CHAPTER 3 EDUCATION, ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES A. Education

Thailand’s education policy is currently undergoing a major transformation due to the growing demand for reform in the country coupled with the recognition that its relatively weak human resources base was a major contributing factor to the economic crisis. This weak base can be largely attributed to poor educational attainment at the secondary and tertiary levels caused by inaccessibility to educational opportunities, particularly among the poor. The quality of educational services and facilities has been far from uniform with severe shortages experienced in rural areas at the secondary and tertiary levels. Educational curricula also require strengthening to ensure their relevance in relation to the rapidly changing needs of the economy and communities. Old learning methods based on rote learning and memorization needs to be upgraded with greater emphasis placed on analytical skills and problem-solving abilities. The government is committed to strengthening the education sector through increased budget allocations. The proportion of the national budget allocated to the education sector rose from 17.9 percent in 1990 to 25.5 percent in 1999. Relative to other sectors, education took the largest share of the national budget in 1999