Equal Stand Network organised first talk on Equality in Education and Disappearing Schools

“The small school problem offers the clearest reflection of disparity in education in Thailand.”

On Saturday, 17 August 2019, ActionAid Thailand and fellow Equal Stand Network partners organised a talk titled Equality in Education and Disappearing Schools at Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University.

With Mr. Athapol Anunthavorasakul, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education as host, the morning session School Merger-Closure and the Voice of the Community gave a platform for those directly affected by the merger-closure policy before highlighting civil society’s collaboration with communities in managing local schools.

Joining us were Ms. Nisa Boonliang, a student from Wat Prasittharam School in Surat Thani, community leader Ms. Chinda Sudchid, volunteer community teacher Ms. Chiraphorn Sudsin, ActionAid Thailand Programme & Policy Manager Ms. Rungtip Imrungruang, and Secretary-General of the Thai Alternative Education Council Association Mr. Thewin Akkharasilachai.

Entitled Light at the End of the Tunnel, the afternoon session centred on the solutions and alternatives for small schools and policymakers on Thai education management moving forward, especially for the latter who wield more power to reduce disparity, protect the right to education and leave no children behind. The speakers in this session were Prof. Dr. Somphong Chittradub, Director of Research Center for Children and Youth Development, Ms. Ruethaiwan Han-kla, Director of Wat Don Pho Thong School in Suphanburi, and TAECA Vice-President Mr. Yutthachai Chaloemchai.

Equal Stand is a network of development organisations that aims to improve the quality of Thai education and make its access equal and equitable. We are ActionAid Thailand, Research Center for Children and Youth Development, Chulalongkorn University, Environment Development and Sustainability Center at Chulalongkorn University, Thai Alternative Education Council Association, SDG Move Thailand, Thai Civic Education, and Critizen.

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