SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: TEACHERS AND EDUCATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 005249

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KPAO TH
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN VIOLENCE: TEACHERS AND EDUCATION

REF: A. BANGKOK 4917 (ISLAMIC SCHOOL VISIT)


B. BANGKOK 4592 (SCHOOLS TARGETED)

C. BANGKOK 4480 (CHINESE LANGUAGE IN SOUTH)

D. BANGKOK (REALITY ON THE GROUND)

Classified By: Political Counselor Susan M. Sutton. Reason 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: Schools have been the focus of increased
attention in the far south because of violence against
teachers and reports of teacher transfers. Attacks on
government teachers, traditionally honored in Thai society,
are deeply symbolic because they are viewed as
representatives of the Thai state in the South. This message
offers a brief primer on the different types of schools that
exist in the South. From ages 6-12, most children in the
border provinces attend government primary schools; they
receive their religious instruction at private Tadika
schools. However, at the secondary level most students
attend either Private Islamic schools which offer a mixed
curriculum or Pondok schools which focus exclusively on
Islamic studies. End Summary

VIOLENCE DIRECTED AGAINST TEACHERS
--------------


2. (C) Government schools in the South have been under
increasing scrutiny because of violence against buildings and
teachers (reftel B). Approximately 1,600 teachers (out of
23,693) have transferred out of schools in Narathiwat,
Pattani, and Yala since 2004. To fill the gap the government
has recruited local substitute teachers or has sought other
alternatives. Recently, the MOE announced that they would
install 500 satellite dishes and related equipment in public
schools in order to provide distance learning opportunities
for students. An MOE official acknowledged that government
teachers in rural areas are sometimes targeted by militants
or by villagers reacting to a local arrest or some other
provocation. Prasit Meksuwan, a member of the National
Reconciliation Commission (NRC) and president of the
Federation of the Southern Border Provinces Teachers,
believes that teachers are being targeted in order to shock
Thai society, attract media coverage and demonstrate the
government's weakness. Prasit said that estranged
southerners viewed security forces as symbols of "Siamese"
authority while teachers are seen as symbols of "Siamese"
culture and a source of assimilation.


3. (C) After Buddhist Monks, teachers have traditionally
been accorded the highest respect in Thai culture. Teachers
are given the honorific "arjhan" which conveys a sense of
deep respect and deference. Attacks on teachers are deeply
symbolic and resonate widely among the public. Prasit
believes that militants are targeting teachers - often the
only permanent government official living in rural areas - as
a deliberate strategy to intimidate them into leaving (reftel
D). Mother's Day in Thailand was celebrated on August 12,
the Queen's birthday, and every year the Royal family selects
a mother to be Thailand's "mother of the year." This year's
winner was the mother of the teacher who is in a coma after
being beaten by a group of angry villagers in Narathiwat on
May 19.

OVERVIEW OF EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH
--------------

PRIMARY SCHOOLS


4. (C) Education in Thailand is compulsory for 9 years.
There are 3 years of mandatory secondary education after six
years of primary school. For students wishing to continue the
government provides three more years of upper secondary
education. Schools in southern Thailand are divided between
government schools, private or quasi-private schools (mainly
catering to or supported by the ethnic Chinese community -
reftel C),private Islamic Schools, and Pondok and Tadika
Islamic Schools. Most primary school children in Narathiwat,
Yala and Pattani attend government schools. According to
research by the Australian Embassy, approximately 80 percent
of 225,463 children in grades 1-6 are enrolled in one of the
877 government primary schools administered by the Ministry
of Education (MOE).


5. (C) Private "Tadika" schools provide Islamic education
for students who attend government primary schools (aged
6-12). Tadika classes are usually held on weekends or after
school outside of the government curriculum. In theory, the
MOE helps administer the Tadika schools but in practice,
government involvement appears to be limited. Registered

BANGKOK 00005249 002 OF 002


Tadikas receive a nominal subsidy from the government, but
rely on donations for most expenses. There are no
certification requirements to become a Tadika instructor
beyond "knowledge of Islam," and classes can be held almost
anywhere. According to MOE figures, there are 4,616 teachers
at 1,605 registered Tadikas in the South providing
instruction for approximately 168,418 students.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS


6. (C) The majority of Muslim parents send their children
to government primary schools, where they learn Thai, but
then overwhelmingly decide to continue their secondary
education at an Islamic School. According to the Australian
Embassy, seventy-five percent of 132,183 secondary students
in the three border provinces attend Islamic schools. The
majority attend one of 132 large private Islamic schools
which are registered and supervised by the Bureau of Private
Education Promotion at MOE (there are some 70 additional
small, village-based private Islamic schools). There are
100,684 students enrolled in these schools, which offer a
mixed curriculum of science, English and social studies and
at least 10-12 hours per week of Islamic studies.
Officially, there are 6,596 social science and 3,690
religious teachers at the private Islamic schools. The
largest (which include the Attarkiah Islamiah School in
Narathiwat and the Thammawittahya School in Yala - reftel A)
have more that 4,000 students.


7. (C) Distinct from the private Islamic schools are
"Pondoks" which focus full-time exclusively on Islamic
studies. The total number of Pondoks is hard to determine as
they are often small. According to MOE, there are 372
registered Pondok schools in the South (Pattani has 185, Yala
82, Songkhla 53, Narathiwat 49; Krabi, Pathumthani and Satun
have one each). Since 2004, the MOE has made a renewed
effort to register all Pondoks - offering financial
incentives to schools that comply - but according to official
estimates there are still approximately 240 unregistered
schools (other sources offer different estimates).
Officially, there are 20,369 students attending Pondoks in
the far south.


8. (C) As with Tadikas, there are no established
requirements to be a Pondok teacher beyond "knowledge of
Islam." In practice, almost anyone can establish a Pondok -
all you need is a single room in a house, a few students and
a teacher with a primary school level "Islamic" education.
Because of this the actual total number of Pondoks is
difficult, if not impossible, to determine. Students are not
supposed to enter a Pondok before completing 9 years of
general education, however, this rule is probably often
ignored, especially in rural areas. Historically, a
government effort to assert authority over the Pondoks has
met with strong resistance because the schools are seen as
central to efforts to preserve Islamic and Malay culture and
traditions.
BOYCE