Education: Angry scribes take Suchart complaint to PM

[StrontiumDog]

Angry scribes take Suchart complaint to PM - The Nation

Angry scribes take Suchart complaint to PM

The Nation September 18, 2012 5:28 pm

Photo : Vorawit Pumpuang

News reporters covering the Education Ministry on Tuesday filed a complaint against Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej with PM Yingluck Shinawatra, accusing the minister of being irresponsible over his interviews.

Initially, the reporters met only a deputy PM's secretarygeneral; but their representatives eventually managed to submit an open letter to Yingluck. They stopped short of asking the prime minister to remove Suchart as education minister.

About ten education-beat reporters went to the Government House at 8:50 am to submit their open letter to demand the prime minister review Suchart's behaviour. Deputy PM's SecretaryGeneral Prasit Chaiwiratana received the letter on behalf the prime minister.

The group of reporters was led by Thitiwan Sawaisaenyakorn, chairwoman of the Education Reporters Club and education news editor of Thai Rath.

Thitiwan said Suchart always retracted his words and blamed the media after he gave interviews which drew a negative public response.

Thitiwan said the reporters found it unacceptable for the education minister to take no responsibility for what he'd said in interviews with them, even though the interviews were taped.

After the reporters submitted the letter to Prasit, Government Spokeswoman Sansanee Nakpong came downstairs to meet and talk with them, until the group dispersed.

But Thitiwan managed to meet the prime minister at the hall of the Cabinet Secretariat building at 1:20 pm and raised the issue with Yingluck directly.

She told Yingluck the reporters needed to work closely with the education minister to help with national education reform.

After Yingluck promised to look into the issue, Thitiwan asked the PM whether she would reshuffle her Cabinet right away.

Yingluck smiled and replied it was off the topic, and walked away.

[Gerbil]

Yingluck smiled and replied it was off the topic, and walked away.

Sums up her time as PM really.