Economic growth fails to address inequality, report finds

The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) has released a report highlighting significant trends impacting educational inequality in 2024. 

Despite the positive outlook for the Thai economy, driven by domestic factors such as private consumption, tourism, and exports leading to better overall employment rates than in 2023, economic growth remains concentrated in certain sectors of society. 

This is reflected in the ongoing rise in household debt, which continues to pose a risk for children and youth in poor or disadvantaged households. 

It is estimated that up to 1.8 million of the total 8.9 million students could potentially drop out of the educational system.

Furthermore, the number of young people aged 15-24 who are not in education, employment, or training is expected to rise. 

This is partly due to increasing social issues and an educational system and curriculum that have yet to adapt to the needs of learners and the labour market. 

Therefore, it is crucial to enhance education and learning systems to meet these demands effectively, the EEF reported.

The emphasis should be on rapid learning and adaptation skills, creative and innovative thinking, and guidance to help children and youth discover their abilities and interests, it said.

The EEF also highlighted another critical structural issue affecting educational inequality: demographic transition. Thailand is transitioning into a fully ageing society due to a declining birth rate, leading to a decrease in the number of children and youth in schools. 

This trend is particularly noticeable in small schools with fewer than 120 students, where the number of students per school is expected to drop to as low as 40-60.

Budget allocation and teacher assignments are still based primarily on individual student numbers, which means that small schools often have insufficient funds for quality education and fewer teachers. This exacerbates educational inequality in terms of quality among schools.

The vulnerability of households is also expected to worsen, especially among those that are economically disadvantaged. 

Single-parent households and skipped-generation households (where children live with grandparents) are on the rise. This trend may further impede the preparation of children for learning, particularly in terms of emotional skills, which are heavily dependent on stable family structures.

Therefore, to support the recovery of vulnerable populations and improve access to and retention in education for underprivileged children and youth, targeted support is essential. Special attention should be given to children and youth from extremely poor and vulnerable households.

Collaboration among government ministries and the EEF has led to the integration of census data with the student registration system. This integration has revealed that about 1.02 million children and youth aged 3-18 who should be in basic education (from kindergarten to Grade 12 or vocational certificate Level 3) are not listed in the educational system.

These data are crucial for understanding the scale of the problem across different age groups and enabling stakeholders, including local agencies, to have the tools and information necessary for proactively supporting children and youth both inside and outside the education system. 

The goal is not only to bring these children back into the educational system but also to inspire them to find their suitable paths and to achieve their full potential through education and learning. 

This would ensure that the Thai population can develop themselves, generate income, and improve their living standards and those of society as a whole.