Education system in Thailand
The education system in Thailand has three levels and is mainly provided by the Thai Ministry of Education . The Thai constitution guarantees 12 years of free learning in school, with 9 years of compulsory schooling.
The twelve-year schooling is divided into six years of primary school and six years in secondary school, which in turn is divided into two three-year phases. Before the primary school years, preschool education is offered in kindergarten from around two to three years in many places. In addition to these types of schools, there are also independent schools, which are usually paid for, which make a significant contribution to the educational infrastructure, as well as vocational schools .
The university ministry is responsible for the control and administration of public and private universities .
School system in Thailand
There are four phases in school education:
- Prathom 1–3 (ages 6 to 8), compulsory schooling
- Prathom 4–6 (ages 9 to 11), compulsory schooling
- Matthayom 1–3 (ages 12 to 14), compulsory schooling
- Matthayom 4–6 (ages 15 to 17), divided into an academic and a vocational branch
Students who choose the academic branch typically continue their education in university. Vocational schools offer programs that prepare students for work or further studies.
Access to Matthayom 4–6 is gained by successfully passing an exam. After each phase, students must pass the National Education Test (NET) in order to move on to the next phase. According to Matthayom 6, students can take two tests: the ordinary national education test (o-NET, Ordinary National Educational Test) and the advanced national education test (A-NET, Advanced National Educational Test).
Public schools are run by the Thai government. The private school sector consists of for-profit private schools and fee-paying non-profit schools, most of which are run by charities. For example, the Archdiocese of Bangkok alone runs 43 larger primary and secondary schools. Schools on the administrative levels of Muban (village) and Tambon (municipality) typically offer kindergarten ( anubaan ) and elementary school, while in the towns of the district there are unit schools up to the age of 14 and separate secondary schools for 11 to 17 year olds.
Due to the monetary situation, rural schools are far less well equipped than schools in cities and the standard of education is also lower. Many secondary school students therefore accept a daily journey of 60 km or more in order to be able to attend municipal schools.
A massive problem that also affects the education sector is corruption in Thailand. Especially in rural areas, teachers often have to buy their jobs. The school management does not choose the teachers according to their qualifications, but the positions are given to the highest bidder.
The Thai educational culture cannot be compared or understood with European standards. In many schools, students who have not understood something are not allowed to ask questions about it. This is considered extremely rude in Thai culture and usually has negative consequences for the student. The teacher's lecture is the predominant teaching method.
school year
The school year in Thailand is divided into two semesters. For elementary and secondary schools, the school year begins around May 15 and ends in March of the following year. Between the semesters there are two to three weeks vacation in September. The long time off school in summer (in Thailand March, April, May) corresponds to the hot season and the annual water festival ( Songkran ) in mid-April, the Thai New Year. Schools observe all public and Buddhist holidays; international schools usually close over the Christmas holidays through to the New Year.
School uniforms
Wearing school uniforms is mandatory for all students and most employees and teachers.
pupils and students
Boys typically wear white, short-sleeved, open-collar shirts and knee-length dark blue, brown, or black pants, as well as long stockings and brown or black sneakers. Girls wear a white blouse with a hanging bow tie, knee-length dark blue or black skirts, short white socks and black loafers. According to Matthayom 4, the blouse and bow tie are replaced by a light blue shirt with an open collar. Often the name of the student and the abbreviation of the school are sewn onto the shirt or blouse.
Even in kindergarten, the children wear uniforms made up of white shirts. Red shorts are mandatory for boys and red skirts for girls. In all Thai schools, Thursday is typically Boy Scout Day. Then the boys wear beige scout uniforms and the girls wear dark green leader's costumes as a combination or dress. In addition, one usually wears yellow scarves. Some schools vary the colors a little.
University students' uniforms are all over the country: long black pants and white long-sleeved shirts for the men, white blouses and plain or pleated skirts for the women. From the third year of study, men wear a dark tie.
Employees and teachers
Military-style uniforms are worn in the lower ranks of civil servants. In private schools, employees and teachers are asked to wear discreet attractive uniforms, while universities have no dress code. Office clothes are sufficient here.
