Thailand's educational spending highest in the world
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Jan 9 – Thailand’s spending on education, representing 4 per cent of gross domestic product or 20 per cent of the national budget, is the highest in the world, according to research findings by Mahidol University.

The National Children and Family Development Institute which conducted the study on Thailand’s educational system concluded that spending on fundamental education is as high as Bt35,000 per person per year while parents have to pay on average Bt25,000-35,000 per student each year for added extras.

Despite the high expenditure, the country’s educational gap--the delivered performance--remains wide and in need of improvement.

Study hours for Thai students are five times more than countries such as the US and Canada where students spend 600-700 hours in classes while Thai students 2,000-3,600 hours.

Despite the state’s high spending on education and extra classes for children, Thai students' learning proficiency is rather low.

Suriyadev Tripati, institute director, called for education reform in short, middle and long terms, changes in teaching methods and evaluation systems while education courses must be developed in accord with human proficiency in the 21st century.

In the long run, Thailand’s human resources must be developed so that people become the brains of the nation, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-01-09

I though this was an article from the daily currant when I first saw the headline.

wouldnt be surprized if it is the truth but it just goes to show how much of it is going into peoples pockets/bank accounts as it is certainly not getting through to the schools. Like most financial deals in this country the people suffer as the top dogs get to pocket most of the money, another reason Thailand needs to have honest government and open financial policies so the people can see exactly where akll this money is going..

...someone is not getting their money's worth...

speechless..

Someone needs a refund

wouldnt be surprized if it is the truth but it just goes to show how much of it is going into peoples pockets/bank accounts as it is certainly not getting through to the schools. Like most financial deals in this country the people suffer as the top dogs get to pocket most of the money, another reason Thailand needs to have honest government and open financial policies so the people can see exactly where akll this money is going..

I think so many of us find it easy to lay much blame with government. But, I think we fail to acknowledge that the core problem is with the entire society. The politicians are but a reflection of the nation's character.

When one puts all the big stats together, a rather embarrassing and grim picture of Thai society becomes clear.

It's a complete mess.

This includes the cost of the tablets, yes?

Thailand's educational spending highest in the world

That would mean their productivity is the lowest in the world

No you mean,... the REAL investment in Brainwashing of children in Thailand from a young age on, continues...

a big f....... up anyway

Personally I find anachronistic (and expensive!) the need of 3 different uniforms (gym, scout/army and normal day) with cleaned spare and the relative expensive and low quality shoes..

How a poor family can afford this expense?

And, IMHO, but just mine, uniforms at school are so much North Korea style...

Thailand has an extremely high number of private schools, so this is not just a reflection on the gov't, although the Ministry of Education needs to take a very serious look at it's curriculum and how it is implemented. Especially how it is implemented.

More of the same is not needed.

Personally I find anachronistic (and expensive!) the need of 3 different uniforms (gym, scout/army and normal day) with cleaned spare and the relative expensive and low quality shoes..

How a poor family can afford this expense?

And, IMHO, but just mine, uniforms at school are so much North Korea style...

I'm with you on the uniform. I have three sons and they can't

share gym or scout or school uniforms as they have their

names embroidered on the bloody things.

Thailand has an extremely high number of private schools, so this is not just a reflection on the gov't, although the Ministry of Education needs to take a very serious look at it's curriculum and how it is implemented. Especially how it is implemented.

More of the same is not needed.

A major clear-out of the bloated bureaucracy would be a start. Many of them seem to exist to enforce ( or not as the case may be) meaningless rules and policies). Teacher training reform needs to be a priority. Curriculum ...where to start?

Thailand's educational spending highest in the world

I would therefore conclude that Thai's are the smartest people in the world.

Thailand has an extremely high number of private schools, so this is not just a reflection on the gov't, although the Ministry of Education needs to take a very serious look at it's curriculum and how it is implemented. Especially how it is implemented.

More of the same is not needed.

A major clear-out of the bloated bureaucracy would be a start. Many of them seem to exist to enforce ( or not as the case may be) meaningless rules and policies). Teacher training reform needs to be a priority. Curriculum ...where to start?

Or, start with an even more fundamental change which might be ceasing the nationalism nation building nonsense and to open up, join the global community and acknowledge that it's OK to ask for help from the outside.

They have absolutely wonderful examples in Singapore, Shanghai and even Malaysia to a lesser degree of what can be achieved with education reform. And with Singapore and Malaysia being culturally closer to Thailand than Finland, UK, US, ect., they don't have to waste energy agonising over imperialism and anti colonial/western time wasting.

The entire society needs to grow up and admit error and ask for help to improve. And, the help would preferably be lead by those who were not reared in the Thai system.

Thailands spending on Education ..QUOTE .... 20 per cent of the national budget, ..... ????? Love to see a comprehensive and TRANSPARENT Costing and Expenditure report on that one !! .....

Senior positions in the MOE (central and regional) and educational institutions are very hotly contested.

Well they are certainly not getting their bang for the bahht and finally a subject that most of us would agree upon!

Sure, this is possibly correct. but how much is really going to the students education and how much is going to other projects like the tours that are organized by schools for the teachers recreational period, traveling on 5 star buses, staying in the best hotels, eating the most expensive meals, etc. etc. and what about the students outings that cost thousands, but are only worth about 30% of the value? and the loaded maintenance bills? sometimes loaded up to 200%, and the false cash-slips presented for refund from the teachers? Not to mention the directors cut for his overseas trips expensive entertainment and other pet projects. and the luxury cars and houses owned by school accountants, and other staff members that far suppress their income? one could go on and on, but nothing will happen because nobody really cares about educating the younger generation, Why? because it is easier to control uneducated masses then educated one's. its all a big farce.

