Report Thailand Tackles Decline in School Enrolment and Teacher Workload

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) is actively addressing a nationwide drop in student enrolment, which poses challenges for small schools under the existing per-head funding model. This trend, coupled with excessive teacher workloads, necessitates urgent interventions.

 

Acting Sub Lt Thanu Wongjinda, secretary-general of Obec, revealed a student population reduction of nearly 100,000 this year, with numbers falling from 6.4 million to just over 6.3 million. This decline is significant for many schools, particularly smaller ones struggling with limited budgets and resources.

 

In response, Obec is organising a nationwide meeting from July 1–3 with local education area directors. The focus will be on exploring management strategies and support systems for small schools while devising a plan to lighten teachers' non-instructional responsibilities.

 

"Our goal is to allow teachers to concentrate exclusively on teaching," stated Acting Sub Lt Thanu.

 

Teachers are frequently burdened with administrative tasks, such as project management and procurement, areas outside their formal training. A recent tragedy in Buri Ram province, where a teacher took her life due to overwhelming duties, highlighted the urgent need for change.

 

Obec is considering transferring these administrative duties to trained staff. However, challenges remain as many administrative employees require further training, especially in accounting and inventory management.

 

"We are investigating tailored training programmes for school administrative officers. Relieving teachers of these tasks should enhance education quality," explained Acting Sub Lt Thanu.

 

The meeting also addressed safety issues in schools along the Thai-Cambodian border. With 416 schools in this region, ensuring student safety amid rising security risks is a priority.

 

A recent survey found that while 160 schools have access to secure shelters, 230 do not. Acting Sub Lt Thanu instructed the Office of Administration to identify high-risk schools and coordinate with state agencies to provide protective facilities. In the interim, all border schools must conduct emergency drills and designate safety officers for evacuation planning.

 

These initiatives reflect an earnest effort by Obec to bolster Thailand's educational landscape in the face of declining enrolment and teacher workload issues, ensuring a stronger, safer future for both educators and students.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-07-02

 

 

[ikke1959]

Too many schools with too many students ( 50 in a classroom) while other schools have make combined classes... Only because the name of the school is famous, many years ago parents choose for the name. But in reality the smaller schools can do better as a teacher has more time for the kids. The only solution is that students have to go the closest school near their house with not more than 25 kids in classroom and a lot of problems like traffic jam and accidents, and long travel hours for the kids will be solved...instead of driving from Cha Am to Phetchaburi city every day because the name of the school

[dinsdale]

The paperwork workload for teachers is insane. 

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Our goal is to allow teachers to concentrate exclusively on teaching

That's novel

[mfd101]

So the fall in enrolments is caused by what? A population statistic (ie fewer babies being born in the modern world)? Or parents not thinking the effort is worthwhile? Or students not interested? ???

[dinsdale]

26 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

That's novel

As clearly explained in the article the paperwork that teachers are required to complete is so vast it impacts on what teachers are there for and that's to teach. Having said this the problem of overwhelming administrative duties is not unique to Thailand.  

[Gsxrnz]

Declining school enrolments are the first problems to arise when the birth rate is decimated to below 1.0

 

Japan and South Korea discovered this years ago.  

 

It will only get worse - the obvious answer is to convert abandoned schools into retirement homes, so the current ageing generation with one or no children have somewhere to go in their dotage.

 

The declining world wide birth rate is the biggest existential threat to humanity. We can save the whales and the lesser-spotted Albanian woodpecker, but can't save ourselves. 

[sghanchey]

The decline in school enrollments means fewer and fewer school leavers to apply for admission to universities, most of which are struggling with lower numbers in all but the most prestigious disciplines like medicine and engineering where there is already a glut in the market. Closure of some regional campuses is inevitable as the Thai population continues to decline. Allowing refugees from neighboring Burma to apply for permanent residence and/or citizenship would help enormously, but Thailand's strict and frankly xenophobic immigration policy is inflexible, and most people like it that way. Don't dilute "Thainess"!

[sghanchey]

9 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

Declining school enrolments are the first problems to arise when the birth rate is decimated to below 1.0

 

Japan and South Korea discovered this years ago.  

 

It will only get worse - the obvious answer is to convert abandoned schools into retirement homes, so the current ageing generation with one or no children have somewhere to go in their dotage.

 

The declining world wide birth rate is the biggest existential threat to humanity. We can save the whales and the lesser-spotted Albanian woodpecker, but can't save ourselves. 

Good idea- to repurpose school buildings. That is already happening in Japan, where abandoned rural schools are being turned into tourist accomodations so foreigners can experience rural life. 