Primary and secondary level
The primary level curriculum comprises eight subjects:
- Thai
- mathematics
- Natural sciences
- Social studies
- Health and physical education
- Art and music
- technology
- foreign languages
As part of the One Child, One Tablet policy of the government of Yingluck Shinawatra , all first graders in state schools have been equipped with tablet PCs with the Android operating system since autumn 2012 . From Matthayom 4 onwards, students can take one or two electives. The most popular nowadays are science and mathematics. Other foreign languages and specialization in social studies are also offered.
Vocational training
The Commission for Vocational Education currently runs 404 vocational schools and colleagues, 21 of them in Bangkok . Around one million pupils attend the state's vocational schools, which are based on the German model of dual training.
Technical and vocational training begins at Matthayom 4, when students are divided into either the professional or the academic branch. Currently about 60% study in the academic branch and 40% in the professional branch. The government is trying to get an equal number of students.
Technical and professional training is offered on three levels:
- Certificate of vocational training (Bo Wo Cho) during upper secondary education
- obtained the technical diploma (Bo Wo So) after finishing school
- the higher diploma, which leads to the higher education entrance qualification and corresponds to the second educational path common in Germany .
Vocational training is also provided by private institutions.
Dual education
The active participation of the private sector is crucial for the success of dual vocational training. In 1995, the Department of Vocational Education introduced dual training in the vocational training sector based on the German model . The students learn the theoretical basics of their subject as well as the practical effects in private companies.
Student numbers
The Thai Vocational Educational Commission shows the following figures for 2005:
- Technical college 290.058
- Industrial and community colleges 137,377
- Business administration and tourism colleges 3.480
- Commercial colleges 16,266
- Colleges for arts and crafts and goldsmithing 2,739
- Polytechnic College 36,304
- College for Agriculture and Technology 34,914
- Colleges for Industry and Shipbuilding 2,391
- Fisheries Colleges 1.510
- Agricultural Engineering Centers 806
- Private vocational schools 340,000
Tertiary education
The public and private universities of Thailand are under the supervision of the University Ministry. Between 2001 and 2006, the number of universities in the country increased dramatically as the government under Thaksin Shinawatra renamed many public institutes to universities in a not undisputed step.
In the Times Higher Education Supplement , Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok ranks 46th for social science and 60th for biomedicine. In September 2006, the Commission for Higher Education awarded the award "excellent" to three universities in the country:
In more than half of the provinces there are Rajabhat universities , formerly Rajabhat institutes, which traditionally provided for the training of teachers.
The list of universities in Thailand provides an overview of the universities in the country .
Access
To complete secondary school, students must complete the Central University Admission System (CUAS); it consists of 50% of the results of the O-NET and A-NET tests. the other half results from the average grade of Matthayom 4. Since 2001, many changes and experiments have been carried out on the nationwide admissions system for universities, but no solution has been found that is accepted by all. After the victory of the Phak Palang Prachachon in December 2008 and the return to democracy, changes to the system were again announced. These pass the General Aptitude Test in English, introduced in 2009, with the areas of reading, writing, analytical thinking, problem solving and the English language.
At present (2009) the universities screen around 70% of the students themselves, while the remaining 30% are distributed from the national access system.
Training programs
The Thai university system is based on the US. There are bachelor's and master's degrees as well as postgraduate programs.
Most undergraduate programs require four years of full attendance. Exceptions are pharmacy and architecture , which require five years, and doctor of dentistry, medicine, and veterinary medicine, which require six years. The master’s courses last one or two years. At the end it is necessary to complete a thesis or a final exam. After completing the master’s degree, students can apply for a two- to five-year doctoral program. It consists of courses, research and the successful completion of the dissertation .
International schools
According to the definition of the Thai government, an international school is defined as "all educational institutions that work according to an international curriculum or a self-organized curriculum other than that of the Ministry of Education. A foreign language is used during teaching and learning and the students are treated regardless of their origin and nationality, but are not against the ethics and stability of Thailand ”.
