of Education