Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun said yesterday that urgent action is needed to address education inequality and restore hope among Thailand’s younger generation.
Mr Anand offered the observations during a speech he gave at “The Scenario of Thai Society Future” seminar, which was organised by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.
The event was to commemorate the half-century anniversary of the PDA’s establishment.
Mr Anand told the seminar that the nation’s young are an important force in building a better society and making Thailand prosperous, but many younger people have left the country in search of a better future elsewhere.
It is because they have lost hope in their motherland, he said.
Mr Anand said they have witnessed their country deteriorating because of immorality in a wide range of sectors, such as the selfishness of politicians, social inequality, and the degradation of democracy.
Furthermore, the former prime minister said they also had lost trust in the country’s legislative, administrative and judicial powers.
To ensure younger generations don’t keep leaving Thailand, he said equality in society must be built, especially equal rights to quality education, which could help the younger generation see hope in their country. He said a decent education ensures the right to equal opportunity.
“People are born equal as human beings, but when it comes to certain ages like three to four years old, inequality starts to emerge when rich kids are sent to learn in good kindergartens while many poor kids cannot access good education,” Mr Anand said.
“Even among those kids who attend kindergartens, they also face inequality regarding the school they studied at. Such inequality has been extended to the university level.
“The inequality in education leads to unequal rights to opportunity when they live their lives. So, we need to fix [education to ensure equal access to opportunity].”
Speaking more broadly, Mr Anand said that while every government has good intentions to improve the country, they have to act to make it a reality and not just talk about it.
To do so, he urged the government to collaborate with the private sector. Over the course of 30 years, he has seen that the private sector has been much more progressive, especially in terms of how to provide equal opportunities.
“All sectors must work together, and if such things are accomplished, the younger generation will have second thoughts before leaving and instead have hope in their country,” he added.