3. Education System in Thailand

According to the Education Act, learning is a continuous lifelong process through 3 types of education: (i) formal education (ii) non-formal education and (iii) informal education. Credits accumulated by learners will be transferable within the same types or between different types of education, regardless or whether the credits have been accumulated from the same or different educational institutions, including learning from non-formal or informal education, vocational training, or from work experience.

1. Formal Education

Formal education specifies the aims, methods, curricula, duration, assessment, and evaluation conditional to its completion. It can be classified by level and type of education as follows:

Level of Education

Formal education is divided into two levels: basic education and higher education:

a) Basic Education:

Basic education is that provided for 12 years before higher education covering 6 years of primary education, 3 years of lower secondary education, and 3 years of upper secondary education. It also includes early childhood or pre-primary education.

Early childhood and basic education are provided by the following institutions:

(i) Early childhood development institutions, i.e. childcare centers, child development centers, pre-school child development centers of religious institutions, initial care centers for disabled children or those with special needs or other early childhood development centers.

(ii) Schools such as public schools, private schools, and those under the jurisdiction of Buddhist or other religious institutions.

(iii) Learning centers, i.e. those organized by non-formal education agencies, individuals, families, communities, community organizations, local administration organizations, private organizations, professional bodies, religious institutions, enterprises, hospitals, medical institutions, welfare institutes and other social institutions^[1].

b) Higher Education:

Higher education is provided in universities, institutes, colleges or other types of institutions. It is divided into two levels: lower-than-degree level and degree level.

(i) Lower-Than-Degree or Diploma Level: Higher education at lowerthan-degree or diploma level is mainly offered by colleges and institutes under the Ministry of Education (MOE) i.e. Rajabhat Institutes (now is Rajabhat University), Rajamangala Institutes of Technology, public and private vocational colleges, as well as colleges of physical education, dramatic arts and fine arts. The majority of courses offered are related to vocational and teacher education which require two years of study.

(ii) Degree Level: The majority of teaching and learning at degree level is provided by the MUA and MUE. The study programes require 2 years of study for students who have completed diploma courses, and 4-6 years of study for those finishing upper secondary education or equivalent courses. The first professional qualification is a bachelor's degree obtained after four years of study. In the fields of architecture, painting, culture, graphic arts, and pharmacy, five years of study are required for a bachelor's degree. The fields of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science require six years of study. In some of these professions, additional study is required before professional qualifications allowing the candidate to practise in his or her field are awarded^[2].

Advanced studies of at least one but generally two years, combined with a thesis, lead to the award of a master's degree. A doctorate is awarded in some fields and requires an additional three years of study following a master's degree. An advanced diploma or certificate may be obtained after one or two years of course work. It designed for students who already possess a degree or professional qualification.

Types of Education

Formal education at the both basic and higher levels can be of various types depending on the characteristics and needs of target groups, the community and the nation^[3].

1) Special and Welfare Education: Special education is provided for children who are hearing-impaired, mentally retarded, visually-impaired, physically-impaired and health-impaired. Other groups of children who need special education services are specific learning-disabled, autistic, emotionally/behaviorally disordered, as well as gifted and talented children.

The teaching and learning of special education is organized in both special and inclusive schools. Two types of curricula are used: (i) special curricula offered in special schools such as the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind and (ii) regular curricula used in inclusive schools which may be adjusted to meet the special needs of children^[4].

Welfare education is provided for those who are socially and culturally disadvantaged. Students are not only provided with free education, but also accommodation, food, clothing, equipment, textbooks and other necessities. They are given special vocational training relevant to the locality of a particular school for future employment.

2) Vocational Education: In the general stream of basic education, workoriented education is offered to primary school children to provide them with work experience and basic knowledge for career preparation. Work-oriented education and vocational education offered as elective, compulsory and free elective courses at both lower and upper secondary levels.

In the vocational stream, vocational education is provided at three levels: upper secondary, leading to the lower certificate of vocational education; postsecondary, leading to a diploma or the higher certificate of vocational education; and at university level, leading to a degree.

2. Non-Formal Education

Non-formal education has flexibility in determining the aims, modalities, management procedures, duration, assessment and evaluation conditional to its completion. The contents and curricula for non-formal education will be appropriate, respond to the requirements, and meet the needs of individual groups of learners.