The curriculum must be checked and approved by the Ministry of Education. Learning the Thai language and culture is compulsory for every level and every student. The Ministry of Education also stipulates further:
- Location of the school
- Size of the area
- Number of students according to the size of the classrooms
- Installation of sanitary facilities
The administration and the rector / director must be Thai nationals.
Teacher training
Teacher training takes place either at universities (controlled by the Ministry of University Affairs ) or through teachers' colleges (controlled by the Department for Teacher Training in the Ministry of Education ). The training programs are mostly student-centered these days and many universities offer demonstration schools with primary and secondary levels where university staff or training teachers teach.
Organization of education in Thailand
Infrastructure
Practically all villages ( muban ) maintain a primary school, most communities ( tambon ) in turn provide schools for grades 1–9 and all rural districts ( amphoe ) offer schools up to secondary level (matthayom 1–6). Many districts also have vocational schools for students aged 15 and over.
Since public schools are insufficient to cater for all students, private schools - which are monitored by the government - represent an important additional component of the educational infrastructure in Thailand. The level of private schools is usually higher than that of public schools. Expensive and exclusive private schools, mostly on an international basis, offer exceptionally good education, and most school leavers continue their education at renowned international universities.
Charities also provide basic training with low training costs. The level is relatively high. Some of the inexpensive private schools are run primarily for profit reasons, to get government funding, and less so to provide good education. They can hardly be distinguished from public schools in terms of buildings, resources, skills and class size.
In rural schools there are often absenteeism among students, but also among teachers, due to family responsibilities or because of field work. Some schools close during rice planting and harvesting times.
administration
The structure of the administration in the Thai education system is very complex and leads to multiple responsibilities of different positions in the many ministries and offices that are responsible for the training and the establishment of guidelines. Since 1980, the responsibility for the primary level of the general school system has not been with the Ministry of the Interior , but with the Ministry of Education . Teacher training is controlled and monitored by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of University Affairs .
budget
Thailand spends about 27% of its gross national product on education. Most of the money comes from the state budget, but the provinces and other local authorities also contribute. The Asian Development Bank , the World Bank and the OECF are helping with loans and technical support for the further expansion of the Thai education system.
research
The beginnings of educational research in Thailand go back to 1955 when the International Institute for Child Study was established in Bangkok , which is now called the Behavioral Science Research Institute and carries out both basic and applied research. In the 1960s, the Ministry of Education and the National Education Commission, a division of the Prime Minister's Office, began research into the educational situation in the country. Successors of these first approaches led to the initiative of educational reform in Thailand during the years 1999 to 2002. Today, educational research is largely carried out by universities, especially by educational faculties.
The National Library of Thailand and most of the other university libraries are networked and can also be accessed via the Internet.
History of the education system in Thailand
Thailand, or under its old name Siam, is a monarchy that has been constitutional since the overthrow of King Prajadhipok in 1932 . Still, the king is traditionally worshiped almost like a god. He is also the protector of the country's most important religion, Theravada Buddhism . In contrast to all other Asian states between the Middle East and China, Thailand was never a direct colony of a European power. Since the end of the 19th century, a long process of modernization and opening up has taken place in the country, which has affected practically all areas of people's lives, including education.
The education system in Thailand has a long history behind it. In ancient times, only the Buddhist monks provided school education by teaching the children in the temple rooms. In the 19th century, institutions of the king gradually took over the education, and today Thailand has a modern and functioning education system that is supposed to lead its citizens to a better quality of life and to sustainable development.
The history of the Thai education system can be divided into four periods:
- Pre-modernization (before about 1870)
- First modernization phase (1870-1932)
- Second modernization phase after the establishment of the constitutional monarchy (1932–1978)
- Third phase of modernization towards a democratic society and national development (since 1978)
Pre-modernization
In ancient times, the goals of the absolute rulers were primarily to secure national integrity and create a stable order in the country. This may explain why for a long time discipline and order, obedience to superior people and other soldier “virtues” played a major role in Thai society.
Agriculture was not just a way of life, but a way of life that shaped the basis for traditions, beliefs and everyday life. The close relationships in the small rural communities together with the deeply entrenched Buddhist beliefs meant that attention was directed more towards spiritual and moral values than other important aspects of education.
