Group 2

Developing Countries
Thailand, Indonesia, India, China,
Malaysia, Brazil
Welcome to
• The Kingdom of Thailand is located in Southeast Asia.
• Borders Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
• Has 200,000 total square miles (similar to Spain)
• The third largest and fourth most populous in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• Population: 67 million
38% of the labor force is agricultural;
13% is industrial; and
48% is in the service sector
• Produces tin-tungsten, rice, handmade textiles, and
electronics
• Has hot tropical beaches, mountains, rain forests, fertile
central plains, dry seasons, and monsoons.
• Has a diverse population that includes native Thais,
ethnic tribal groups, and multinational
immigrants/refugees.
• Currency: Thai baht
• In the Thai language, the name of the country is
Prathet Thai which means “land of the free.”
• Bangkok is Thailand’s capital and primary urban
center with about 6 million residents.
• Bangkok is one of the most important financial cities
in Southeast Asia.
• Foreign investment is a primary “factor in the rapid
growth” of the Thai economy.
• No official religion
However, Buddhist seek official recognition.

• Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, has a King and

legislature.
However, the military now controls the
legislature.

• Official Language: Thai

However, some tribal people resist.
Reporter: Ms Alona Jean Baoy
 EDUCATION
History, Politics, Economics
 History of Thailand Educational System
In 1887, King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) founded the first Thai
Ministry of Education.

Since the 1960s, Thailand has tried to become a first world

country, partly through universal education.
The Thai army controls political gatherings, television programming,
most public information statements, and the Ministry of Education.

Universal Education is key to economic development but Thai public

schools are overcrowded and understaffed.

For the poor, Buddhist schools and for the rich, private schools, are options.
Buddhism and Education

Theravada Buddhism is well- respected in Thailand.

Most boys participate in some Buddhist trainings.
Free K-12 education at Buddhist monasteries is
available for orphaned and poor boys.
In 2013, the first Buddhist boarding school for girls
opened; Buddhist nuns run this free school for poor
and orphaned girls.
 Private Education in Thailand
Because public schools are overcrowded and understaffed, many wealthy Thai and
international parents place their children in international or fee-based private schools.

International schools are a subset of private schools. Over

3,000 private schools existed in Thailand in 2004.

As of 2014, there are about 90 international schools, with at

least two thirds of these located near Bangkok; many use
English as the primary language of instruction.

Private and international schools offer teachers better pay

and better benefits than public schools.
Thai K-12 Public Education
Notes:
P = prathom (primary level);
M = mattayom (secondary level).
Sources: Adapted from Ministry of Education (2008), Towards a
Learning Society in Thailand: An Introduction to Education in
Thailand; OECD (2013b), Southeast Asian Economic Outlook 2013:
With Perspectives on China and India,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/saeo-2013-en.
 Thai K-12 Public Education

Adult literacy in Thailand is about 94%.

Public education is “free” for Grades K through 12
(but parents must pay about $10,000 a year for supplies).

Instruction is in Thai.
Overall, quality is an issue. Public schools have very
large classes (up to 40 students in a class); teaching
styles are “often lecture based, relying heavily on
memorization.”

As of 2004, secondary and university education was

24% of the national budget.
Thai Ministry of Education

Problems Cited
1. Education Policy
2. Academic Administration
• Quality of learning is less than desirable;
• Class Size
• No Fail Policy
3. Instructors
• Thai teachers taught by rote.
Thai Ministry of Education

Mandates and Goals

Eight core subjects were mandated:
Thai language, mathematics, science, social science, health and
physical education, arts and music, technology, and foreign
languages.

Goals set by the directive:

“morality, preference for Thai-ness, skills in analytical and creative
thinking, technological know-how, capacity for teamwork, and
ability to live in peace and harmony in the world community”
 Preparations to meet the
Challenges in the 21 Century
st
 Preparations to meet the Challenges in
the 21st Century

The most important element in the development of Thailand 4.0 is the Thai people.
The model aims to transform Thais into more competent human beings in the 21st
century and develop Thais 4.0 as first world citizens through the following
measures:

 Reform education system to prepare Thais for Thailand becoming a first world
nation.

 Setup skills development program.

 Measures to support Refill and Reform strategy to improve the status of Thais
(from 1.0 with poor and lack of opportunities to 4.0 who have potentials and
high level of preparedness through provision of financial supports, etc.)
Despite the 2008 Ministry of Education directive, problems remain in
Thai public schools:

Use of rote memorization rather than student-centered learning;

Crowded classrooms; and
Disparities in quality between rural and urban schools.

Thailand’s public education system remains

“A WORK IN PROGRESS”
 Singapore vs Thailand

• The Singapore government invest heavily in

education and this is a key factor on their success in
education. Having bigger budget can cater quality
teachers, teacher trainings, best facilities and
instructional materials. Their budget for education is
more than enough because of their small population
unlike in Thailand which has big class size. Thailand
still striving for better education by hiring foreign
teachers and doing education reforms like
transforming Thais into more competent human being
in the 21st century.
 Singapore vs Thailand
The Education system in Singapore is with high
standard and Singaporeans are really competent
internationally but the pressure in the students are also
high causing students to be stressed. On the other
hand, the Thailand Educational System is far from
Singapore. Some of the Thai students are easy go
lucky in their studies because they are confident that
they will pass the exam. This situation is a result of “No
Fail Policy” and this issue leads to one of the Thailand’s
educational problems.
References:
Reviews on National Policies for Education- Education in Thailand, An
OECD-UNESCO Perspective
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/in/rest/annotationSVC/DownloadWatermarke
dAttachment/attach_import_0ca86400-e449-4f69-95df-
f376c7a9f7df?_=245735eng.pdf
Education in Thailand - WENR
https://wenr.wes.org/2018/02/education-in-thailand-2
Education in Thailand. A Work in Progress By K. D. Hueston
https://slideplayer.com/slide/9799830/
Thailand. Educational System—overview
https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1526/Thailand-
EDUCATIONAL-SYSTEM-OVERVIEW.html