The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) has praised Thailand for its success in bringing so-called out-of-school children and youth in the violence-plagued southern border provinces into the formal education system.
Out-of-school children are those in the primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary schools.
Ichiro Miyazawa, a programme specialist in literacy and lifelong learning at the Unesco Bangkok Office, lauded Thailand for being a leading nation in Asean in solving the out-of-school children problem.
"Let me congratulate Thailand on this success in resolving the issue of out-of-school children and youth," he said. "I hope the country will spread this success to all other parts of the country as well as other countries in Asean," said Mr Miyazawa at a meeting with local educational officials, held in Pattani on Tuesday.
He added that Unesco and Asean will move forward to reach out to more than 4.1 million out-of-school children and youth across the region.
The Education Ministry has managed to get more than 27,376 youngsters, aged three to 18, into the education system.
That accounts for more than 60% of out-of-school children and youth, according to the ministry.
The majority of out-of-school children in the country live in the restive southernmost provinces.
Insurgent attacks during the past decade have created a climate of fear that has severely affected education. Schools have been torched and bombed and teachers killed.
Many kids have experienced problems going to school or afford it as their parents have become victims of violence.
However, the authorities have tried every means possible to offer children an education. Soldiers have been deployed to provide security and education personnel sent to the region.
Mr Miyazawa credited the late King Rama IX for his initiatives in laws and educational policies in spearheading the education-for-all idea to ensure no one in the country is left behind.
He also praised the cabinet's recent resolution to ensure education opportunities for children who have not been registered as Thai citizens and stateless people.
The next challenge for Thailand is to get the remaining 40% of out-of-school youngsters into the basic education system, Mr Miyazawa said.