Why Doesn't Thailand Have Free 12 Years Education

[bangkoksingapore]

Can someone tell me if the next Thai Constitution will allow for free education for Thai children up to age 18? I cant think of a reason why any country on this planet would not have free education.

[howtoescape]

What age is it free to at present?

Edited August 17, 2007 by howtoescape

[Mid]

the current draft to be voted on this Sun , provides for 12 yrs of education ,

as to your question as written , no

reason being the next is yet to be set in stone ......................................................

[endure]

The cynical might suggest that a poorly educated population is easier to manipulate politically and less likely to demand to be given a proper role in the running of their country.

[Mid]

Aye , and the cynical look to mobile phones , pick-up trucks , satellite TV and suggest that Pandora is out of the box .

[qwertz]

And bang goes a source of cheap labour and an important contribution to the family pot.

Only the well heeled families or the dedicated poor ones put their kids into paid schooling.

[shayne]

No

[shayne]

Testing if work

[endure]

Aye , and the cynical look to mobile phones , pick-up trucks , satellite TV and suggest that Pandora is out of the box .

Someone ought to tell the educators that this is so...

[lazeeboy]

the current draft to be voted on this Sun , provides for 12 yrs of education ,

as to your question as written , no

reason being the next is yet to be set in stone ......................................................

lets hope thet put it into action.........

[a2396]

What age is it free to at present?

Yes, does someone know the answer to this? Seems like many Thais have to pay for high school. Correct?

[esbobes]

What age is it free to at present?

In America and EU education is not that good Lets look at all the Farangs here that marry BG.

Most thai will not knowning marry a BG

So now who has better Education. Stop knoocking Thqiland

[canadiangirl]

Can someone tell me if the next Thai Constitution will allow for free education for Thai children up to age 18? I cant think of a reason why any country on this planet would not have free education.

My best guess is that it's a relatively poor country, and many of the resources they do have are squandered by the rich.

It would be nice though, I agree.

[TopDogger]

What age is it free to at present?

Your after facts and figures or assumptions? My guess is 12.

[britmaveric]

What age is it free to at present?

In America and EU education is not that good Lets look at all the Farangs here that marry BG.

Most thai will not knowning marry a BG

So now who has better Education. Stop knoocking Thqiland

[onzestan]

12 years of education starting at age 6 means till age 18 or not ?

onzestan

[canadiangirl]

And bang goes a source of cheap labour and an important contribution to the family pot.

Only the well heeled families or the dedicated poor ones put their kids into paid schooling.

I don't mean to start a big racist generalisation, but some cultures in the third world do seem to value education more than others. My feeling is that these are the ones that have the most chance of emerging out of poverty.

The author of Monsoon country, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize, said that the Thai school system really supported the power structure of a few a rich and many poor, as it encouraged blind obedience too much.

[LookSaMoon]

What age is it free to at present?

Yes, does someone know the answer to this? Seems like many Thais have to pay for high school. Correct?

Free education till Prathom 6, or grade 6, for school under Bangkok Metropolitan.

I am not sure about school that under government, may be the same.

Tuition fee for high school under gov and bma is not more than 1000 bht/ term.

[LookSaMoon]

What age is it free to at present?

No age limit, I think.

Edited August 18, 2007 by LookSaMoon

[toptuan]

In the REST of Thailand (excluding Bangkok) education through grade 12 is free. However, in the upper grades they "nickel and dime" the kids to death for books, clothes, supplies, and many other odds and ends.

One upcountry primary school I visited last week (Ubon Ratchathani province) requires all their students to work in nearby rice fields (owned by the school) in order to earn money to keep the school operating. Yeah, technically free education with a slight flavor of slave labor added to it. Sad to say, the school was quite dilapidated; broken-down stairs, dangerous gaps and rotten floor boards in second-story classrooms, much of the electrical system not operating, etc. Everyone in town acknowledges the problems of corruption throughout the local government system from the "Poo-Bahn" to the school administration. Lots of government money being stolen/hoarded on the backs of Thailand's youth in that neck of the woods.

[ColPyat]

The debate of 12 year mandatory education has been going on for years.

There is a huge problem though with the introduction of that.

Besides that most western countries do not have such a long mandatory education, here in Thailand this is even more difficult. Already now there are far too many drop outs in especially the poor sectors of the country, whose families need these kids to work as soon as they can, usually at the age of 15 nowadays. And that won't change. You will even get a higher rate of drop outs, who have not the necessary qualification to get jobs outside the informal sectors of the labor market, leading to an even higher gap between rich and poor.

As nice as all this sounds, proponents of this ludicrous idea are out of touch with Thai reality.

A far more suitable idea would be to leave the mandatory school years as it is, but improve in quality of schooling within this time frame.

[jasreeve17]

I agree with Toptuan. The system is raped by the few who can.

Within such a country where the corruption will never go way, a paying school system has it's obvious advantages (quality). That doesn't help the masses though...

A paying system supported by low interest loans for students (as is in place) works to an extent here, as it is still affordable to many. I'd like to see free schooling for all at a good standard, but it will not happen here (it doesn't really happen in many countries at all nowadays). The only way to move forward here is in ways that stop the corruption from ruining everyones education. This probably means private sector input...

