Education Cited As A Key To Easing Problems In The Southern Border Provinces

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Education Cited as a Key to Easing Problems in the Southern Border Provinces

BANGKOK, 16 May 2013 (NNT) – Education has been cited as a key to success in resolving problems in the southern border provinces, restoring peace, and helping in local development.

The Secretary-General of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, stressed the importance of educational development in strengthening the southern border provinces. Many local community leaders and religious leaders also share the view that education will lead to a sustainable solution to the southern unrest that has continued for nine years now.

Police Colonel Tawee said that the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center has a mission of developing the quality of life of residents in the deep South through education, religion, and culture in accordance with the local way of living. He hailed Yala Community College in Yala province for its seminar held on 13 May 2013 to discuss the role of students in tackling conflicts in a multicultural society. He said that although the seminar was a small activity, it reflected ways of thinking to ease the unrest in the southern border provinces through the participation of students. Efforts to ease southern problems need the participation of people in all dimensions.

Yala Community College is a state college under the supervision of the Office of the Higher Education Commission, Ministry of Education, but it is managed by the public and private sector joint committee. It was established in 2004 by a Cabinet resolution, as part of the Government’s policy on the development of the southern border provinces. The college offers both diploma programs and short-term vocational courses in response to the local demands. More than 70 percent of the people in Yala are Muslim.

Thailand’s National Education Act stipulates that individuals, families, communities, and social and religious institutions, including non-governmental organizations, shall have the right to provide basic education and shall be entitled to equitable benefits given by the Government. The Muslim youth in Thailand thus have the full liberty to study Islam from a young age in programs offered by various Islamic entities.

Young Muslim Thais in the South are usually enrolled in the pre-school development center (rawdah) run by local mosques. After that, they are enrolled at a center for religious and ethics training (tadika), also run by the local mosques. At the primary and secondary school levels, Muslim Thais are able to choose between attending regular schools, or private Islamic schools (pondok or ponoh), or private schools that offer instruction in both religious studies and regular subjects.

At the university level, the Government established the College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, in Pattani province in 1988. Later, in 1998, a private Islamic college was set up in Yala province. Currently, the Government, in collaboration with the Al Azhar University of Egypt, plans to establish another Islamic university in Narathiwat province.

A number of Thai Muslim students receive government scholarships from Muslim countries to pursue their studies abroad, as well, in places such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Yemen, and Kuwait.

The Thai government sees the necessity of providing greater educational opportunities for young people in the southern border provinces, so that they are equipped with both vocational training and religious knowledge. It also emphasizes efforts to provide greater employment opportunities for local people as a way to help develop society.


-- NNT 2013-05-16

[JetsetBkk]

It is also the "key" to solving most of the country's problems.

[Bagwan]

Er. Um. Don't Muslim kids attend madrasahs? Are they not indoctrinated at an early age? Would the mullahs countenance the reshaping of the school syllabus?

[Aussie Paul]

1. The conflict in the south is not 9 years old: It has been going on for over five hundred years.

2. The only education respected by most communities in the south is an Islamic one ie memorising the Koran and all that goes with it - this has a great inhibition on emploment another factor in the marginalisation of Islamic communities esp Islamic youth.

3. At government schools in the south, every morning (as across the whole of Thailand) the pupils/students must attend the flag raising and honour chart (country), satsanna (religion - specifically Buddhism), and Phramahakasat (the king). Thai Muslims do not recognise the authority of the state over them so cannot in conscience acknowledge 'chart', they cannot honour any religion but Islam, so out goes number 2, and as they can't accept 1 & 2, they can't accept the Buddhist King of the 'occupying power' ie #3.

So how does the Thai state propose that education in the governemt system be reorganised to accommodate the rejection of the basic daily "opening ceremony" and the necessary changes to curriculum to accomodate local needs and beliefs of what constitutes 'education'? It is no accident that teachers are often victims of militants. They represent the 'occupying power'.

Just saying.

[Halion]

Education, the corner stone of this great nation.!! They have known this for years and that is why the priveledged send their siblings to private schooling as a Thai education simply sucks.

[attento]

Education for all is essential in any modern society. But education itself wont stop terrorism, just create educated terrorists.

What you teach, how it is taught and by whom.

The problems of the south are cultural, religeous, tribal, poverty, not simply lack of education.

Maybe better education of those trying to resolve this matter would help.

Edited May 16, 2013 by attento

[lemonjelly]

1. The conflict in the south is not 9 years old: It has been going on for over five hundred years.

2. The only education respected by most communities in the south is an Islamic one ie memorising the Koran and all that goes with it - this has a great inhibition on emploment another factor in the marginalisation of Islamic communities esp Islamic youth.

