OPINION

Amnesty fiasco

Re: "Amnesty's fate hangs in balance," (BP, Feb 16).

The Labour Ministry is considering whether to refuse Amnesty International a new operating licence for failing to comply with legal requirements. What are they? They are not supposed to have a political agenda and take a neutral stance on political issues. How can any organisation which is opposed to dictatorial regimes and fights for social justice and fair societies be politically neutral?

The panel will also consider whether the organisation's activities affected the public's faith in the Constitutional Court, judicial process, laws and the country's image. And if they really close the AI office in Bangkok that would be a great boost to the image of Thailand in the world.

Re: "A practical guide to reopening schools," (Opinion, Feb 15).

First, we must thank the Covid pandemic for bringing very badly needed changes to our educational institutions. For the last century, we have got accustomed to education as a commodity. Families send their children to the best schools hoping that the money will buy good education.

Maybe it is true when students need higher education or specialised training in some domains, such as medicine, engineering and space sciences.

These days, the best learning materials are available online.

For all practical purposes, most students can get basic education at home if the parents are educated themselves or capable of guiding their children on how to study.

It is also a misplaced notion that schools are the only places where students can develop emotional intelligence. Young people can develop such intelligence in their neighbourhood by socialising with the right people.

We have turned schools into cocoons believing they are the best and safest places to learn.

I remember the case of the Gifford family from Washington State (US) who in the 1980s took their children on their yacht to travel around the world.

They visited 30 countries and participated in educational activities wherever they stopped. The children had to write their daily blogs and pretty soon they became big stars and the talk of the nation.

Moral: Schools are not necessarily the best places to bring out the best in young people. Sending children back to rote learning will only harm them and keep them stranded at the lowest rung of Thai society.

Luckily, the Covid crisis has created many new ways for home-schooling, online learning, and hybrid learning. Thai schools are not the best in the world.

The time has come to look into all other options. New approaches to learning should be encouraged and fully utilised.

Re: "TAT launches drive to restore tourism," (BP, Feb 12).

As per usual practice, the brain trust of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has come up with what they undoubtedly think is a very clever name for their new campaign. The acronym for the new programme is "DASH", which supposedly is meant to convey a sense of quick improvement.

Given the government's continued sluggishness in terms of easing entry for tourists and the endless hurdles and regulations discouraging visitors to the kingdom, DASH seems apropos.

Potential tourists are sure to continue dashing to destinations other than Thailand.