EDUCATION
|
Historical |
Modern
Education |
High Education | ...
Historical Background
The
earliest form of education may be said to have begun in
the middle of the
Sukhothai period (13th Century) when King Ramkhamhaeng
invented the Thai alphabet. Stone inscriptions of that period
tell of moral, intellectual and cultural education.
Early education was, however, limited to mainly
the aristocracy and the clergy. It was necessary for princes
to be literate so that they could administer their provinces
and communicate with the palace in the capital, while monks
had to know how to read the religious texts from which they
preached sermons to the laity. The remainder of society
were either in service or engaged in farming so they had
little need for reading skills, village lore being transmitted
orally.
Buddhist
monasteries were virtually the only source of semi-public
education and only a very small portion of the population,
mostly male, received any formal education.
The reign of King
Mongkut (1851 - 1865) saw the turning point of modernization
in Thailand and the growth of Western influence. The first
printing press was set up and education patterns of Thai
children were restructured to suit the new needs of the
nation. The knowledge of English became a necessary tool
and an English teacher was hired to teach the royal children.
The King himself had mastered English and Latin.
The modernization policy was further pursued
by King
Chulalongkorn (1868 - 1910) who, realizing the need
for better trained personnel for royal and government services,
opened a school in the Palace. An 'English School'
was also established in the Palace to prepare princes and
court children for further studies abroad. Schools were
also founded outside the palace for the children of commoners
and government textbooks were printed for use in Bangkok
and, at a later period, in the provinces.
The Department of Education was established
in 1887 with the full responsibility of education and religious
affairs of the entire country. When it became a full-fledged
Ministry in 1982 new approaches were employed, placing more
emphasis on 'popular education'. Thus government
primary schools were established throughout the kingdom
so that literacy, good citizenship and a better standard
of living for the people could be achieved.
The early 20th Century witnessed many developments
in education in Thailand. In 1910 the first university in
Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, was founded with four
faculties namely, Medicine, Law and Political Science, Engineering,
and Arts and Science.
The extent of responsibilities and the regulations
pertaining to the participation of the private sector in
national education was laid down for the first time in 1918
when the Private School Act was passed. The 'Compulsory
Primary Education Act' was proclaimed in 1921 and the
first school of Arts and Crafts was established in 1922.
After the adoption of the system of constitutional
monarchy in the year 1932, a National Educational Scheme
was formulated, making formal recognition of individual
educational ability, regardless of sex, social background,
or physical conditions. This scheme has been regularly revised
to ensure that every citizen is provided with the four major
aspects of education, namely, Puttisuksa (Intellectual
education), Chariyasuksa (Moral education), Palasuksa
(Physical education), and Hattasuksa (Practical education).
Modern Education
The education system in current practice provides
six years at the primary level, three years at the lower
secondary level, three years at the upper secondary level,
and four years at the tertiary level. Although only six
years of primary schooling are now compulsory, a project
to widen access to lower secondary level has been actively
implemented nationwide by a special Cabinet approval since
1987. The widening access is a first step towards an eventual
goal of nine-year compulsory education.
Administrative Structure
The major government and private organizations
which are directly or indirectly involved in the development
and implementation of education include the Ministry of
Education, the National Education Commission, and the Ministry
of University Affairs. They are entrusted with planning,
administering, and coordinating the national education.
Almost all formal and non-formal education is under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. However, specialized
schools such as the Border Patrol Police schools of the
Police Department and schools operated by the Office of
the Bangkok Metropolitan Education Commission are operated
by departments within the Ministry of Interior. The Office
of the National Primary Education Commission handles the
largest percentage (63.5%) of students in the overall education
system. The remainder are the responsibility of the Private
Education Commission (PEC) and the Department of General
Education.
Non-formal Education
Adult education was introduced in Thailand
in 1940 in an attempt to educate those excluded from the
school population. Educational programs offered stress both
literacy [level 1-4] and vocational skills and can be found
throughout the country.
Special training services are also provided
for low-income groups in urban and rural areas, new labor
market entrants, the unemployed, and certain categories
of people such as ex-convicts, homeless, and sexually-exploited
persons who require skills to make them active contributors
to society.
Special and Welfare Education
Special education refers to the provision
of education for all kinds of disabled and handicapped children,
including the deaf, the blind, and the mentally retarded,
while welfare education caters to the culturally and socially
handicapped such as hilltribe children, slum children, and
children of lepers. To ensure that such children receive
an equal opportunity in education, and education suitable
for their abilities, special schools and welfare schools
equipped with special educational programs and facilities
have been established throughout the country.
