Teachers' Group Slams Welfare Partnership with Brewery, Labels it as an Image and Value Destroyer
Teachers voice discontent over contract offering brewery discounts
In a move met with strong opposition, the "Thai Teachers Against Vice-Based Welfare" network has voiced their disapproval of a questionable partnership between the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel (OTEP) and German Tawandang Brewery Co., Ltd. This controversial collaboration, sealed on May 14, offers teachers and education staff discounts on food and alcoholic beverages, as per OTEP's description of a new welfare initiative.
Chayapa Khunpitikana, the network's coordinator, asserts that this deal sends the wrong message to educators, painting them in a negative light by encouraging access to vices. Such a move risks normalizing alcohol consumption in the teaching profession, Chayapa states[1]. The network argues for more constructive welfare benefits, like discounted medical services, preventive screenings, and other uplifting services[1].
"Normalizing alcohol consumption within the profession undermines the values the Ministry of Education is meant to uphold," Chayapa states. "Instead of offering nightlife perks, the agency should focus on beneficial, professional-enhancing benefits"[1].
In response to the opposition, the network has penned an open letter to the Education Minister, listing four primary concerns[1]:
- The deal threatens educators' ethical image and contradicts long-standing campaigns against vice.
- It may incite alcohol consumption among teachers, resulting in potential health issues, drunk driving, and domestic abuse.
- It sets a poor example for students, increasing the risk of underage drinking.
- It devalues the dignity of the teaching profession, reallocating welfare funds away from essential services to entertainment venues.
The network demands that welfare benefits foster well-being and professional integrity, focusing on healthcare discounts, book subsidies, or transportation support[1].
- TAGS
- Thai Teachers
- MOU
- discounts
- Alcoholic Beverages
- ESG Index
- Ministry of Education
- alcohol
- The Thai Teachers Against Vice-Based Welfare network has criticized an agreement between the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel (OTEP) and German Tawandang Brewery, claiming it inappropriately offers teachers discounts on alcoholic beverages.
- In a joint statement, the network expressed concerns that the deal could normalize alcohol consumption among educators, leading to potential health issues and damaging the profession's ethical image.
- With a focus on more constructive welfare benefits, the network has proposed alternatives such as discounted healthcare services, book subsidies, and transportation support.
- The network encourages the Ministry of Education to consider Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors when entering into such partnership agreements, ensuring that they promote the overall well-being and professional integrity of the teaching profession.
