Demand for places at 35 secondary schools in the city's edu-cation area 2 outstrips places at schools.

The area office is attempting to place students in other schools, its director said. It has three alternatives, Suriyon Wasombat said.

Pupil numbers at 448 Matha-yom 1 classes at the 35 schools will be increased from 40 to 50.

But this still leaves about 6,000 students with no school.

Education area 2 is the most problematic in the country. It has an inadequate number of schools and is home to many school-age children as a result of rapid growth in housing and the open?ing of Suvarnabhumi Airport.

There are about 34,000 Mathayom 1 pupils looking for places for the coming term. There is room for 17,850. However, as many as 10,000 will attend private schools or schools in other areas.

Suriyon explained Bangkok Me-tropolitan Administration schools could accommodate 1,000 pupils.

"We will ask the Office of the Basic Education Commission for permission to increase class sizes to between 55 and 60 and add additional classrooms at 10 potential schools," he said.

That still leaves 3,000 pupils without a school.

Suriyon said a new school in the Suwinthawong Road area could take some of the overflow. However, the school has not been finished yet. It will use temporary classrooms and borrow teachers from nearby schools in the meantime.

In addition, 12,000 pupils from other areas applied to popular area 2 schools.

"I can say students from all provinces of the country except Mae Hong Son came to us," Suriyon explained.

 In the long term Suriyon said approval would be sought for between four and five new schools in the Chaeng Wattana, Ram-Indra and Min Buri Road areas.

 Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an said more schools were needed urgently and he would seek money to pay for them from the Cabinet.

 "It's basic education so we have to promise every student a place in a school," he said.

Chatrarat Kaewmorakot

Supinda na Mahachai

The Nation