In the pre-modernization phase, there were three social institutions responsible for education: the family (baan), the temple (wat) and the royal palace (wang). Usually boys were sent to school. The family provided informal education, mostly focused on agricultural and social issues. The temple taught Buddhism and language education to boys. The palace trained young government officials and soldiers. Girls were mostly educated in the family, where they should be raised to be good housewives. Housework, social skills and professional knowledge were the main topics.
During the time of the Sukhothai Empire (1238-1378), the royal family covered the educational needs of their own families with its ratchabandit , the royal higher education, while the temples were responsible for the common people. Under King Narai the Great (1656–1688) the chindamani of Phra Horathibodi was created, which is regarded as the first textbook of the Thai language and script and can probably be seen as a counterpoint to the growing influence of French Jesuits who were missionary under King Narai in Siam . After the violent death of King Narai, contacts with the West were largely cut off. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that a new exchange took place on the initiative of English and French researchers and merchants.
After about 1860, under King Mongkut , Siam became more involved in overseas trade, particularly with Europe. The influence of the west became more and more palpable, also through the growing embrace of the country by the colonial powers England in the west ( Burma ) and in the south ( Malaya ) and France in the east ( Cambodia and Laos ). It was recognized that knowledge of Western languages was necessary, and foreign teachers such as Anna Leonowens were hired .
Ernest Young gives an impression of the somewhat different view of discipline and order in the Siamese school in the country a hundred years ago:
“The school opens at nine. The boys arrive between ten and eleven, and the head master puts in his appearance when he has finished his breakfast. The only part of the unwritten time table that is punctually kept is the time for closing. "
“School starts at nine o'clock. The boys come between ten and eleven, and the school teacher appears when he has finished his breakfast. The only point of the unwritten lesson times that is adhered to on time is the end of school. "
First modernization phase
With the beginning of the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) , education was seen as a means of creating national security and modernizing the country. An education system oriented towards the west was gradually introduced. The first school opened in the Royal Palace in 1871 to train the sons of the king, princes and higher officials. The king's aim, however, was to provide equal opportunities for his own children and the children of the poorest in the country.
The compulsory was a law of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI.) Introduced 1921st Between 1898 and 1921 there were four reforms of the Siamese school system. The first priority was the formation of new elites who could make their contribution in a modernized administration. In addition to ethical training, the new elites also had to receive basic knowledge in science and technology in order not only to understand modernization, but also to advance it if necessary. They had to master foreign languages, mostly English, but also other languages, but at the same time upheld the Siamese culture. Patriotism and loyalty to the royal family was a basic requirement. In order to allow the common people to participate in the modern educational system of that time, Chulalongkorn sought to include the temples in the educational system and to use them as a traditional educational platform. This failed for a variety of reasons.
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King Vajiravudh (Rama VI.) Recognized the need for compulsory schooling, which should impart basic knowledge and ethical education to all students, as well as the qualities of a good citizen and the ability to support oneself through one's own work. But he also recognized the dangers that could arise from the westernization of the traditional culture of the Siamese and tried to compensate for this by strengthening the national feeling. To this end, he built a cadet school as a model school, which was supposed to attract “good citizens” who were loyal to the royal family and were in good physical shape. This was accompanied by the establishment of scouting , which still plays a role in Thailand today.
In his book on the principles of official practice, the king speaks of 10 virtues of being a good citizen:
- competence
- endurance
- wisdom
- Knowledge of appropriate practices and correct behavior
- Fulfillment of duty
- honesty
- Knowledge of human behavior
- flexibility
- Ability to take care of yourself
- Loyalty to the nation, religion and monarchy.
The first phase of modernization is marked by the creation of a formal secular curriculum with schools that were located outside the temples. The influence of the West, mainly from England (God, King and Fatherland), also led to an increasing number of students studying outside of Siam. The first university in the country, Chulalongkorn University , was founded in 1916/17 .