Edited August 18, 2007 by jasreeve17

[thedi]

The debate of 12 year mandatory education has been going on for years.

There is a huge problem though with the introduction of that.

Besides that most western countries do not have such a long mandatory education, here in Thailand this is even more difficult. Already now there are far too many drop outs in especially the poor sectors of the country, whose families need these kids to work as soon as they can, usually at the age of 15 nowadays. And that won't change. You will even get a higher rate of drop outs, who have not the necessary qualification to get jobs outside the informal sectors of the labor market, leading to an even higher gap between rich and poor.

As nice as all this sounds, proponents of this ludicrous idea are out of touch with Thai reality.

A far more suitable idea would be to leave the mandatory school years as it is, but improve in quality of schooling within this time frame.

Sounds reasonable to me. Especially your thoughts about drop outs.

Rich Thais (and not so rich farangs like myself) send their kids to private schools anyway. Bilangual schools are 200K+/year, International rather 500K+. This is not only profiteering of the school owners. Quality has its price. The Thai government can never afford such schools for everybody.

But the quality of the government schools could and should to be improved. This would have to start with the education of the next generation of teachers. A process that needs many years to show results.

To compete with the world, the whole education system would have to go away from 'authority and respect' to 'independend, critical thinking'. And 'understanding', rather than 'reciting'. I wonder, if this would be compatible with the Thai society...

[WaiWai]

Many of you will have read "Phra Farang" (Foreign Monk) by Peter Pannapadipo, an English man who spent time as a monk here and later set up the Special Education Trust to help poor Thai kids stay in school. Visit their website - thaistudentcharity.org - for more information & to find out how you can help.

Do get hold of the book if you have not already done so (buy your own copy as royalties go to the Trust) - it's excellent reading. I am now looking forward to reading PP's other book, "Little Angels", about the kids who join the temples when family/other social systems cannot provide for them.

[LookSaMoon]

The debate of 12 year mandatory education has been going on for years.

There is a huge problem though with the introduction of that.

Besides that most western countries do not have such a long mandatory education, here in Thailand this is even more difficult. Already now there are far too many drop outs in especially the poor sectors of the country, whose families need these kids to work as soon as they can, usually at the age of 15 nowadays. And that won't change. You will even get a higher rate of drop outs, who have not the necessary qualification to get jobs outside the informal sectors of the labor market, leading to an even higher gap between rich and poor.

As nice as all this sounds, proponents of this ludicrous idea are out of touch with Thai reality.

A far more suitable idea would be to leave the mandatory school years as it is, but improve in quality of schooling within this time frame.

Sounds reasonable to me. Especially your thoughts about drop outs.

Rich Thais (and not so rich farangs like myself) send their kids to private schools anyway. Bilangual schools are 200K+/year, International rather 500K+. This is not only profiteering of the school owners. Quality has its price. The Thai government can never afford such schools for everybody.

But the quality of the government schools could and should to be improved. This would have to start with the education of the next generation of teachers. A process that needs many years to show results.

To compete with the world, the whole education system would have to go away from 'authority and respect' to 'independend, critical thinking'. And 'understanding', rather than 'reciting'. I wonder, if this would be compatible with the Thai society...

We do have excellent government schools but there are a few.

[thedi]

... a paying school system has it's obvious advantages (quality). That doesn't help the masses though...

A school system must fit the society. The Thai society is much more colorful than an average European society. In the village where I live, there are families where all available money is spend on lao kao and gambling. This kids are wild. 9 years old know how to find vegetables in a hedge and how to hunt a bird. It is hard for a teacher to make them sit quiet for an hour. On weekends they take care of the buffaloes or go fishing in the river. They never make any homework.

Do think it would bring something, to make this kids sit in a class room for 12 years?

This is not a question of school fees. Even this families could afford the fees for government-schools. It is more a question of a way of live.

[thedi]

We do have excellent government schools but there are a few.

Thailand is a country with much more different things in it than any other country I saw.

While generalizations are usually wrong in any place, this is especially true for Thailand.

But the problem, that many teachers follow a rather authoritarian style and do not really encourage their students to think critically, is one of the biggest hindrances for the Thai society to converge to a western society - if this would be a goal.

BTW I am not sure, that I would prefer Thailand to converge to a wester society at all. I like Thailand as it is.

[ColPyat]

We do have excellent government schools but there are a few.

There are a few. Access though depends on the right connections, the right patronage, and/or money paid under the table, and often tuition fees for English programs are almost equal to mid level private school fees.

Edited August 18, 2007 by ColPyat

[WaiWai]

A school system must fit the society. The Thai society is much more colorful than an average European society. In the village where I live, there are families where all available money is spend on lao kao and gambling. This kids are wild. 9 years old know how to find vegetables in a hedge and how to hunt a bird. It is hard for a teacher to make them sit quiet for an hour. On weekends they take care of the buffaloes or go fishing in the river. They never make any homework.

Do think it would bring something, to make this kids sit in a class room for 12 years?

Good point. However, education doesn't have to be dull. It can be practical, interesting & relevant to the kids' lifestyle. I think it need not make the kids less "Thai", either, if Thais can take charge of this - you also make a good point there.