Population (approx.)60 millionLiteracy StatisticsOverall: 93.8%Male: 96.0%Female: 91.6%GNP Per Capita (US Dollars)$6,700Source: The World Bank Development Indicators, 1996; CIA World Fact Book 1997 |
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Country Report presented by Vatcharin Hamratanaphon
Thailand has had considerable success with increasing its literacy rate, which currently stands at 95%. With basic literacy no longer a major problem, the Ministry of Education and the Department of Non-Formal Education have begun several new initiatives. The purpose of these efforts is to maintain literacy rates, to promote post-literacy education, and to provide equal access to education for all Thai populations, both inside and outside of the formal school system, particularly those in rural and disadvantaged target groups. These programs include a Functional Literacy program, the Continuing Education program, and a Public Libraries program at the provincial and district levels and including the creation of village reading centers.
After the launch of the first national communication satellite in 1993, another new project was initiated by the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Thaicom Foundation. The Foundation donated one satellite channel for distance education programs in the Satellite Distance Education Project, and the distance education broadcasts target those who live in remote rural places and those who work during the day.
This project aims to:
- improve the quality and effectiveness of distance education programs,
- provide opportunities for all to acquire knowledge and information,
- enhance the instructional quality of primary and secondary schools in areas that lack well-trained teachers, and
- provide access to distance and non-formal education both at primary and secondary levels for out-of-school youths and adults.
Various programs in the Satellite Distance Education Project supplement formal education, support the Distance Non-Formal Education Program, and provide other non-formal educational instruction. For the Distance Non-Formal Education Program, an integrated multi-media instructional system is used. This design is composed of self-instructional packages, satellite TV broadcasts, radio broadcasts, and teacher/group facilitators.
The Satellite Distance Education Project has passed the early stages of pilot implementation and is presently in the expansion phase. Many areas of improvement have already been identified, and although it is too early to measure the project's full success, the findings show that it is has had a positive impact on non-formal education target groups, especially rural and disadvantaged school children.
Country Report presented by Pramote Duang-im
About 95% of Thailand's 60 million citizens speak the official language (Thai), and the literacy rate stands at about 95% as well. Consequently, the Thai Department of Non-Formal Education and other related agencies involved in the overall educational system focus much of their efforts on continuing and lifelong education to keep up with the changing world, with a special emphasis on science, environment, and new vocational technologies.
The Department of Non-formal Education in Thailand offers general and vocational training as well as numerous certificate and non-certificate programs. The department tries to respond to individual learning needs and demands for types of training and works with many other government agencies, such as the ministries of interior (prison education), defense (education programs for soldiers), labor (employee training), and university affairs. The department is also responsible for public libraries, science museums, community learning centers, village reading centers, distribution of printed materials, educational radio and television programs, and a new satellite distance education project.
Another new project of the NFE department concerns the newly adopted Thai constitution. To provide information and educate people about the new political changes, the department has developed and distributed books and other materials on the new constitution and broadcast information programs on both radio and television.
INTERNATIONAL LITERACY
INSTITUTE