"Study hours for Thai students are five times more than countries such as the US and Canada where students spend 600-700 hours in classes while Thai students 2,000-3,600 hours."

Lets look:

52 Weeks have a year.
12 weeks are vacation
40 weeks lectures * 5 days a week = 200 days

3600 / 200 = 18 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 2am after midnight)
2000 / 200 = 10 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 6pm)

average = 14 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 10pm)
average = 70 hours per week.

I do not know what they are doing in the classes, but I doubt the data base and the validity of data collection too.
In Ramkhamhaeng (the largest university in Bangkok) and generally in Bangkok,i see every day oodles of students on the streets,
- shopping, in cinemas, in restaurants and in the evening in discos and pubs.-
No way that they study day per day, spending 14 hours in classes.

20% of State Budget for education?
If this is true, than we have here maybe another rice school scam.

I believe they mean it's highest in terms of percentage of government spending, not in terms of actual dollars spent per student.

They say education amounts to 20% of the government spending, which is indeed high. But government spending in TH is less than 20% of GDP, a very very low figure in international comparison:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_spending#As_a_percentage_of_GDP

...someone is not getting their money's worth...

Apparently someone higher up is though....

What a farce to be honest. The money is certainly not filtering down to the grassroots level, as I am sure teachers who work in the government system will attest. I was speaking a couple of days ago with one of my staff, and they were saying that they were hoping that their son will pass the entrance exam for Mattayom at the local government school, otherwise they'll have to pay money for him to attend. They even said, that the money just goes directly into the pockets of the administration.

I hold that the single largest problem in education in Thailand is that everyone passes. It lets the schools hide student performance. Many parents would be amazed if they saw how little their children did in school, and almost as many would not care. Worse, there is an Asian mindset that in public schools, if a child fails, the student is at fault. In private schools, if the child fails, it is the teacher's fault. Thailand's solution was, okay, everyone passes. It has not always been this way. I was told the free pass system is less than tweenty years old. Teachers should only be required to maintain a predictable curve of successes, modified for each class -- some classes are smarter than others.

When I was in grade six, if I realized I could nothing and still pass, nothing is exactly what I would have done. That's about when the students lose enthusiasm for learning here, and the clever ones pick up on it as early as grade three. There is simply no reward for performance.

"Study hours for Thai students are five times more than countries such as the US and Canada where students spend 600-700 hours in classes while Thai students 2,000-3,600 hours."

Lets look:

52 Weeks have a year.

12 weeks are vacation

40 weeks lectures * 5 days a week = 200 days

3600 / 200 = 18 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 2am after midnight)

2000 / 200 = 10 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 6pm)

average = 14 hours per day spend in classes (from 8am morning to 10pm)

average = 70 hours per week.

I do not know what they are doing in the classes, but I doubt the data base and the validity of data collection to.

In Ramkhamhaeng (the largest university in Bangkok) and generally in Bangkok,i see every day oodles of students on the streets,

- shopping, in cinemas, in restaurants and in the evening in discos and pubs.-

No way that they study day per day, spending 14 hours in classes.

20% of State Budget for education?

If this is true, than we have here maybe another rice school scam.

Agreed, even 2,000 hours is unlikely. From the hub of bogus self-serving propaganda, the one possible truth is that education consumes 20% of the national budget - in terms of cash or GDP Thailand is nowhere near the top.

Couldn't find anything on the OECD's education website - yes, I know, Thailand is not in the OECD but they often include other countries - but here is some data from the World Bank: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS

The last year of data has it at over 29%! Indeed, Thailand is up there with the likes of Burundi and Moldova, however, Singapore also spends about 20% of public spending on education: what a difference in outcomes though!

I hold that the single largest problem in education in Thailand is that everyone passes. It lets the schools hide student performance. Many parents would be amazed if they saw how little their children did in school, and almost as many would not care. Worse, there is an Asian mindset that in public schools, if a child fails, the student is at fault. In private schools, if the child fails, it is the teacher's fault. Thailand's solution was, okay, everyone passes. It has not always been this way. I was told the free pass system is less than tweenty years old. Teachers should only be required to maintain a predictable curve of successes, modified for each class -- some classes are smarter than others.

When I was in grade six, if I realized I could nothing and still pass, nothing is exactly what I would have done. That's about when the students lose enthusiasm for learning here, and the clever ones pick up on it as early as grade three. There is simply no reward for performance.

Very valid comments.

The everyone passes rule is the root of all the education problems in Thailand IMO. It's absolutely farcical and makes a mockery of children's education in the country.

"while Thai students 2,000-3,600 hours"

They might mean in lifetime.....

The schools next to my house starts 8.00 morning, they start with cleaning, after one hour education (?!?!?!) starts.... at noon, one hour lunch and at 15.00 school is finished, 5 days a week. is 25 hour/week is 1000 hour/year.

I would say that even the university and the people who came with this study can't count......so what they learnt about when they where still at school ????

So American and Canadian kids study 3-4 hours a day whereas Thai kids study up to 18 hours?

Absolute tosh, and I therefore treat the whole article as such.