Schools in several northeastern provinces along the Cambodian border reopened on Monday after being closed for about a month due to recent armed clashes in the frontier area.
Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools resumed classes as parents sent their children back on Monday morning. The reopening followed the return of evacuees who had been staying in temporary government shelters until December 28.
Among the schools reopening were those in Ban Kruat district of Buri Ram.
Prapassorn Sangkomol, a teacher at Anuban Ban Kruat School, said about 80% of students were back in class on Monday and many appeared excited to return to school.
Sasima Khumsuwan, 52, said her niece was happy to reunite with friends and teachers. She said she was still worried about the impact of the conflict on children’s education, particularly the disruption to her niece’s studies, as the girl was only in first grade and had not yet become fully literate.
In Lahan Sai district of Buri Ram, Pusita Naradee, director of Ban Kok Fuang School, said around 95% of kindergarten and primary-level students reported to class. She believed some parents were still monitoring the situation before deciding whether to send their children back.
Teachers had also conducted safety drills to ensure students knew how to take shelter in case of renewed fighting, she said.
“If an emergency occurs, they won’t panic. They will be able to follow the safety procedures,” Ms Pusita said.
In Si Sa Ket province, food vendors welcomed the return of students, parents and officials to Kantharalak district. Local schools and government offices — their main customer base — had been closed since December 7 because of the border conflict.
Dough-stick vendor Kachornsak Leeratanacharoen said he had been staying at a shelter in central Si Sa Ket since December 7. Conditions in Kantharalak had improved, he said, although concerns over the situation along the border still remained.
School van driver Supansa Promlok, 43, shared similar worries, saying her shuttle service had resumed operations but she was still not fully confident that hostilities had ended.
Tosaporn Khamplew, director of Phum Saron School in tambon Sao Thong Chai of Kantharalak district, said about 90% of students had returned. The school was prioritising morale and safety for both students and teachers, he said.
He added that the school had been hit several times by Cambodian shelling since February 2011, and staff and students were always prepared for evacuation.
At Ban Dan School in Kap Choeng district of Surin, students helped clean school grounds and attended the morning assembly. Teachers led a period of silence in remembrance of soldiers who died protecting local communities and the school.
School director Dechopol Chonlathee said all teachers and about 80% of students had returned after taking shelter elsewhere during the clashes along the border with Cambodia.