Second modernization phase (1932–1978)
The third period in the history of the Thai education system extends from 1932 to around 1978. In 1932 the absolute monarchy in the country was overthrown, which has been in what is now Thailand since the times of the kingdoms of Sukhothai (founded in 1238) and Ayutthaya (founded in 1351) had held power. The fall was not final, as it was 14 years earlier in the German Reich , but after tough negotiations it led to a constitutional monarchy with the king as the representative of the state without any influence on the daily business of government - and thus also on educational policy.
The new government pursued a policy of standardizing education, upholding the old values of loyalty to the nation, society, family and self. After joining the United Nations in 1946, Thailand benefited in many ways from its plans and projects. The first national development plan for education from 1951 brought important changes to the education system in Thailand. Here the first attempt was made to make the goals of education in the country understandable and to bring them together. In the early 1960s , the National Educational Planning Bureau came into being, which drew up a plan in which students focused on preserving national heritage, creating good citizens for democracy, and strengthening national identity. National development and workforce training were emphasized for reasons of social and economic needs of the country.
Between 1954 and 1977 a gradually inflated curriculum arose that the students and teachers could hardly cope with. The students were taught on a more theoretical basis. They knew the rightness or wrongness of their actions, but not their consequences or consequences. Nevertheless, four principles guided the contents of the curriculum: the values of heart education , health ( physical education ), mental and professional training .
Modern development of the education system in Thailand
In 1977 the National Assembly adopted a new draft of education that provided improved curricula for primary and secondary schools. The system was changed to 6-3-3, i.e. six years of elementary school, three years of lower secondary and three years of upper secondary.
The primary school then covers four areas: (1) learning of skills, (2) promoting life experience, (3) personal development and (4) work-oriented training.
- Skill learning covers math and the Thai language ,
- Life experience integrates the natural sciences , social and societal studies ,
- Personality development in physical education , art , music , ethics education and civics treated
- Practical skills include e.g. B. Needlework and other daily living skills.
The secondary curriculum uses the same principles, but offers students more freedom in taking courses. Previous curricula had separate courses on social studies, civic studies, ethics, geography and history. When the social environment changed, the content was no longer effective. The new curriculum only had two courses on civic studies: social studies as a compulsory subject and Buddhism as an elective. In addition, citizenship studies have been integrated into all courses in the curriculum, for example, in science lessons, students are encouraged to be rational , analytical and objective . The scientific method is compared to the four noble truths of Buddhism, which promise to solve all problems in life. Citizenship studies cover regional Thai content as well as neighboring countries, Asia and the world.
In 2001 the Ministry of Education began developing new nationwide curricula that emphasized the student-centered model of teaching. Between 2001 and 2006 brought some of the most important improvements to the Thai education system: computers in schools and better conditions for foreign language teaching. In particular, it should lead to a considerably improved situation in the exchange of students and knowledge with foreign countries. Experiments with a decentralized responsibility of the education system down to the provincial level proved to be impractical. And several approaches for a transparent admission procedure to the university also failed because of this
- different political interests,
- Attempts by universities to act independently and counter-movements to this,
- serious errors in administration, and
- unsuitable curriculum in schools.
literature
- Somwung Pitiyanuwat and Siridej Sujiva: Civic Education in Thailand: policies and practices in schools . Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press 2005. ISBN 974-9941-54-3 .
- David K. Wyatt : The politics of Reform in Thailand, Education in the Reign of King Chulalongkorn . Yale University Press, New Haven and London 1969, ISBN 0300-01156-3
Individual evidence
- ^ Education Department Archdiocese Bangkok. ( Memento of the original from May 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 7, 2010
- ^ Announcement by the Thai government. ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. September 6, 2012, accessed May 16, 2013
- ^ Vocational Education Commission - Vocational Education Commission (under "English" click on "Colleges"; last accessed January 7, 2010)
- ↑ moe.go.th ( Memento of the original from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; accessed January 8, 2010; 29 kB)
- ^ Chulalongkorn University in the English language Wikipedia
- ↑ moe.go.th ( Memento of the original from October 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (accessed January 12, 2010)
- ↑ Ernest Young: Siam . London and Black, London 1908, p. 21; Download Siam at Open Library
