Education, Part 1
Educational institutions in Thailand are run by the government to a wider extent than in neighboring non-communist countries, such as Malaysia and the Philippines. On all levels of learning, there are mostly government schools and just a few private schools. Exceptions are small language schools; most of them are private.
Though Wats have been the traditional institutions of learning for many centuries, their importance in this field has much declined. Today, they principally offer non-formal education in religion. Buddhist tenets are thought on all primary schools except those in Muslim areas in the South. Public education was introduced to Thailand by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, reigned 1868 to 1910).
Primary education consists of a six-year elementary term. It is taken care of almost exclusively by municipal schools and provided free. Primary education is compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 15. There is no compulsory education for those who haven’t finished elementary school when reaching the age of 15, or for those who finish elementary school before reaching the age of 15.
Secondary education consists of five- or six-year terms. There are 8 schools for deaf children, 2 schools for the blind, 1 for the multiple-handicapped and 2 for the mentally retarded.
College courses or vocational training follow after secondary level schooling. There are about 180 colleges and vocational schools. The country has 14 universities, 3 of them private. The most prestigious institution of higher learning in the kingdom is Chulalongkorn University (founded 1917). The largest is Ramkhamhaeng University (1971). Thammasat University (1934) has long been the one with most political activists.
Since 1973, students are a political force to reckon with in Thailand. On October 14, 1973, after demonstrations which left more than 400 people dead, students succeeded to force out of office and out of the country the joint military dictators Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn and Field Marshall Prapass Charusathiara. The rector of Thammasat University, Sanya Dhammasakdi, was then appointed caretaker Prime Minister by King Bhumiphol.
The country’s elite, including the members of the royal family, traditionally receives its higher education abroad, mostly in England. The reigning king, Bhumiphol Adulyadej, as well as his late elder brother and predecessor on the throne, Ananda Mahidol, were educated in Switzerland.
The types of degrees offered by universities in Thailand correspond closely to those offered in the American system. A diploma or associate’s degree is obtained in certain fields after the third year of a bachelor’s degree program. A bachelor’s degree is awarded following four years of study in most subjects, a master’s after one or two years following a bachelor’s degree, and a doctoral degree after at least two more years of studies in a few fields. A certificate of professional qualification is awarded in certain fields after one to four years of postgraduate studies. Degrees higher than bachelor’s degrees can only be earned at government universities.
Vocational training institutes offer three types of qualification. The lowest level is the Certificate of Vocational Education (PVCH) which is awarded to students who have successfully pursued a course of study for three years. The Higher Certificate of Vocational Education (PVS) requires a further two years study. The Advanced Certificate of Vocational Education (PVT) is granted to students completing a two-year program after graduating from a pre-university school (3 years of schooling after secondary school). The PVT thus involves a combination of academic and vocational training while the PVS involves five years of vocational training. In addition the Ratchamongkol Institute of Technology grants bachelor’s degrees in technology-related subjects.
In 1988, some 2,700 engineers entered the labor market, of which roughly 30 percent were in the fields of electrical and electronic engineering, 24 percent in mechanical and metallurgical engineering, and 46 percent in other engineering disciplines. The total number of graduates from vocational schools exceeded 150,000, of which about 50 percent were in technical fields with the remainder in business-related disciplines.
Science and Technology
The Thai Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, has separate departments which undertake research for the industrial sector. TISTR also provides testing services for industrial products and measurement systems in electrical, mechanical, photometric and thermometric standards.
The Department of Science Services, also under the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, acts as the government’s laboratory, providing private and public organizations with a broad range of scientific and technical services.
The Metalworking and Machinery Industries Development Institute (MIDI), under the Department of Industrial Promotion of the Ministry of Industry aims to develop technologies and to increase the efficiency of the small and medium sized metalworking and machinery industries. In addition to numerous training programs, MIDI also provides state-of-the-art high precision material testing as well as applied research and development and trial fabrication of products and tools.
The Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) also falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry. It is the body responsible for setting industrial standards in all engineering and mechanical sectors. TISI provides inspection services, and has technical staff available to assist in bringing products up to the standard where necessary.
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