The tragic suicide of a 39-year-old teacher has sparked fierce debate over the Education Ministry’s failure to tackle punishing workloads and structural inefficiencies in Thailand’s state school system.
Anussara Chuanram, an English-language teacher at Ban Bu Nong Tao School in Buri Ram province, was found hanged to death on Monday (June 16).
A note found beside her body described the unbearable pressure she faced from administrative duties, particularly the finance and accounting tasks assigned in addition to her normal teaching responsibilities.
“The extra work became too complicated for me to complete, not just because of my lack of ability but also because of the inefficient, unsystematic system,” the note read.
“Staff kept asking for cash in advance but not everyone provided the necessary documents. It was too stressful. I have been suffering headaches and migraines almost every day,” the note said.
Anussara, who left behind a 10-year-old daughter, also expressed frustration with her colleagues and school executives, accusing them leaving her to struggle with an unmanageable workload.
Her suicide note ended with a poignant plea to the Education Ministry: “Please don’t overburden other teachers and put their lives at risk like mine.”
A persistent, systemic problem
Teachers across the country have long warned that new and younger teaching staff, especially those in small to medium-sized schools, are routinely assigned extra responsibilities related to school finances.
Often, these teachers are left to navigate the complex tasks with little guidance or training. They have no choice but to figure things out themselves by poring over existing records and consulting relevant authorities.
“More often than not, we are asked to make ad hoc payments first and collect the receipts later. However, this violates regulations,” said one teacher tasked with day-to-day school finances.
She explained that these tasks were both time-consuming and exhausting, often requiring trips to bank branches and long hours spent waiting in queues.
“In my case, the nearest bank is about 50 kilometres away,” she said, adding that she was also expected to visit suppliers to settle their bills, manage bookkeeping and submit tax documents.
“Nobody helps me and if anything goes wrong, I’m the one held responsible,” she said. “Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I burst into tears.”
Tanawat Suwannapan, an adviser to a House subcommittee on education, said schools used to hire administrative teachers to handle these tasks, but this practice changed under the education reforms of 1999.
“The post of administrative teacher was eliminated because it does not offer career advancement opportunities,” he explained.
He added that while the Education Ministry aims to have dedicated administrators in every school, funding shortages mean many schools go without them.
Investigation underway
The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) has launched an investigation into the circumstances that drove Anussara to suicide. The final report from the inquiry, which is being conducted by Buri Ram Primary Educational Service Area 1, is expected soon.
“There are more than 30,000 schools across the country. Why are problems at this school so severe that a teacher took her own life?” asked Obec secretary-general Thanu Wongchinda.
Who is to blame?
Tanawat said the Education Ministry officials are well aware of the excessive demands placed on teachers, but they avoid taking action because they don’t want to put their own jobs on the line.
“They are afraid that that pushing hard for change may jeopardise their careers,” he said.
Teachers at public schools spend an average of 83 out of 200 working days each year on non-teaching duties over the past decade, according to a study conducted by the Equitable Education Fund. Nearly 95% of teachers report working more than eight hours a day.
Also, almost half of state-school teachers want the Education Ministry to reduce their administrative burden, an online survey by Rocket Media Lab and the Path to Health Foundation found last year.
Tanawat said school executives often exploit younger schoolteachers by shifting difficult responsibilities on to them.
“Junior teachers report directly to school heads, so it is easy to assign them extra duties since they don’t dare complain,” he said.
Tanawat added that this top-down culture fosters authoritarianism in schools, which harms both educators and students.
“When teachers can’t focus on teaching, the quality of education declines,” he said. In the long run, this erosion will harm Thailand, as the younger generation will not be equipped to contribute meaningfully to the economy.
“This is a really big issue,” Tanawat added.
Call for change
Amid public outcry over Annusara’s death, Thammasat University’s Kor Kan Kru Project has urged authorities to conduct a fair and thorough investigation that determines the root causes and offers sustainable solutions to prevent similar tragedies.
The project called on the Education Ministry to establish a transparent, efficient and accountable system for managing school budgets, finances and supplies.
They said this would not only curb corruption in schools but also halt the inappropriate practice of assigning financial duties to junior teachers.
The group also recommended hiring qualified administrators to manage school finances while also providing appropriate training to school executives and staff.
The Kor Kan Kru Project went on to underscore the urgent need to ensure teachers had access to therapy sessions so they are not left alone to handle stress from heavy workloads.
“Make these services easily accessible and don’t stigmatise those who need support,” it advised.
Meanwhile, Obec’s Thanu said the agency plans to revise educational management guides and operating systems to better suit smaller schools.
“We are working on better online systems so teachers can spend more time teaching and less time on paperwork,” he said.
Sopon Sarum, who chairs a House committee on education, said school executives must also take better care of their staff.
“Recognise teachers when they are performing well and offer support and advice when they are facing challenges,” he urged.
