Determinant of Effective

Thailand, meaning “Land of the Free” and formerly known as Siam, is a tropical Southeast Asian country approximately the same size as France (200,000 square miles).  The population is approximately 50 million with the rate of growth of 1.9% per year.  Bangkok is the capital city and Thai is the national language also being used as a medium of instruction.  The religion of the majority of Thai people is Buddhism.

1.1 General Aims of Education

According to the revised National Education Scheme of 1997, the aims of education are to cultivate knowledge, thinking, skills, and attitudes which will enable the Thai to know themselves and their lives, to understand their own society and environment, and to apply their knowledge and understanding to solve social problems and improve their lives and society.

1.2 General Structure of Educational System

Before 19/8, the school system was 4:3:3:2(3) class structure which primary education comprised 4 years for the lower grades and 3 years for the upper grades; secondary education consisted of 3 years at the lower level, 2 or 3 years at the upper level.  The two-year upper-secondary education was called the academic stream while the three-year upper-secondary education was called the vocational stream.

In 1978, the school system has been changed from 4:3:3:2(3) into  6:3:3 class structure which primary education requires 6 continuous years of study and secondary education consisted of 3 years at the lower level, and another 3 years at the upper level.

Currently, the major elements of the formal education system are as follows:

1. Pre-primary Education The private sector and local communities are encouraged to set up kindergartens and early childhood centers to serve local children throughout the country.
2. Primary Education Primary education is compulsory and free provided universally by the government.  It emphasizes literacy, numeracy, communication skills, and abilities relevant to future occupational roles.
3. Secondary Education Secondary education aims to provide appropriate academic and vocational knowledge consistent with the learner’s age, needs, interests, skills and aptitudes which ultimately will be beneficial to the individual’s career and the larger society.
4. Higher Education Higher education aims at the full development of human intellectual abilities, the advancement of knowledge and technology and the provision of high level academic and professional manpower needed for national development.