A further hearing is scheduled for December where parents of the children are seeking up to ฿5 million in compensation claims against the school whose director initially dismissed complaints against the teacher as a money-making grab but since appears to have altered course.
This week, a Thai provincial court sentenced a kindergarten teacher to over 6 months in prison for beating and abusing children in her care following uproar after a video appeared, this September, which enraged parents and members of the public alike.
The Provincial Court in Thailand’s Nonthaburi province has handed down a six-month jail sentence to a 30-year-old teacher following an explosive online video turning up in which she was seen beating, shoving and bullying young children at a kindergarten school in Bangkok in September.
The court sentenced the teacher to a term of 195 days or six and half months for the offences against the infant students at a hearing earlier on in the week.
Released on bail of ฿49,000
Ornuma ‘Kru Jum’ Plodprong pleaded guilty to the charges in court and was released on bail of ฿49,000 pending an appeal of her sentence.
The incident has led to the families, of seven children involved, seeking compensation against the school concerned, said to total over ฿5 million.
A separate court hearing is scheduled to take place on December 23rd to adjudicate on this claim.
Video showing 30-year-old teacher beating and casually intimidating young children in the classroom
News of the abuse went viral in September when CCTV footage from the school emerged online showing Ms Ornuma, on September 23rd last, casually intimidating the children and repeatedly beating one child on the legs.
She was also recorded pushing and pulling children from a sitting position and placing them in different places in the classroom.
The school in question is Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School in the province of Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Director initially rejected the accusations and pointed to the schools advanced screening of teachers
After the controversy arose, its director, Mr Piboon Yongkamol, appeared to defend the institution pointing to its strict screening criteria for teachers and suggesting that the parents of the children may only be seeking a cash payout.
However, by mid-October, the school had agreed to a refund of fees as parents called for prosecutors to take action in the case and contemplated a class action lawsuit for damages.
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Further reading:
Government seeks 10,000 fluent English speakers to teach in Thai schools in major policy reversal
New Education minister and his deputies face a digital test as Thailand needs more bright minds
