1.2. Evolution of Modern Education

Buasri (quoted in Miller, 1968:138) says that "Throughout its evolution, the Thai education system has more or less paralleled developments in the socioeconomic conditions of the country. During the long early period of Thai history, education remained virtually unchanged. Then the infiltration of western ideas brought about new economic, political and social needs, which gave impetus to educational change." The 19^th century saw a wave of change in Thai system of education. Several factors were responsible for ushering changes into the education system in Thailand.

With the coming of the merchants and Christian missionaries in the mid 1800's modern technology in the form of printing press entered Thailand leading to the availability of books in the Thai language for the first time. In 1858, king Rama IV commanded the government to establish a printing press for its own use and began to print the Royal Gazette or Rajakiccanupeksa,^[1] which has continued till the present day.

Along with technological advancement in the shape of printing, the spread of colonialism in the east towards the end of the 19^th century had great impact on Thai education. King Rama IV^[2] (1851-1865) foresaw the danger of his country being subjugated by western powers like several of his neighboring nations and he successfully established diplomatic and friendly relations with the west. So, under the threat of colonialism and the impetus of western influence, king Rama IV used education as a significant tool to uphold national stability and independence. King Rama IV was a monk for about 17 years and during his monkshood, he was a very diligent Buddhist scholar and also studied English, Latin, science, geography and astronomy. The king sent scholars to study abroad and he along with his children acquired the knowledge of English language.

The reign of king Rama V^[3] (1808-1910) was marked by increased recognition of the need for educated people to staff the growing bureaucracy. King Rama V realized that the kind of education provided by the monastery and the court was not enough for future government officials. For this reason, he commanded that measures be taken to modernized the education of the country. Recognizing the importance of good knowledge of English, he ordered that English would form a part of the new educational requirements, as it had become a necessary key to further knowledge as well as medium of communication with foreigners. Here, educations were to perform the dual role of modernization as well as combat the danger of western imperialism. "The ideal of modernization became materialized upon the threat of western imperialism and the pressure of internal political movements. Education was to assume a functional role as the major means of modernization. It was to help produce new generation of qualified leaders and administrators in order to anticipate and keep pace with the momentum of the reforming process"^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Government Gazette (GG) or Royal Gazette (RG), is the public journal and newspaper of record of Thailand. Laws passed by the government generally come into force after being published in the GG. The Cabinet Secretariat, a department in the Office of the Prime Minister, is now in charge of printing the GG. The GG was first issued on 15 March 1858 by King Rama IV to inform government officials and the general public of news about the country.

[2]:

Anuman Rajadhon, Poppular Buddhism in Siam, in Visakha Puja Day B.E.2012, p.15.

[3]:

Ibid., p.25.

[4]:

Thailand Government, 1998 p.9.