In a modern and diversified economy, one of the key strategies for rural development should be the promotion of high quality education. Access to primary, secondary and tertiary education will provide rural youngsters with a sound basis for livelihood choice. The UNDP’s 2007 Human Development Report noted the significant advances Thailand has made in providing for universal education: “Thanks to the nine-year compulsory education law and other factors, more children enrol in school, and more stay longer. In 2005, people had an average of 8.5 years of schooling, an increase from 7.6 in 2002″ (p. 7). But there are still significant inequalities in access to schooling. For example, “while almost all students from households in the top income quintile now complete nine years of education, only 80 percent in the bottom quintile do” (p. 7). The spatial dimensions of this inequality are starkly illustrated in the UNDP’s map of its “education index.”
So, what are the various parties contesting the upcoming election promising in relation to education? Here is an initial brief summary of the main education policies (I will add some more detail over the next day or so). As with my previous summary of rural development policies, I make no claims that this list is complete or perfectly accurate. As usual, readers’ contributions are very welcome.
Democrats
• Free education for all Thai children from pre-school to the end of high school.
Phalang Prachachon (PPP)
• Education funds (scholarships?) with repayments later.
Phua Phaendin
• Improve education standards.
Matchimathipatai
• Free education from pre-school to bachelor’s degree in government institutions.
• Provision of rotating funds to schools (50,000 to 150,000 baht).
• Establish education funds (scholarships?) for people with insuffient funds to cover education expenses.
• 1500 baht scholarships for certain categories of monks.
Chart Thai
• Free education and free lunch.
The policy information I have been able to access so far is rather short on detail. As in relation to rural development, Matchimathipatai seems to have the most detailed program. The various commitments to free education are all very well, but without significant investment in schools and teachers, access inequalties are unlikely to be addressed.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Srithanonchai // Dec 4, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Here comes a Christmas surprise: Isarn is the best place to live in in Thailand!
Northeastern region comes top of human security index
ANJIRA ASSAVANONDA
The poverty-stricken northeastern region, known for massive labour migration, has received the highest score in an assessment of human security made by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.
The Composite Human Security Index (CHSI) was assessed by the ministry in 2006 and the results released yesterday.
Deputy Minister Poldej Pinprateep said the assessment covered 10 elements _ housing security, health security, education, employment and income, personal safety, family relations, social support, socio-cultural participation, rights and justice, and political governance.
The index scores were given from 0-1. Scores closer to one indicated high levels of human security.
The Northeast received the highest score with 0.72, followed by the Central Plains region with 0.70, and the North with 0.68.
The lowest score, 0.61, went to the special zone comprising Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.
The individual province that scored the highest for overall human security was Samut Songkram at 0.97, followed by Sing Buri, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen and Phetchaburi.
The province with the lowest score was Pattani, which received 0.13, followed by Si Sa Ket, Ranong, Yala and Nakhon Sawan.
When looking at the index in particular dimensions, the ministry concluded that the highest human security level was enjoyed in socio-cultural participation (0.703), followed by rights and justice (0.702) and then employment and income (0.701).
The lowest score was in politics and good governance (0.68).
In addition, it was found that Bangkok had the lowest score in housing security, while Chaiyaphum scored the lowest in health security.
Satun hit the bottom in the area of education, and Phuket scored the lowest in personal safety.
Asked why the Northeast topped the list, Dr Poldej explained that the assessment was based not only on economic growth but also on other indicators such as the school enrolment rate, employment status, relations among family members, marriage and divorce rates, stress from rights violations and crime rates.
”Judging from all these indicators, it’s not surprising a province like Khon Kaen scored higher than Bangkok in overall human security,” said Dr Poldej.
He said the index would be presented to the cabinet so responsible ministers would have an overview of the country’s human security situation.
”The index will help the authorities know what they need to do about particular elements of human security.
”For example, the public health minister will learn in which areas he needs to work harder at alleviating health problems, and the education minister will know where he needs to focus more on educational assistance,” he said.
”The interior minister will also learn from the area-based index which provinces he needs to pay greater attention to and in which dimensions,” said Dr Poldej.
Bangkok Post, December 4, 2007
2 jonfernquest // Dec 5, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Thanks for the reference to the UNDP report.
The high “human security” index in Isan certainly seems strange in light of:
a. Migration out of the region.
b. Low education index.
c. Dissatisfaction expressed by voting (pro radical change as exemplified by Thaksin)
Maybe what it really means that in light of all the problems they face, family has become even more important in Isan. Family as the last line of defense.
BTW one big education issue at the tertiary level is making universities independent self-supporting entities. Chula was even threatened with this recently.
The biggest problem with this is that it throws universities into the hands of high-level bureaucrat experts-PhDs in “educational management” who wouldn’t know excellence and world-class scholarship, in science, engineering, or the humanities, for instance, if it hit them in the face and who can circumvent term-limit regulations also.
When a university is thrown into self-support mode, there are invetives to build a spa or golf-course or offer popular educational marketing driven degree programs in cosmetic science before even starting a math or philosophy department to create true thinkers actively engaged intellectually, instead of students going just going through the motions. Not to denigrate vocational training, the European or Japanese notion of skilled craftspeople, skilled bakers, welders, precision machinists, really has to be borrowed also. Japanese training programmes are actively doing this. You can even see their ads on BRT.
3 jonfernquest // Dec 5, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Whoops, two mistakes above:
1. there are incentives to build a spa or golf-course
2. You can even see their ads on BTS (the skytrain).
4 david hastings // Nov 2, 2009 at 2:47 am
I just came across this (though 2 year old) blog entry. As a recent resident in Thailand, I find it not surprising at all that the indicators on community strength in Isaan are strong. Isaan people can teach us much on this subject.
The Website noted above is just starting up, so content should be richer in a bit. However, it’s based on the following UN ESCAP working papers:
http://www.unescap.org/publications/detail.asp?id=1345
http://www.unescap.org/publications/detail.asp?id=1308
And has a great deal of respect for the Thailand National HDR discussed in your blog entry (and the comments thereto). It’s worth noting from the data in the HDR that ~2/3 of Thais outside BKK have 6 years of education or less, where the reverse is the case in and around BKK. But the sense of community is so strong in Isaan that it’s difficult for westerners (more subjected to yesterdays nominal “economic” indicators [which rarely note GINI coefficients] or tirades on terrorism, but can’t seem to get a wrap on indicators of societal strengths or weaknesses [like incarceration rates - and progress in getting to the roots of such problems]).
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