Bangkok, 14 May 2013, Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry Panita Kamphu Na Ayuthya has instructed the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Education Personnel to seek solution to ongoing problems of teachers being heavily in debts, pointing out the possibility of providing them with low interest loans.
According to Ms. Panita, the campaign aims at combining each teacher’s debts into one lump sum, which would simplify the paying method; adding that initially the yearly interest rate would be around 5%, considerably lower than that of any other loan.
However, the permanent secretary said the scheme will be offered to only teachers whose loans are in default; the welfare office would pay off the loans on behalf of those teachers, who will be obligated to pay the office back with lower interests.
Furthermore, Ms. Panita said the long-term solution for teacher debts is to help them generate more income by, for example, forming groups of teachers and students to produce goods or to participate in OTOP production. Ms. Panita said the Education Ministry would soon assign Office of The Non-Formal Education Commission to provide occupational training to teachers.
Realizing that it is difficult for teachers to reduce their expenses, Ms. Panita said providing them with earning channels would be a better solution to the debt issue.
