BURI RAM: Pol Capt Aphichit Phanthaprathip surprised quite a few people when he quit the police force just as he was on the brink of being promoted to inspector.
However, it was a decision which proved the right one for many poor youngsters with limited access to education.
Friends, family and colleagues who saw him turn his back on a promising police career thought he was out of his mind, and Pol Capt Aphichit, in his early 30s, admits he felt apprehensive at first. However, having realised the difference he could make to the education of young students in Buri Ram, he had no regrets.
็He was serving as deputy police inspector at Muang police station in Buri Ram when he started teaching youngsters from poor families in Mathayom 1 to 4 (grades 7 to 10) in his spare time.
The youngsters could not afford extra tutorial classes and some had dropped out of school due to poverty.
Pol Capt Aphichit took them in at a two-storey building he rented on In Chan Road in downtown Buri Ram and tutored them in maths and science, the two subjects he excels in.
Back then, he would find the time between duties to teach the youngsters.
In February 2016, he tendered his letter of resignation. The reason he gave for quitting was to "further his studies out of a passion to teach youngsters".
He spends 15,000 baht a month on building rent and about 10,000 baht to purchase books for the teenagers aged between 14 and 18 years old. He calls his school "Ban Sang Fan" which means " the home where dreams are made".
Some students come to class during the day while others, who live further away, are given full board and sleep in a dormitory at the building.
Due to the financial burden of running the school, he has opened a small coffee shop in the downtown area, which generates enough money for classes and meals for the youngsters. Pol Capt Aphichit found his passion was teaching and eventually decided to change what began as a hobby into full-time work.
He said police officers play an important part in creating solutions to social problems as they form a vital component of the justice system. However, the right education can prevent the problems from happening in the first place.
Although he can teach only a dozen youngsters at the moment, he said he feels it is a good start. But increasing education for the young from underprivileged backgrounds remains an issue which tends to be overlooked by people, he said.
In his view, educational opportunities and good teaching help the young to learn discipline and form a strong base for society. This helps keep them from engaging in criminal activities.
Pol Capt Aphichit said he is from an upcountry family and witnessed unequal opportunities between rich and the poor firsthand.
Last year, at least five million children aged 18 or younger were classified as underprivileged, according to Rajanukul Institute under the Mental Health Department. Of these, 25% lacked or had limited access to education.
Pol Capt Aphichit said he was one of the fortunate few whose families fully support their children's education from an early age.
His tutorial classes have paid off already. One of the youngsters he tutored won a place at the prestigious Silpakorn University while another has gained entry to the police cadet academy.
However, the boy who managed to get into the police cadet school is short-sighted, which could be grounds for the academy to reject his application to join, so Pol Capt Aphichit took out a loan to pay for the boy's Lasic surgery.
Pol Capt Aphichit said some people have accused him of self-propaganda, "but I couldn't care less," he said. His intention is to help make children's dreams come true by assisting with their education.