Thai school holidays

[Nomad]

Looks like changes are on the way for Thai school holiday dates.

BANGKOK, 27 February 2013 (NNT) – Schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) will shift its opening term from May 16th to June 10th of every year, starting next year to coincide with schools in other ASEAN countries.

The OBEC revealed that Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana has signed the agreement for the shift of school calendar, which will take effect from the 2014 academic year.

สำนักข่่าวแห่งชาติ : School term to shift by a month to coincide with schools in ASEAN

What I'm talking about is that next year, it's going to be a long summer.... a very long summer. Schools will be finishing in early March as usual but the new school year won't begin until mid-June.

Summertime blues | Ajarn Guests | Teaching English in Thailand

If you come across any any links to government sites with actual start and end dates for all terms, it would be appreciated.

 

[Zablive]

^^^^
As I understand it there are no uniform term start/end dates.
They seem to be determined by each School Principal - and notified with short notice.
That is my experience here in Phuket with two different schools.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

^^^^
As I understand it there are no uniform term start/end dates.
They seem to be determined by each School Principal - and notified with short notice.
That is my experience here in Phuket with two different schools.

i think the key is to know if the school falls under OBEC, because from this article, it seems it may become more uniformed?
it will be very welcomed, because it is annoying not knowing when their break starts.

EDIT- from reading it, seems like OBEC only governs the free schools? or public schools?

i will have my wife call the school and ask if they fall under OBEC but it is a private school, so may not. I hope so because we are planning him coming for at least his school break and the extra time would be great

 

[Nomad]

^^^^
As I understand it there are no uniform term start/end dates.
They seem to be determined by each School Principal - and notified with short notice.
That is my experience here in Phuket with two different schools.

Yes, and seems to be a State Secret!!!

I have experienced the same re slight differences in actual dates, yet I think it may be anchored around the official dates, thus why I was hoping to find out the official dates.

Hoping that it will be a 3 month break to tie in with another visa.

 

[MarcTwoSix]

OPEC(Private schools) actually made the announcement before OBEC, so that answers my question

well, still don't know what his school falls under but looks like both starting June 10

 

[MarcTwoSix]

Yes, and seems to be a State Secret!!!

I have experienced the same re slight differences in actual dates, yet I think it may be anchored around the official dates, thus why I was hoping to find out the official dates.

Hoping that it will be a 3 month break to tie in with another visa.

i think the end of term will always still fluctuate, just as it has done before
whereas the start of the term will be uniformed

works for us, we were giving it a week leeway for him finishing this next term but now gives him now 2 months in Canada, whcich is great

 

[Nomad]

i think the end of term will always still fluctuate, just as it has done before
whereas the start of the term will be uniformed

works for us, we were giving it a week leeway for him finishing this next term but now gives him now 2 months in Canada, whcich is great

Do you have an end of term date as yet?

 

[MarcTwoSix]

Do you have an end of term date as yet?

for this term, yes.
but it is next term that we are concerned about because that is the long break and when we plan him coming to Canada
my MIL thinks about March25 and we want to spend a week with her/him in Thailand and some leeway so we planned heading back to Canada Apr 6

the odd thing is these teacher forums are saying the new terms don't even match up with the other ASEAN countries! brings it closer but doesn't match it

 

[Nomad]

Just came across this published 10 October. Not sure if it is the latest status.

School term dates to stay unchanged
Published: 10 Oct 2013 at 07.33
Online news: Local News
.
School terms will stay as they are, despite a push to bring term start dates in line with the Asean norm.

Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng on Wednesday said he has told schools to stick with the status quo.

He made the decision even though 27 universities under the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT) have announced they will change their term dates to synchronise with universities in Asean countries.

The CUPT had agreed to start their first term around August and the second term in January.

The ministry on Wednesday raised the matter in talks with school executives, who agreed not to follow the CUPT's example.

The first school term runs from May 16-Oct 11 and the second term from Nov 1-April 1.

Mr Chaturon said Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) students will graduate in early April, which will give them four months to prepare themselves before universities start their first term.

School term dates to stay unchanged | Bangkok Post: news

 

[MarcTwoSix]

Just came across this published 10 October. Not sure if it is the latest status.





