The Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) is expressing concern over a decline in student enrolment across Thailand, which may exacerbate the challenges faced by small schools under the current per-head funding system.
Efforts are also underway to tackle the long-standing problem of excessive teacher workloads. A strategic proposal aimed at alleviating these burdens is to be presented to the new education minister shortly.
Acting Sub Lieutenant Thanu Wongjinda, Secretary General of the Basic Education Commission, highlighted that the student population under OBEC’s jurisdiction decreased by nearly 100,000 this academic year, dropping from 6.4 million to just over 6.3 million as of June 10.
This decline presents significant challenges for many schools, particularly small ones that already contend with limited budgets and resources.
OBEC is organising a nationwide meeting with local education area directors from July 1 to July 3 to explore management models and support mechanisms for small schools. Additionally, there are plans to devise strategies to reduce teachers’ non-instructional duties.
“Our aim is for teachers to concentrate solely on teaching,” Acting Sub. Lt. Thanu said.
He explained that teachers are often burdened with administrative tasks, such as project management and procurement, for which they generally lack formal training. He pointed to a recent incident in Buriram province, where a teacher’s suicide was attributed to overwhelming non-teaching responsibilities, highlighting the urgency of the matter.
Acting Sub. Lt. Thanu mentioned that OBEC is considering transferring these duties to administrative staff, though additional training is needed, particularly in accounting and inventory management.
“We’re exploring tailored training programmes for school administrative officers. We believe that by removing these non-teaching tasks from teachers, the overall quality of education will improve.”
The meeting also addressed safety concerns in schools along the Thai-Cambodian border. With 416 schools in this area, OBEC is prioritising student safety due to increasing security risks.
A recent survey indicated that 160 schools have access to secure shelters, while 230 do not have any bomb shelters, reported Bangkok Post.
Acting Sub. Lt. Thanu directed the Office of Administration to identify high-risk schools requiring attention and to coordinate with state agencies to construct protective facilities. Meanwhile, all border schools are instructed to conduct emergency drills and appoint safety officers to oversee evacuation planning.
The story Thailand faces student enrolment drop, small schools struggle as seen on Thaiger News.
