Thailand has formulated a policy and framework for action on education for all in the 1992 National Education Scheme in compliance with the World Declaration on Education for All adopted by all UNESCO Member States during the World Conference on Education for All in March, 1990 at Jomtien, Chonburi, Thailand. The scheme aims at guiding all related agencies to implement their activities.

The World Declaration will have reached one-decade old in 2000 since its adoption. An assessment on education for all will be conducted to follow up the progress of the management of education for all in UNESCO Member States. UN agencies, namely, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, and the World Bank, have jointly published a Guideline for the Assessment as well as provided technical assistance to Member States.

In the past decade, Thailand's attempts to implement activities in education for all have steadily progressed, particularly the extension of compulsory basic education from six to nine years. In 1998, the rate of the transition to lower and upper secondary education levels was approximately 90 % and it tends to be on a continual increase. The provision of pre-primary education was obviously extended as the number of school age children having obtained this level of education was relatively higher from 1990 to 68.64%. The approaches of the provision of this level of education are offered through the Community Child Care Centers, Child Care attached to temples and mosques, and other non-governmental agencies. The transitional rate to primary education is 91.32% with equal opportunity in terms of gender. These are some of the successful models of education for all representing the efforts of mobilizing relevant agencies to jointly render their resources to undertake the national activities in providing education for all.

In addition to such concerted efforts, Section 43 of the 1997 Constitution stipulates that all Thai citizens shall enjoy their right to education which will be provided by the government to all citizens at least twelve years of basic education with quality and free of charge. The 1999 National Education Act also legislates that compulsory education shall be extended from six to nine years and shall be completely undertaken within the year 2002. These policies reflect the models of education administration and management supporting the provision of education for all in compliance with the goals.

About 10% of the out-of-school youth, particularly the disadvantaged, require special needs to enable them to maintain in the formal education system. Both public and private agencies, have undertaken several projects to enable this group to access to formal education system. Consequently, some duplications and inequitable distribution of services were seen. Therefore, the assessment of EFA 2000 will help identify problems and solutions to ensure that the current education reform will yield maximum impacts in improving efficiency of education for all.

This report is made possible by the assistance of agencies relating to basic education for all, both central and regional offices under the Ministry of Education as well as other relevant agencies outside the Ministry of Education. Additionally, UNESCO has also rendered its technical and financial support to the Ministry while UNICEF has assisted in translating the report into English. The Thai Ministry of Education, as the focal point of the Assessment of EFA 2000, would like to express its sincere appreciation to all concerned and hope that this report would be of benefital to wider circles of readers.

The Ministry of Education
Thailand, 1999