Vocational Schools and Specialized Institutes
Seeing the necessity to adapt the educational
system to the development and labor needs of the country,
vocational educational and training has been given much
promotion. Various types of courses and training programs
are offered and administered by the Department of Vocational
Education and the Institute of Technology and Vocational
Education.
There are eight levels of studies programmed
to suit the student's previous academic background, ranging
from the semi-skilled level, offered to students who have
completed the lower secondary level, to technical teacher
training programs[degree level], open to holders of Higher
Certificates in Technical Education with high academic records
and a desire to become technical teachers in colleges and
vocational training centers.
Teacher education has undergone various changes
since 1892, when the teacher training school for elementary
school teachers was founded. In the 1960's a larger number
of teacher training institutions were established to meet
an urgent demand for more teachers. This expansion was precipitated
by three major factors: the extension of compulsory education,
population growth, and the availability of secondary education
to a lager population. The attention that has been paid
to expanding teacher education was evident in the dramatic
increase in teacher. However, this effort was concentrated
on the quantitative rather than on the qualitative. At present
there is concern about improving the quality of the teacher
education programs.
HIGH EDUCATION
Higher education is the principle concern
of the Ministry of University Affairs, which coordinates
the operation of state universities and 26 privately operated
universities and colleges. Education at this level copes
with the thousands of secondary school leavers wishing to
continue their study further. At present there are 42 universities
and 36 teacher colleges in Thailand, many of them established
since 1960. The first university, Chulalongkorn, was founded
in 1917. In keeping with a government plan to decentralized
education, many universities have been established in provincial
centers scattered throughout the country, with status fully
equal to universities in Bangkok. These include Chiang Mai
University in the north, Khon Kaen University in the northeast,
and Prince of Songkhla University in the city of Pattani
in the south. These universities offer a wide variety of
courses at the Bachelor's Degree level, covering such fields
as Agriculture, Archaeology, Architecture, Arts, Business
Administration, Education, Economics, Engineering, Humanities,
Law, Medicine and Nursing, Science, and Statistics.
The language of instruction at universities
is Thai, with the exception of the economics major courses
at Thammasat University, which are conducted in English.
Special courses given in English are arranged for foreign
students at the discretion of the university. Scholarships
are provided by the government and private sector for outstanding
and needy students.
In addition to conventional universities,
two open universities have been established to expand educational
opportunities for working people and secondary school graduates.
One of these, Ramkhamhaeng University, provides campus instruction
in Humanity Science, supplemented by television and radio
programs, while the other, Sukhothai Thammatirat Open University,
employs television and radio programs as well as correspondence
courses and cassette tapes. The latter is said to be the
most modern and best-equipped open university in South East
Asia.
Not all of the institutes at the higher education
level come under the responsibility of the Office of University
Affairs. The Police Cadet Academy at Sampran District, for
example, is under the supervision of the Police Education
Bureau, whereas Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy at
Kao Chajok is both academically and financially the responsibility
of the Institute of Army Academies of the Ministry of Defence.
such academies offer certificates equivalent to the Bachelor's
Degree to their graduates, who go on to serve as police
or military officers. Education beyond the Bachelor's Degree
level is also available for military officers. The Armed
Force Staff College is reserved for high-ranking officers
at the administrative level who wish to pursue special training
in military planning and administration.
Education at the degree level is also extended
to Buddhist monks as well. There are two Buddhist universities,
Maha Chulalongkorn University, established with the approval
of the Ecclesiastical Elders' Council and budgetary support
from the Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Education.
Outlook for Thailand in the Seventh
Plan
Thailand has undergone rapid changes during
the last two decades. The pace in likely to continue or
even accelerate during the period of the Seventh National
Economic and Social Development Plan (1992-1996). Thailand
is being transformed from an agricultural
country to an agro-industrial or even an industrialized
country. Thai society is changing from being a traditionally
rural one to an urban society. Thai people are faced with
these changes to which they must adapt themselves. Therefore
they need the kind of education that prepares them adequately
for new demands and new lifestyles. The current basic education
of six years must be extended to materials and other electronic
media such as computers and television will play an increasingly
significant role in an educational system that is becoming
more flexible and accessible to everyone at all levels and
at all times. The existing learning network must be expanded
to attain a national coverage. There must be more decentralization
of administrative power and more public or local participation
in developing the curriculum to suit the needs of each locality.
These are the new dimensions of education for the future.
