Calls to boost alternative education
The Alternative Education Council Association of Thailand is urging the Education Ministry to set up a special agency to be responsible for the support and management of alternative education.
Chatchawan Thongdeelert, the association’s secretary-general, said many alternative school operators have faced problems in registering their institutions, getting government subsidies, enabling their students to study in military reserve training schools and receiving proper assessments.
This is despite the fact the constitution and related laws acknowledge alternative education as an official system.
According to Mr Chatchawan, the Office of Basic Education Commission has set the direction for alternative education to serve the needs of those students who have not had an opportunity to study in the general education system since 2006.
However, home schools and alternative education institutions still face difficulties due to a lack of understanding among various agencies.
Therefore, he suggested the ministry establish the new agency to ensure that alternative education in Thailand is properly handled and supported by officials who understand the area.
“Our curriculum is different from those taught in regular schools, so the education assessment for us should be different as well that why we need a new agency to look after us,” Mr Chatchawan said.
Permanent secretary for education Chaipreuk Serirak said the ministry has recognised problems in the alternative education system and is considering amending its ministerial regulations so as to provide more resources to all alternative school operators.
“Our ministerial regulation now says that ‘alternative school operators may get government subsidies’ which is not clear, so we will fix it and change the word ‘may’ to ‘must’,” Mr Chaipreuk said.
He said the ministry will try to register all alternative school operators as soon as possible. However, the ministry has not decided yet to what extent alternative school operators will receive subsidies.