When it comes to the budget for education, figures can be deceptive. Under the budget bill, which was debated in the House of Representatives last week, the Education Ministry has been allocated as much as 300 billion baht — one of the largest for the 2024 fiscal year. This has, however, once again revived the perennial question as to why, with such huge budget, the quality of Thai education still leaves much to be desired.
Kraiyos Patrawart, managing director of the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) Thailand pointed to critical spots in Thai education that need to be addressed.
In an interview with Thai PBS World, he agreed that Thailand has sufficient budget for education, as it is equivalent to 5% of GDP, which is an average international standard, according to the OECD.
For Thailand to have a better quality of education, however, he suggested that, firstly, all students, including those from small schools, should have an equitable education by adjusting the budget formula for the over 14,660 small schools across the country.