3. At government schools in the south, every morning (as across the whole of Thailand) the pupils/students must attend the flag raising and honour chart (country), satsanna (religion - specifically Buddhism), and Phramahakasat (the king). Thai Muslims do not recognise the authority of the state over them so cannot in conscience acknowledge 'chart', they cannot honour any religion but Islam, so out goes number 2, and as they can't accept 1 & 2, they can't accept the Buddhist King of the 'occupying power' ie #3.

So how does the Thai state propose that education in the governemt system be reorganised to accommodate the rejection of the basic daily "opening ceremony" and the necessary changes to curriculum to accomodate local needs and beliefs of what constitutes 'education'? It is no accident that teachers are often victims of militants. They represent the 'occupying power'.

Just saying.

Schools in the south hold prayers for both muslims and buddhists at every morning assembly.

<The only education respected by most communities in the south is an Islamic one ie memorising the Koran and all that goes with it > ....... utter nonsense

Edited May 16, 2013 by lemonjelly

[Frank James]

Has Thailand ever given serious consideration to just cutting the Muslim South loose? It seems that this troubled region would be a better fit for Muslim Malaysia.

[hellodolly]

Has Thailand ever given serious consideration to just cutting the Muslim South loose? It seems that this troubled region would be a better fit for Muslim Malaysia.

The Muslim Malaysia dosen't want them. They have their own problems.

All they need is to nationalize terrorists.

[harryfrompattaya]

I am sorry to say with more education the bombs will be bigger

IE England and the United States the record has show that the more schooling one has the better the bomb.

[NeverSure]

Ah yes, education. Teach everyone to play nice.

[JeffreyWitty]

I am sorry to say with more education the bombs will be bigger

IE England and the United States the record has show that the more schooling one has the better the bomb.

For some kids - sure - but as most kids get smarter, they realize that eating bacon, drinking booze, and getting laid NOW is more fun than in "heaven" with their "72 virgins"

Its FAR more commonplace to get an ignoramus to blow himself up than an educated individual.

[simple1]

Has Thailand ever given serious consideration to just cutting the Muslim South loose? It seems that this troubled region would be a better fit for Muslim Malaysia.

Yes their has been suggestions regarding some form of autonomy for the deep South, but not a seperate State. However some instutions, such as the military, have for the moment, rejected the precept of autonomy.

[Travelman868]

1. The conflict in the south is not 9 years old: It has been going on for over five hundred years.

2. The only education respected by most communities in the south is an Islamic one ie memorising the Koran and all that goes with it - this has a great inhibition on emploment another factor in the marginalisation of Islamic communities esp Islamic youth.

3. At government schools in the south, every morning (as across the whole of Thailand) the pupils/students must attend the flag raising and honour chart (country), satsanna (religion - specifically Buddhism), and Phramahakasat (the king). Thai Muslims do not recognise the authority of the state over them so cannot in conscience acknowledge 'chart', they cannot honour any religion but Islam, so out goes number 2, and as they can't accept 1 & 2, they can't accept the Buddhist King of the 'occupying power' ie #3.

So how does the Thai state propose that education in the governemt system be reorganised to accommodate the rejection of the basic daily "opening ceremony" and the necessary changes to curriculum to accomodate local needs and beliefs of what constitutes 'education'? It is no accident that teachers are often victims of militants. They represent the 'occupying power'.

Just saying.

The Taliban in Pakistan state that Democracy is un Islamic. Islam accounts for most of the world's terrorism

so if these kids in the South are getting all their education from Mullahs what are they being taught?

[simple1]

@Travelman868: I would assume the majority of the Muslim children will be attending Thai government schools. Note the Thai Royal Family sponsors a number of schools for Thai Muslim children in the deep South. Also the Royal Family have funded the translation of the Koran to Thai.

I do not know the detail of out of government school education in the deep South, but here in Pattaya the Thai Muslim children generally attend the mosque for a few hours after school for study of Islam and the Koran, plus on a Saturday. From my personel experience Thai Muslims in Pattaya are proud to be Thai.

As times passes by their is a significant risk some of the Thai Muslim youth in the deep South will become radicalised as authorities claim to have identified radical overseas Muslim elements gaining more influence. I have no idea what the Thais are doing to counter this threat.

For those interested another detailed analysis on the deep South at:

http://www.ndu.edu/inss/docuploaded/Strategic%20Perspectives%206_Abuza%20.pdf