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Thailand’s Children Suffering From a “Crisis of Foundational Skills”
According to the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) of Thailand, disparities in access to learning materials beginning in preschool are to blame for poor basic life and work skills, which will account for approximately 3.3 trillion baht in economic opportunity losses in 2022.
On Saturday, Dr. Prasarn Trairatvorakul, chairman of the EEF’s governing board, stated that a “crisis of foundational skills” was discovered in a 2022 survey of persons aged 15 to 64 done jointly by the EEF, World Bank, Thammasat University, and National Statistical Office in Thailand.
According to Mr Prasarn, a former governor of the Bank of Thailand (BoT), two-thirds of adolescents and adults were unable to comprehend short messages that they were required to read and understand before solving an easy problem, while three-quarters of youths and people of working age struggled to use websites to complete an easy task.
Furthermore, more than 30% of the sample lacked enthusiasm to start something new for society, he stated.
“All these problems were estimated to have cost Thailand more than 3.3 trillion baht in the value of economic opportunity losses, or 20% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022,” the prime minister added.
He linked the crisis to learning difficulties that began in pre-school and continued through compulsory schooling — from primary school to high school — until these people entered the labor market.
Last year, the EEF discovered that up to 1.8 million students were classified “extremely poor” and in severe need of financial assistance, but only 1.24 million received assistance, he claimed.
The number of really impoverished kids increased drastically from 994,400 in 2020, he said.
“Being extremely poor is an important factor barring children from gaining sufficient access to opportunities and resources, which causes many to eventually drop out of school,” the former head of the central bank stated.
Between 2019 and 2023, barely one-tenth of really poor students were able to complete their study at the higher education level, he stated.
He stated that higher education prices ranged between 13,200 and 29,000 baht every semester, which is equivalent to the average yearly income of these disadvantaged students’ families.
He stated that the educational expenses comprised entrance examination fees, housing rent, uniforms, and tuition fees.
In a related study, the EEF and Weerachart Kilenthong, a researcher at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Research Institute for Policy Evaluation and Design (UTCC), discovered that more than 25% of primary school students nationwide had poor listening comprehension skills.
According to Mr Prasarn, each province has about 15% of children who scored poorly on listening comprehension tests.
According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), two-thirds of Thai 15-year-olds have lower reading and mathematical skills than the average student their age.
According to Mr Prasarn, the EEF believes that the government should invest more in human capital development beginning with primary school.
The Equitable Education Fund in Thailand strives to provide quality education opportunities to impoverished kids. It helps disadvantaged schools by providing scholarships, teacher training, and educational materials.
The fund collaborates with local organizations to better understand each region’s specific concerns and customize solutions accordingly. Its purpose is to close the educational gap and empower future generations, regardless of socioeconomic status.
