Overview and challenges
Situation Too many children are either not going to school or are enrolling years too late. Since 1990, primary net enrolment rates have risen from 76 to 85 per cent, thanks to sustained economic growth and the provision of nine years of free education. Nonetheless, nearly 900,000 million primary school-aged children are either not in school at all or are years behind in their education because they do not start school at the right age. Recent studies by UNICEF have highlighted the impact of late enrolment. Starting school late means that children are not in education during years that are vital for their intellectual development. At the same time, the presence of older children in primary school classes can hide the absence of younger children who should be in class but are not. As a result, many people erroneously believe that Thailand is close to achieving universal primary enrolment, when in reality it is not. Enrolment rates for secondary education are considerably lower than those for primary school. In a recent government survey of all children who entered school in 1991, only 69 per cent had gone on to secondary school, and only 43 per cent had graduated. Certain groups of children are much more likely to be excluded from school, including the children of ethnic minorities, migrants and seafarers, homeless children and children with HIV/AIDS. Children without birth registration papers also continue to be refused an education, despite new legislation permitting schools to accept them.
Approximately 30 per cent of disabled school-aged children are not in school, although government policy is now to educate disabled and non-disabled children together. For children who are in school, we need to make sure they learn what they need for later life in an environment that supports their physical, emotional and mental development. Issues of concern include a lack of teacher capacity, the relevance of lessons, an over-emphasis on rote learning rather than critical thinking, gender inequality and a need for greater child participation in learning. In minority areas, including the South, the language of instruction is also an issue.
Key facts
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