Drop-out rate alarms Unicef head

Young ‘need more work, life skills’

The number of Thais who are “not in employment, education, or training” (NEET) is concerning, says Kyungsun Kim, director of Unicef Thailand.

Thailand is undergoing many changes because of its ageing population, digitalisation, automation and advances in artificial intelligence, Ms Kyungsun said, adding that children today need more “skills and productivity to help the country’s economy grow”.

Ms Kyungsun yesterday unveiled research on NEET among young Thais. Unicef, the Ministry of Labour and Chulalongkorn University collaborated on the study. She unveiled the findings at a Unicef conference.

According to the report, while more students are enrolled in the education system, 2% drop out halfway through, she said.

There are 1.4 million people aged 15-24 who classify as NEET, or 15% of this age group, she said, citing the most recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) report.

In addition, the number of people in gainful employment has fallen from 4.8 million in 2011 to 2.7 million in 2021. According to the report, 70% of students who drop out of school have no plans for further education.

Ms Kyungsun said 70% of NEETs are women, with most dropping out of school to care for their families. People with disabilities, migrant workers and children from low-income families are also at risk of not having access to education or finding work.

“Investing in education is crucial to the socioeconomic prosperity of the country,” she said. “We hope this research will persuade the government of the importance of this issue, resulting in a long-term solution.”

Another speaker, Rattiya Phulaor, deputy dean of the College of Population Studies at Chulalongkorn University, proposed solutions to the problem.

She said the country must develop an integrated NEET plan and monitoring system to provide timely assistance. A centralised database is also needed.

While lending assistance to specific age groups is essential, promoting work and life skills at various stages of life was also critical for long-term solutions.

By allowing for a broader interpretation of “education”, the system can reduce the number of students who drop out of school. Because working is also learning, work-based education should be promoted, she said.

On a larger scale, she suggested that a national committee for the NEET group be set up to guide the policy’s implementation.