Final examinations for basic education schools will be held in the last week of March starting next year, Minister for Education U Myo Thein Gyi said at a curriculum meeting for Grade 6 at Kamayut Teachers Training College on Sunday.

Until now, the exams have been held in the last week of February and the months from March to May have been summer holidays. With the new schedule, summer holidays will only last two months, and parents are complaining about it.

However, the Ministry of Education hasn’t officially announced the change to the summer schedule.

“The news was covered by the media, though the ministry hasn’t made an official announcement. We haven’t received any instructions yet,” said one education official.

Despite the debate, the ministry’s official timetable states that children have to be taught until the end of March, and the summer school break should be only 60 days.

“We already have a curriculum planned for teaching till the end of March, but insufficient classrooms and difficulties in seating students for the matriculation exam caused us to decide to close schools earlier,” said one retired education official.

“Thailand has air-conditioned classrooms and its classes don’t have 50 or 60 students like in Myanmar. It is not good for children and teachers to go to school in the summer. Rather than saying ridiculous things while sitting in air-conditioned rooms, officials should be making things better for parents, teachers, and students,” said one parent, who wished to remain anonymous.

Although the plan might work in cities, rural areas would have problems, as there are not enough classrooms, money and teachers, said the retired official.

Basic education schools enrol students at the end of May and schools open on June 1.