Non-formal education services are provided by both public and private bodies to those outside the school system, i.e. early childhood population, schoolage population who have missed formal schooling and over-school-age population^[5] :

a) Provision of Non-Formal Education for Pre-School Children:

> Provision of education services to 2-6 year old children or from birth to 6 years.

> Early childhood development in centres established by local communities for children aged 3-6 years.

> Family based early childhood development.

> Child development of the private sector organized by the Council of Early Childhood and Youth Development Organizations consisting of 50 member organizations.

b) Provision of Fundamental Education for Literary:

This educational service is provided to promote literacy for adults aged 14 years and over who are still illiterate. Non-formal activities to eradicate illiteracy are currently organized by the DNFE as follows:

> The Literacy Campaign, with volunteer teachers and volunteer village tutors, has continued to promote the eradication of illiteracy among the adult population.

> Functional Literacy Programme, organized for illiterate adults, emphasis integration of literacy and problem solving skills for the improvement of quality of life.

> The Promotion of Thai Language Usage for Thai Muslims in 5 southern border provinces.

> Hill Areas Education, aiming to provide educational services to promote literacy among hill tribes by using non-formal education volunteer teachers.

c) Provision of General Non-Formal Education:

This education service, provided as continuing education programmes for those having no chance to study in formal education from primary to higher levels, is normally organized in public schools or official premises, factories or other organizations. Learners are awarded the same qualifications as those in the formal school system. The learning process is organized in three ways: classroom learning, distance education and self-learning.

d) Vocational Non-Formal Education^[6] :

> Training Course for Vocational Certificate: This programme is designed for primary school graduates who have no chance to study at a higher level. It is organized by the DNFE to provide educational opportunities to target populations in rural areas through training in vocational skills and quality of life promotion leading to a certificate equivalent to general lower secondary school.

> Short-Course Vocational Training: Short-term vocational course are provided in many areas such as Industrial Technology, Business and Commerce, Agriculture, and Arts and Crafts for 200-300 hours. Pre-employment training for the unemployed and upgrading training for skilled workers who need additional knowledge and skills are provided by various agencies, both public and private, including NGOs.

> Interest Group Programme: The Department of Non-formal Education (DNFE) organizes teaching and learning activities according to individual needs and interests of the general public. Those having the same interest can form a group of 5-15 persons and receive training of not more than 30 hours.

> Non-Formal Programme for Certificate in Vocational Education: Nonformal education activities leading to the Certificate in Vocational Education are provided through distance learning to lower secondary school graduates, both the unemployed and those working in public organizations and private enterprises. This programme requires at least 3 years of study, except when there is a transfer of academic performance or experience.

d) Quality of Life Improvement Activities:

Training activities concerning quality of life improvement are provided to the general public The Department of Non-formal Education (DNFE) and other agencies responsible for education services, welfare and public services.

3 Informal Education

Informal education will enable learners to learn by themselves according to their interests, potential, readiness and the opportunities available from individuals, society, environment, media, or other sources of knowledge as follows^[7] :

> Informal education programmes provided by all types of libraries, museums, as well as science and technology centres, etc.

> Informal education programmes of community learning networks, i.e. community learning centres, village reading centres, sub-district health offices, sub-district agricultural offices, as well as natural learning sources in each community.

> Learning from local wisdom which includes culture and the body of knowledge in each community.

> Informal education programmes provided by mass media, i.e. radio, television, newspaper, magazines, etc.

> Learning from families which are learning sources from birth of all people.

> Learning from networking through cooperative activities.

It can be said that all ministries are involved in providing informal education to promote lifelong learning. The services provided include educational activities or academic and professional programmes for different target groups relating to the responsibilities of each ministry.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., p.103.

[2]:

Ibid., p.110

[3]:

Depvedi,Phra, “Buddhist Education”, Radical Conservation, p.45.

[4]:

Ibid., p.89.

[5]:

Boonyod Kommao, “The Role of Buddhist Monks in Thai Society, a Sociological Study”, p.25.

[6]:

Phrarajavaramuni., Philosophy of Thai Education, p.55.

[7]:

Phradhammapitaka, Dawn of Education, pp.89-92.