The existence of an organized educational system in Thailand can be traced back to the late 13th century when the capital of the Thai nation was at Sukhodaya. In 1283 King Ramkamhaeng introduced the alphabet upon which the present Thai alphabet is based. Historical evidence shows that by that time young boys were being sent to live in Buddhist monasteries in order to receive moral and religious instruction. Their vocational training - the development of farming, fishing, hunting and fighting skills - took place within the family, as did "education" for young girls. Training in the arts and other spheres of knowledge associated with "higher education was reserved for children of the aristocracy who were instructed by learned relatives and friends of the family.
There were no basic changes in this system for six centuries: public education remained the responsibility of the Buddhist monks. Some broadening of the curriculum was encouraged by the early kings of the Chakri dynasty, the first of whom came to power in 1782. They directed that greater attention be given to reading and writing skills and to cultural development.
Since the 19th century Christian missions set up over 40 schools, most of them catering to the children of the aristocracy and senior bureaucrats. These Christian schools offered a Western-style education, the advantages of which soon became apparent to the Thai elite.1
In 1872 King Chulalongkorn established within the Royal Palace Siam's first modern government-run school. As the government expanded the scope of its work, the growing need for competent officials led to the establishment of more schools of this type. Many of these were situated in the precincts of Buddhist temples, a sensible way of saving money. In 1887 King Chulalongkorn established a Department of Education, which five years later was elevated into a Ministry. By his death in 1910 a national, government-controlled educational system was in existence, with grade levels, control over syllabuses and even some provision for the education of girls.
Further impetus to the development of the educational system was provided by the "revolutionary government" which took power in 1932. Its accession to power was followed by a rapid expansion of elementary education, motivated at least partly by a feeling that democracy required a literate electorate if it was to function "properly".
During the Second World War the educational system was greatly disrupted: children were evacuated and most schools closed. Academic standards did not return to their old levels until several years after the war.
The present structure of the educational system in Thailand is in fact the fruit of many revisions made on the National Scheme of Education. The Education Act of 1962 introduced the new system, the main feature of which was the change in the general structure of Thai education from the 4-6-2-4-system (i.e. four years for elementary, six years for secondary, two years for pre-university and a minimum of four years for higher education) to the 7-5-4 pattern. The Education Act of 1978 finally determined the present structure of the Thai educational system as 6-3-3-4 (i.e. six years for elementary, three years for lower secondary, another three years for upper secondary and a minimum of four years for higher education) with a period of six years free and compulsory education. The upper secondary level was divided into two major streams, academic and vocational, and there was also a teacher training scheme.
Private education is extensive. In the 1985 academic year, for example, about 2,896 private schools and institutions catering to 1,371,014 pupils.2
Private schools also account for a large proportion of students undertaking secondary education. Many private schools are run as profit making institutions and they vary widely in quality. Since the "Private College Act" passed by the National Assembly in 1969 private colleges have been recognized by the Government. A committee of Private Colleges was set up to supervise and control the activities of the private colleges. At present more than six privately owned colleges offering various four-year programs in higher education were given official recognition. Within a few years these colleges may be given university status. In addition there are a number of Chinese schools, especially in Bangkok, and Muslim schools concentrated in southern Thailand. These schools are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education which establishes guidelines for their operation. A number of Chinese and Muslim schools however continue to operate illegally.
Thailand's education system typifies the pattern
found in many developing countries of the "educational pyramid"
with a large enrollment at the primary level rapidly tapering off to a very
small number of graduates from the university. For example, in 1985, 6,518,540
pupils attended the primary education level (age 7-12); 1,734,687 pupils
the secondary level (age 13-18); 336,420 the vocational and teacher training.
In the same year enrollments at tertiary level institutions totaled about
1,026,952.3
At the higher levels of education, particularly the tertiary level, competition for available places is severe. In 1971, for example, the eight government universities and five colleges admitted 10,592 students out of the total of 34,013 candidates. The number of candidates was substantially higher than the number of graduates from the upper secondary level. This is explained by the fact that students with ambitions to attend university may attempt the entrance examination five times. That so many try more than once is partly a reflection of the growing demand for more and better education.
An aspect of the relative concentration of secondary and tertiary level education facilities in the metropolis has been the apparent difference between the objectives of the National Development Plan and those of the Education Development Plan. In the national economic development planning, much emphasis is placed on the agricultural sector and rural improvement. Yet the education system, if the curriculum, teaching techniques and budget are taken as indicators, is not fully consistent with this emphasis. The curriculum is still urban-oriented and the population/school-facilities ratio is much better in urban areas than in rural areas. In addition, a large proportion of the students attending provincial universities come from Bangkok. The question of how to use education as an effective instrument of national development, especially in the rural areas, remains to be fully answered.4
Much however has been done for the improvement in both quality and quantity of vocational training throughout the country. Short-term vocational courses are given in more rural areas, and new multi-vocational mobile schools have been tried out giving such courses as dressmaking, hairdressing, cooking, etc. Another innovation is the Special Agricultural School for the self-help settlements, designed to give such settlers a basic knowledge of agriculture. And in fact, according to UNESCO estimates, the adult illiteracy rate in 1985 was only 9.0% (males 5.8%; female 12.2%).
At present, in the process of its development, the Thai educational system however seems to be having some remarkable drawbacks to be looked upon. Dr. Prawate Wasi, a Magsaysay Prize winner, in an analysis of the social problems, pointed out that the present day Thai education has become a compartmentalized education in which not only are various subjects boxed off and dealt with in isolation of one another, but academic knowledge has been separated from morals. Further complicating the problem is the fact that those who teach morals often do not practice what they preach.
There is competition to attract the intellectually elite and to bring bright students from rural areas to urban schools, and eventually to send the cream of the crop abroad for studies.
However, the most seated and crucial problem stems
from the values which are handed down by the schools. Competition,
selfishness, and unbalanced drive for success, do not foster the
development of a compassionate and peace loving Thai society.5
2 Cf THAILAND. THE FAR EAST AND AUSTRALASIA 1988. London, Europa Publications Limited 1987.
3 Cf THAILAND. 1993 BRITANNICA WORLD DATA. Chicago, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 1993.
4 Cf Thailand in Transition: The Church in a Buddhist Country, p. 12.
5 Cf K. KAOETHEP, Reality of the Present Thai Society. Bangkok, The Catholic Council of Thailand for Development - CCTD 1991, pp. 16-20.