Teen’s tragic death sparks call for school safety investigation
A 14 year old girl died following a motorcycle accident after her school allowed her to leave campus without notifying her guardian, raising concerns about student safety protocols and prompting calls for a formal investigation.
On March 27, the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women received a complaint from a 43 year old aunt, who travelled from Saraburi province carrying a photograph of her niece, referred to as “May” to protect her identity. Foundation chairperson Pavena Hongskul was joined by Doctor Trin Kandokmai, director of the Centre for Happiness and Safety at the Ministry of Education, and Theeradon Srifah, deputy director of the same centre, to hear the family’s concerns.
The incident occurred on February 6, when May attended school as usual. At around 3.20pm, her aunt called her phone, only to have a rescue worker answer and deliver the news. May had been involved in a collision with a van on Mittraphap Road and died before reaching the hospital.
Investigations revealed that May had submitted a handwritten note requesting permission to leave school for personal business with her uncle, which a teacher signed off on. The uncle, however, had no knowledge of any such arrangement. CCTV footage showed May leaving school with a friend to watch a film, contradicting the stated reason on the permission slip. The family questioned why the school had not verified the request with the guardian, despite prior instructions to do so.
May lived with her aunt, who served as her legal guardian. Her father was absent, and her mother was imprisoned. Her aunt had raised her since childhood.
The aunt later approached the school principal to identify the teacher who authorised May’s early departure without contacting the guardian, but received no response. The family was also left without an apology from the school following the funeral.
She also reported an insensitive comment made by a teacher following the incident.
“The child went out to die on her own.”
Pavena expressed condolences to the family and stressed the importance of close supervision for minors. She called on the Ministry of Education to enforce stricter checks before permitting students to leave school premises.
Doctor Trin emphasised the ministry’s commitment, under Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat and Secretary-General Pichet Poopakdee, to ensuring fairness and building public trust through a thorough investigation. The local education office is currently looking into the matter, and the ministry confirmed that students are covered by life insurance, with fair treatment promised to all parties.
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