[Gsxrnz]

Just now, sghanchey said:

Good idea- to repurpose school buildings. That is already happening in Japan, where abandoned rural schools are being turned into tourist accomodations so foreigners can experience rural life. 

 

Just now, sghanchey said:

Good idea- to repurpose school buildings. That is already happening in Japan, where abandoned rural schools are being turned into tourist accomodations so foreigners can experience rural life. 

 

And you can buy a rural house in Japan for the price of a cup of coffee.  Although eventually Japan will be economically forced to ramp up the virtually non-existent immigration just so they have somebody to clean the toilets.

 

Tokyo will look like London, 33% native inhabitants. 

[mfd101]

22 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

Declining school enrolments are the first problems to arise when the birth rate is decimated to below 1.0

And surely that's an opportunity - not to reduce classrooms and teacher training - but to reduce the size of classes so the over-worked teachers can do what (in theory) they are employed to do!

[Srikcir]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

nationwide drop in student enrolment (sic)

Not addressed:

"In 2024, Thailand saw less than 462,240 births, marking a historic low and the first time the number has fallen below 500,000 since 1949. 

Thailand's birth rate has plummeted by 81% over the past 74 years." 

(Google)

No babies, no eventual school enrollments.

[black tabby12345]

If they want every child a teens to attend school, the public education better be free.

 

Thai junior high became free after 1998, still quite a hidden cost to the parents, eg uniforms.

To the low income parents, it impacts a lot.

Young children. grow fast, and they all. outgrow their clothing.

And Thai school  children need 3-4 kinds of clothing; standard, ethnic costume, boyscout, and gymnasium.

 

[StayinThailand2much]

17 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Too many schools with too many students ( 50 in a classroom) while other schools have make combined classes...

 

Correct. About a 1.5% decline in numbers, so instead of 50 students per class, there will only be 48, or 49... 😆 - But yes, (1.5 percent) less money to make for the school directors. Go figure!

[Aussie999]

Need to train admin staff, to do the work that untrained, unqualified, teachers are forced to do....does this make any logical sense to anyone...oh wait, it probably does to those who will down vote me...555

[Andycoops]

The whole system is a complete failure and there is no willingness from the government or the ministry of education and most of all the teachers to change it.

 

The rote system of learning is Neanderthal, the teachers can't cross over into other levels of teaching in their own subjects let alone any other subjects.

 

Thailand falls in the rankings all the time but does absolutely nothing to help the future of the country.

 

A shocking dereliction of duty.

[MarkBR]

On 7/2/2025 at 4:40 PM, snoop1130 said:

File photo for reference only

 

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) is actively addressing a nationwide drop in student enrolment, which poses challenges for small schools under the existing per-head funding model. This trend, coupled with excessive teacher workloads, necessitates urgent interventions.

 

Acting Sub Lt Thanu Wongjinda, secretary-general of Obec, revealed a student population reduction of nearly 100,000 this year, with numbers falling from 6.4 million to just over 6.3 million. This decline is significant for many schools, particularly smaller ones struggling with limited budgets and resources.

 

In response, Obec is organising a nationwide meeting from July 1–3 with local education area directors. The focus will be on exploring management strategies and support systems for small schools while devising a plan to lighten teachers' non-instructional responsibilities.

 

"Our goal is to allow teachers to concentrate exclusively on teaching," stated Acting Sub Lt Thanu.

 

Teachers are frequently burdened with administrative tasks, such as project management and procurement, areas outside their formal training. A recent tragedy in Buri Ram province, where a teacher took her life due to overwhelming duties, highlighted the urgent need for change.

 

Obec is considering transferring these administrative duties to trained staff. However, challenges remain as many administrative employees require further training, especially in accounting and inventory management.

 

"We are investigating tailored training programmes for school administrative officers. Relieving teachers of these tasks should enhance education quality," explained Acting Sub Lt Thanu.

 

The meeting also addressed safety issues in schools along the Thai-Cambodian border. With 416 schools in this region, ensuring student safety amid rising security risks is a priority.

 

A recent survey found that while 160 schools have access to secure shelters, 230 do not. Acting Sub Lt Thanu instructed the Office of Administration to identify high-risk schools and coordinate with state agencies to provide protective facilities. In the interim, all border schools must conduct emergency drills and designate safety officers for evacuation planning.

 

These initiatives reflect an earnest effort by Obec to bolster Thailand's educational landscape in the face of declining enrolment and teacher workload issues, ensuring a stronger, safer future for both educators and students.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-07-02

 

 

Teachers should do only admin pertaining to the teaching of their subject.  All these extraneous admin duties are just to save money so as to not pay someone.

But is not the education budget very large? 

Rhetorical question - where is all the money going?