A network of parents yesterday lodged a complaint with the Education Ministry over collection of fees by 200 government schools, claiming it is in violation of the laws and the government's policy regarding free 15-year compulsory education.
Khomthep Praphayont, head of the Network of Parents for Justice in Education, said th e schools' explanation-that they utilised a ministerial regulation in June 2008 to collect the fees - was not lawful, because the regulation was never published in the Royal Gazette, thus making it not officially effective.
He said if the collection of money was later ruled unlawful, all schools - mostly renowned ones based in Bangkok and the larger provinces - that had collected fees totalling around Bt40 billion in the past three semesters, would need to return the money to parents who had paid out.
Khomthep said he had lodged a complaint with the Central Administrative Court asking it to stop the schools from collecting the money, but his case was dropped on legal technicalities. He said he would soon lodge another complaint asking the court to issue an injunction ordering the schools to stop the collecting.
"This is an important issue that has affected parents across the country," he said.
Upon receiving Khomthep's complaint, Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisith said he would order an investigation into the matter.
Saneh Khaoto, a deputy secretary-general of the Office of Basic Education Commission, said the National Education Act allowed schools to "mobilise resources from parents with their consent. But the parents and the schools may understand the term 'resources' differently," he added.
"Schools can collect money from parents in supplementary services in categories allowed in an OBEC regulation issued in February this year," he said, without giving further details.