The government has launched a project to encourage children who dropped out of school to return and finish their education.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said at the project's launching ceremony at the Education Ministry on Monday that he's glad that many agencies are participating to help school dropouts return to their schooling.
This is good for a more equitable society and for the children's future, Gen Prayut said.
According to Education Ministry records, 238,707 children were recorded as having dropped out of school. The ministry has successfully recovered 127,952 of them.
Students dropped out of school for many reasons, including financial problems or their personal problems, he said.
The prime minister asked the agencies to look into any individual or lingering problems to prevent repeated dropouts.
At the project launch, a memorandum of understanding for the project was signed by the education minister and the heads of other related agencies.
Meanwhile, Gen Prayut advised children to have a positive mindset about their education. If they make the most of their education, it will assist with their career opportunities in what is becoming an increasingly competitive era, he said.
Gen Prayut also congratulated those teachers who raised funds -- on top of government financial support -- to purchase electronic devices for their students to use during online learning. He said the government has limited finances and spending must be done carefully but added that school projects, both big and small, are important.