BANGKOK — The tragic Wat Khaophrayasangkaram school bus fire in Lan Sak, Uthai Thani, which claimed the lives of 23 teachers and students, has sparked a public debate about whether school trips or excursion should continue. In addition to the ongoing police investigation, the incident has raised questions about the necessity and safety of school trips.
On October 2, Education Minister Pol. Gen. Permpoon Chidchob instructed the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) to suspend all school field trips. He emphasized that while such activities provide valuable life experiences and learning opportunities outside the classroom, the safety of students during the trip must take priority.
He pointed out that excursions in the future must be carefully considered, including safety inspections of routes, destinations and means of transportation before the trip. In addition, excursions should take into account the age of participants by separating younger and older children to ensure safety.
Pol. Gen. Permpoon was visibly moved and expressed his deep regret over the incident, as did Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who wept at the news. As a mother of two young children, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of addressing the mental health needs of the affected families and called on the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Social Development to provide immediate support.
The Prime Minister said on Wednesday that she has discussed this matter with the Ministry of Transport, and they need to plan together. She emphasized that excursion or field trips are meant to broaden children’s horizons, and they don’t want to address the problem at its end result.
School trips themselves don’t harm children, but poorly maintained or uninspected vehicles are what cause accidents on the roads. The solution must come from the Transport sector in terms of how they will set rules and frameworks. They will use this opportunity to establish a clearer system, including vehicle inspections before departure, especially for long-distance trips.
At the Parliament, the House of Representatives considered an urgent motion to study approaches, provide opinions, and elevate standards for preventing such a incident. Most of the debate focused on the deficiencies in public safety inspections and the consideration of which student levels should be allowed to go on field trips, based on their ability to take care of themselves in emergency situations
Meanwhile, the online community is also debating the causes of the tragedy and whether school trips should be canceled altogether. One side argues that such trips carry too many risks, while the other sees them as important learning opportunities, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
In the tragic bus fire, 137 students aged 6 to 15 and 15 teachers were on a trip to Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya in three busses. The incident occurred on the way to an exhibition organized by the Provincial Electricity Authority in Nonthaburi. The distance from Uthai Thani to Pathum Thani is 264 km.
Preliminary investigation results show that the bus involved in the incident was registered with a license plate dating back to 1970. Although it has since been modified and looks relatively new from the outside, records also show that the authorities were not notified that it had been adapted to run on CNG, despite this change being noted with the insurance company.
The Sing Buri Provincial Transport Office provided information that the gas tanks have been in use for 15 years and will expire in 2026. The emergency door was last inspected on May 23, 2024, and was found to be in good condition and functioning normally. At the time of the incident, at 12:07 p.m., the vehicle was traveling at a speed of 81 km/h.
Key issues under discussion include the appropriateness of taking young children on long-haul journeys and the need for stricter safety measures.
Former Primary Education Commission chairman Ekachai Kisukphan explained that the purpose of field trips is to enhance students’ life experiences, not to take them far away from home.
He questioned the decision to send young students on a trip across the province, especially during the rainy season, and suggested that the field trips be conducted during regular school hours and not during breaks.
In conclusion, Ekachai spoke out against the elimination of excursions, but emphasized that younger children should not travel long distances. He recommended limiting field trips for young children to short trips that should take no longer than half an hour by bus and conducting thorough safety checks before each trip. Schools must also have an emergency plan in place to respond to emergencies while traveling.
He concluded that the Ministry of Education and OBEC should establish clear guidelines for organizing field trips, including taking into account the age of the children and implementing stricter safety protocols.
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