Pheu Thai Leaders Address Concerns After Attack on Hat Yai School

Hat yai: Yotsanu Wongsawat, the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate, expressed his sorrow over the recent attack on Phra Thong Prathankiriwat School in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, which resulted in deaths and injuries. He extended his condolences to the school community and emphasized the need for swift restoration of normalcy. Yotsanu also highlighted the importance of reviewing the incident to enhance school security and offered the Pheu Thai Party's full support to the affected families and school authorities.

According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Linthiporn Warinwacharoj, former Deputy Minister of Education and Deputy Secretary-General of the Pheu Thai Party, shared her thoughts on the tragedy, describing it as a significant loss that undermines the safety of educational institutions. She stressed the need for a thorough examination of policies and structural issues to prevent future occurrences and called for systemic improvements to address these challenges.

Ms. Linthiporn pointed out several critical issues, including inadequate security measures, lack of emergency response plans, and insufficient mental health support within schools. She criticized the current disciplinary approaches that focus more on punishment rather than rehabilitation and collaboration, advocating for a shift towards positive discipline that upholds human dignity and fosters dialogue and mediation.

Furthermore, Ms. Linthiporn emphasized the importance of implementing safety measures, such as employing psychologists or mental health professionals, controlling firearm access, and integrating solutions for drug-related problems within the community. She underscored that these steps are essential to transforming schools into safe havens that cater to the physical, mental, and social well-being of students and staff, ensuring sustainable protection for all involved.