Large numbers of Thai students drop out from schools

[Spitfire]

Over 110,000 students drop out last year

Last academic year had seen 113,432 students dropped out of schools with Ubon Ratchathani province having the largest number at 2,771 dropouts, a senior official at the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) said Monday.

Obec Policy and Planning Office director Rangsan Maneelek said that 45,092 out of such dropouts cited their family's poverty as the reason.

There were 23,651 students citing other reasons, 12,481 citing family problems and 15,384 citing relocation with family. Meanwhile, 4,571 students left to find jobs to support their families, 6,347 said they had difficulty in adjusting themselves and 4,822 left to get married. While 853 students dropped out due to health problems, 231 persons were punished for crimes, he added.

Source - The Nation

Interesting snapshot of how students and normal families are finding it in the last year or so. Over a hundred and ten thousand is a lot and you often don't see/find reports like this one, I haven't come across one in the mainstream news for a while. The average Thai families have been hit hard, education is a luxury here.

[PeteC]

I read that a few days ago also SF and immediately popped to mind the question...dropped out of what...?

University/technical, secondary grades 7-12, primary grades 1-6. It would give a clearer picture if they defined that.

Mandatory education used to be up to grade 6 but it may be grade 9 now, I'm not sure, or even if anything is enforced regardless of age/grade.

If more and more kids are being lost at the lower levels, that is a very serious deal. Pete

[shunpike]

Just a question, how many students are enrolled per year in Thailand? 113,000 dropouts may seem to be alot, but if they're are 15 million students...not so much. We need a bit of perspective.

[johnnyk]

Any figures on those who are awake and paying attention?
Mai ben lai, Somchai knows he doesn't get his job on the basis of WHAT he knows...