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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 27, No. 12. 1964.

Thailand On The Move

page 5

Thailand On The Move

Like other Asian countries, Thailand is still included in the "under-developed area" category (diplomatically speaking, "developing area" is used to describe countries in this stage of economic development). The problems the Thais are facing are no less vital than those of their neighbours. Investment is considered as a means towards the desired ends. Not only physical but also "human investment" is considered as a means towards a more desirable life.

Economic development has become the only possible solution to the seemingly increasing problem of hunger and starvation in many Asian countries. Thailand does not suffer from this problem. Yet to have a higher standard of living she has, first of all, to increase her productivity through the improvement of technology and the utilisation of natural resources both in agricultural and industrial sectors.

This increase in national productivity is largely dependent on the basic facilities of society, that is, education, public health, communication, irrigation, transportation and the like.

Education has always been the foremost social service that should be provided before a country can succeed in raising its standard of living. It enables people to have more efficient methods of production in the country and it also promotes understanding and tolerance within the nation, as well as among all nations.

In October 1960 a Thai National Scheme of Education was proclaimed. There are four levels of education listed in that scheme. They are pre-school education, elementary education, secondary education and higher education.

Higher education, the last stage, is defined as . . the level of education which deals with the study of, and research in the higher academic, professional and technical subjects at the universities or similar institutions," and calls for many necessary plans which should be carried out. There are now in Thailand five so-called universities, three of them providing subjects in special fields, i.e. agriculture, medical science and fine arts. The other two provide wider subjects which include liberal arts, engineering, science, economics, political science, education arts, psychology and law.

Not Comparable

It is evident that these five universities are incomparable with a good university in developed areas. There is always the need for highly qualified lecturers. The Thai government has, in the last 2-3 decades, spent a considerable amount of money in sending students overseas to be trained as teachers and lecturers. If we standardize our own universities or else have a new academic institution with the equivalent standard of a university in the real sense, we could obviously reduce our expenditure on these student trips.

Local students would have the chance to study in Thailand, in a good university with the necessary facilities and, of course, with no trouble. Oddly enough, our students who are studying abroad both on government scholarships and through private funds are not particularly successful. This should not be interpreted that English or any other language is the basic problem, but that because of living in a new and strange world, and living with people of different beliefs and attitudes, many overseas students (not only the Thais), return to their respective countries with no degrees, and some suffer from mental breakdowns. Nevertheless quite a number of students struggle through all of these social and academic problems and are, indeed, very successful.

About ten years ago, an estimate showed that the Thai Government had to spend over 35 million baht (60 baht—£1) on students who won government scholarships to study abroad, expenditure which could be spent on giving the scholarships to 3365 local students to study a four-year course in Chulalongkorn University.

View of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

View of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok.

Expenditure for higher education is not the only problem in Thailand. There are many more problems existing in the five universities—namely the problems of big classes, resulting from too many students but insufficient lecturers, the low salaries of university lecturers, the lack of qualified personnel and personal problems of students themselves that affect their studies.

Spoonfeeding?

One would not be mistaken to say that Thai universities are practising the spoon-fed system. This is due to two basic problems. Firstly, too much time is spent in lecture rooms. The average time in which classes are held during a week, not on Saturdays and Sundays, in a university is 25 to 30 hours. Consequently students cannot find time to work and read widely by themselves. Secondly, normally Thai people do not speak English. Thai is the official language while English is taught in schools and universities as a second language. Most of the available text books are written in English (although some are translated into Thai). Still, owing to the delicacy of the language, things cannot possibly be explained clearly. Students read English slowly and with very little understanding.

The system used in some other universities abroad is entirely different from the Thai. For example, in New Zealand. I have not more than twelve classes during the week (including tutorials). But I have to work very hard by myself in the library. It is really a hard life for a student from a university with such a different system to study in a modern and standardised academy. This is perhaps the reason why Thai students cannot do very well compared with other Asian students who come from universities which are run in the style of the English educational system.

Lecturer Shortage

Another problem that we encounter in Thailand is the shortage of university lecturers as most of the lecturers in the five universities are part-time. Recently in Thammasat university, of 269 lecturers only seven were full-time—the other 262 were all part-time. The number of students at that time was over 20,000. The ratio of staff to students was thus 1 to 18.

Higher education is probably beneficial only to those students who are in Bangkok and can afford to pay the fees as well as other expenses which they will incur at University and to some country boys who can afford to live in Bangkok. A student is required to pass Madhayom Suksa 5 (equivalent to Sixth Form), but has to sit for a very highly competitive University Entrance Examination. There are a limited number of vacancies in universities. Only the brainiest or, in some rare cases, the luckiest person will survive.

The Thai Government is aware of this problem which is increasingly important to the development of the country. The national economic development plan goes with education planning like Siamese twins. In 1963 education took up 17.5 per cent of the total government expenditure. The educational plan is not concentrated in any particular field but covers all the aspects in education as a whole because the four educational levels are interrelated. Emphasis has especially been made in the training of skilled personnel e.g. skilled workers, administrators, teachers etc.

Higher education provides the country with educated people, highly qualified to work and govern various aspects of society. It makes possible the initiative in people's thoughts, which is a very important thing in a good democracy.

The Financial Bugbear

Higher education means higher costs. The shortage of finance and technology is still the main problem in Thailand. It has been solved mainly by our own effort and partly by foreign assistance e.g. UNO and its subsidiary organization such as UNESCO, FAO, and ECAFE. The Colombo Plan has now become a new torch, giving its light to our people to enable them to attain technological Improvement, a broader scope of knowledge and a better understanding which will eventually lead us to prosperity.

The National Educational Council (NEC) and the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation were established along with the educational plan to help develop the country.

According to this plan, more universities will be set up in three parts of the country—the North. North-East and the South. Basic facilities are being provided to meet this demand for change, feeder roads have been built in many areas, new dams are under construction and students are being sent overseas to study and return as lecturers in these universities. The plan has not yet been accomplished, but it is hoped that this will soon be remedied. So far two new universities have been operating although not in full capacity because of lack of lecturers, funds etc.

Khon Khean

The University of Khon Khean will be the model for Thai universities when it Is finished. It is situated in Khon Khean, a big city in the centre of N.E. Thailand. The idea of setting up this university had been given consideration for quite a long time but it only eventuated when Field Marshal Sarit's government asked for and was granted United Nations and Colombo Plan aid. Initially, the plan was to set up an Institution of Technology but it was later on thought that a new and well equipped university would be ideal. Only 150 students were accepted in June this year and there are only two faculties—agriculture and engineering, operating so far.

New Zealand is providing a number of scholarships every year for Thai students and graduates to study in New Zealand universities technical colleges, nursing schools and other institutions such as the English Language Institute.

It is pleasing to note that New Zealand also helps in the agricultural faculty of the University of Khon Khean. New Zealand cows, equipment and methods of technology will be used in Thailand. Thai students who will be lecturers in the University of Khon Khean are now studying in Massey and Lincoln colleges. Other students are studying economics, political science, psychology, education, geography and pure science, mostly in Victoria University of Wellington.

As Rostow pointed out during his visit, Thailand is in a take-off stage. She is taking: off with her own effort, backed up with help from other countries. How fast and steady her growth will be, how far it will go and how long this lasts remains in the hands of the Thais themselves. No one can be helped unless he first helps himself.

The destiny of a better Thailand shines through the foggy situation and the changing political weather in her neighbouring states. Will she be able to avoid the influenza brought by the cold weather of the changing wind—the political storm passing by her? That is the question!