His Majesty the King is a monarch who is greatly determined to ensure equal access to education opportunities for Thai youths -- which he sees as the driving force behind the country's development.
In 2009, as Crown Prince, he ordered the establishment of the Crown Prince Scholarship, which was later upgraded into a foundation offering scholarships to poor youth. His Majesty himself acts as the chairman of the foundation.
Privy Councillor Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan, on Jan 16, 2020, mentioned in a speech entitled "Good Teachers, Power of the Nation" that King Rama X was keenly interested in education and had much more knowledge of education than anyone would have thought.
The King has assigned all privy councillors concerned to follow up and continue the more than 4,000 projects initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, said Gen Dapong.
The king also stressed the importance of fostering a good and correct attitude among Thai youth, which he believes to be a solid foundation for both their careers and good citizenship, said Gen Dapong.
His Majesty has also assigned the privy councillors to help direct the provision of education by Rajabhat universities nationwide, said Gen Dapong.
Viewing Rajabhat universities as an important part of the country's development given their nationwide locations, His Majesty wants these universities to stick to their core tasks -- producing teachers and leading local development, said Gen Dapong.
In addition to offering scholarships to students from poor families, His Majesty has also upgraded Thailand's long-distance education system. Initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great in 1995, the system is now accessible around the clock over the internet.
The system's contents have also been expanded to cover pre-school to Mathayom 3 (Grade 9), from Prathom 1 to Prathom 6 (Grade 1-Grade 6) previously. The expanded contents were first broadcast in the first term of the 2018 education year.
Broadcast content is also archived for anyone interested in accessing it online.