School term dates to stay unchanged | Bangkok Post: news

good to know
thanks


on another note, i found it outright bizarre they do their parent-teacher conference on Sunday at 7am
i guess so many parents work through Saturday, but that is rough

 

[Mick]

Just came across this published 10 October. Not sure if it is the latest status.





School term dates to stay unchanged | Bangkok Post: news

Pretty much as it is.

Schools and tech / vocational colleges are continuing with the terms as they have long been……. two terms with the "summer" break being in the March - May period, and a short break about October.

Some universities are changing to synchronise with other ASEAN countries. Others, such as the Rajabhats, will continue with the traditional Thai terms. Being responsible for much / most of the teacher training, they are more or less tied to the school year.

All in all, a bit of a compromised shambles in the making.

But then for the too many hours each day that Thai kids spend at school, most don't really manage to get much beyond basic rote learned literacy and a bit of indoctrination…. Many have learned all the education system is going to teach them by the age of 12…… at high school failure is not allowed, so they don't really have to learn anything.

 

[Nomad]

First time I have seen something written in a definitive way, albeit it can still differ between schools

School Term dates at a glance

School year 2013-2014
Term 2: October 21 2013 – March 12 2014
Half term break: December 21 2013 – January 5 2014

School year 2014-2015
Term 1: May 19 2014 – September 26 2014
Half term break: July 12– 20 2014
Mid-year break: September 27 – October 19 2014
Term 2: October 20 2014 – March 17 2015
Half term break: December 20 2014 – January 4 2015

School Calendar | Panyaden School

 

[MarcTwoSix]

First time I have seen something written in a definitive way, albeit it can still differ between schools




School Calendar | Panyaden School

those are decent half term breaks, i've never heard of that in Thailand in either the village schools my niece goes to or the private school my step-son goes to

 

[Hatari]

^ our town government school runs to 27 March this term
or so they say . . . last year, school went back on a Thursday early May, on Friday kids came home saying the following week was a holiday.
Teachers found out that day too - tough for them (as well as parents who now had to arrange another week of daycare) as many teachers had traveled to home/family provinces for the Songkran break and 'lost' the extra week they could have had away/holidaying.
A school administrative decision, not to be questioned!

3 govt schools near us - not uncommon to see some kids off to school same day as others are on holiday.
The Chaos Theory of Education?
A calendar and some darts?

 

[Nomad]

those are decent half term breaks, i've never heard of that in Thailand in either the village schools my niece goes to or the private school my step-son goes to

The break for PJ in Dec/Jan coincided with the dates above. I was p!ssed because I would have arranged a short holiday if I knew earlier than the day before!

 

[Chob]

^^^^
As I understand it there are no uniform term start/end dates.
They seem to be determined by each School Principal - and notified with short notice.
That is my experience here in Phuket with two different schools.

This is our experience as well - even to the point of my tg and her grand daughter returning back at 8am as school decided to shut for 'about a week' !
It is a pain not knowing.

Further , Im of the belief that Australian States changed to misaligning their vacation periods , easing pressure on all forms of transport and holiday accommodations , and lengthening businesses high seasons .
Aligning with other countries to form massive Asian 'peak holiday period' would sound counter-intuitive -
so Im guessing that is what Thailand will be doing ... 555
Attached files

 

[MarcTwoSix]

This is our experience as well - even to the point of my tg and her grand daughter returning back at 8am as school decided to shut for 'about a week' !
It is a pain not knowing.

Further , Im of the belief that Australian States changed to misaligning their vacation periods , easing pressure on all forms of transport and holiday accommodations , and lengthening businesses high seasons .
Aligning with other countries to form massive Asian 'peak holiday period' would sound counter-intuitive -
so Im guessing that is what Thailand will be doing ... 555

Canada seems like this
different schools have different breaks
the States is strictly uniform, all the same

 

[Nomad]

Looks like PJ's school isn't going to break till late March due to the protests, even though they are already doing Saturdays. Grrrrr

 

[Nomad]

grrrrrr School had told us they were starting again on 30 April. Now they tell us 18 May. grrrrrr

 

[Hatari]

^ our town government school runs to 27 March this term
or so they say . . .

or so I was told

reality was Wednesday 12 March was last day for junior school, senior students - don't know.
Neither is a return date confirmed . . . 'contact school late April'