Thailand

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Improving Secondary Education
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	Education Profile
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During the 1980s, the Royal Thai Government focused on expanding primary education. Such efforts are reflected in the achievement of near universal primary education, regardless of income, geographical location or sex.

The expansion of secondary enrollment has followed in recent years, with a current gross enrollment rate of 77 percent. Gross enrollment in tertiary education is also among the highest in the region at 40 percent. While recent educational achievements put Thailand ahead of most East Asian countries, it still falls behind Asian Tiger (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.  

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World Bank Program

Recently, the World Bank's relationship with Thailand has evolved from lender to knowledge-sharer. The  World Bank continues to engage with the Thai government in the area of human development through the Thailand Social Monitors. The Thailand Social Monitors look at issues affecting Thais in the areas of health, education, and social protection. Recent Social Monitors examined secondary education, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and formal and informal social safety nets.

In August 2006, the Thailand Social Monitor focused on improving secondary education, Thailand Social Monitor: Improving Secondary Education. The objective of this report was to analyze the secondary education system in Thailand and to provide recommendations for improving access and equity.The Thai Government has expanded efforts to improve access to secondary education in recent years, particularly in rural areas. Despite important gains, of those who complete primary school, only 88 percent transition to lower secondary school and 69 percent continue to upper secondary school. The study suggests that educational costs represent a significant barrier to many students to continuing onto secondary school.

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