Publication Code: Y91D
Education and training of people is the single most important investment a nation can make. The nature of this investment -- the amount, distribution and quality -- affects the capacity of people and the resilience of culture to adjust to rapid changes. It determines the future competitiveness of the economy. It affects changes in the social structure, the distribution of income, and the overall quality of life.
This paper is a synthesis of research and recommendations on educational options for the future of Thailand presented at the 1991 Chai Pattana/TDRI Foundations Year-End Conference. Among the most important findings of the research are the followings:
Rural primary schools, teachers, and the curriculum are strongly affected by pervasive social changes, and yet must play a special role in helping people cope with these changes;
Quality variations among primary schools are high, and equity of access to good quality primary and pre-primary schools is low;
There has been a cumulative under-investment and under-enrollment in secondary education which has led to a growing imbalance between the educational attainment of the labor force and current and future needs of the economy; this imbalance is likely to threaten the future competitiveness of the economy, the distribution of income, even social structure and social cohesion;
The overall fit between the education and training system and the economy is weak and not improving: secondary enrollments remain low, vocational school graduates do not have the skills employers seek, worker training and up-grading in industry, services and agriculture is much less than needed, and the university system cannot graduate sufficient number of people in the fields the private sector demands;
The formal public education system needs to be more flexible and responsive to users -- to students and employers of graduates;
Private schools appear to be more flexible, responsive, effective, and efficient, but at most levels (particularly the secondary level) have been over-controlled and constrained; the constraints should be removed;
Changes in formal education -- particularly increased enrollment at the secondary level -- will affect the economy, income distribution, and social structure, only after a lag of a decade or more; an intensive program of worker up-grading is needed in the mean time.
Thus, a shared conclusion of the research is that there is an accumulating and interrelated set of problems which affects and will affect Thai development, equity, social values and social structure. Recognition and analysis of the problems creates the opportunity and options to solve them.
June 1992