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Experts warn of ‘lost generation’ as Thailand marks Children’s Day
January 12, 2024
Since 1956, Thailand has celebrated National Children’s Day with fun activities and impressive speeches about how important kids are to the country’s future.
But as this year’s Children’s Day approaches, academics say urgent action is needed to boost kids’ care, protection, and education otherwise Thailand risks suffering a “lost generation”.
“The current environment is damaging children,” warns Prof Sompong Jitradup, an expert at the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) and former education lecturer at Chulalongkorn University.
Toxic environment
Sompong said nearly half of Thai families are either damaged or broken from grappling with issues like poverty, debt, domestic violence and other conflicts. Faced with these challenges, many parents are failing to provide their children with a nurturing environment to grow up in.
Sompong also pointed to serious deficiencies in the education system, including a lack of emphasis on democratic values, creativity, critical thinking, and the courage to innovate. Compounding the problems are frequent reports of teachers verbally or even physically abusing students. Some teachers have even been caught trying to extort money from children under their care.
Violent disciplinary methods remain a serious blight on Thai education, says Surapong Kongchantuk, president of the Social Action for Children and Women.
“Late last year, an 11-year-old student was hit 70 times by his teacher for failing to complete his homework,” he said. “At another school, a teacher hit a toddler with a metal plate.”
Although the Education Ministry banned physical punishment in 2003, a 2020 survey by the Thailand Development Research Institute found that 64% of students had experienced violent punishment in school.
Another survey found that most teachers believe physically punishing students did not violate their rights, citing the need to turn the children into better humans.
“We need to eradicate this attitude and practice. Schools must be safe spaces for young people,” Surapong said.
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