His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua is a monarch who is greatly determined to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for Thai youth, 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 disadvantaged youth. His Majesty himself serves as the chairman of the foundation.
Privy Councillor Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan mentioned in his speech on Jan 16, entitled "Good Teachers: Power of the Nation", that His Majesty the King is deeply interested in education and possesses more knowledge in this field than anyone would have expected.
The King has assigned privy councillors to follow up on and continue the more than 4,000 projects initiated by his father, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, according to Gen Dapong.
The King also emphasised the importance of fostering a good attitude among youth, which he believes is essential for both their careers and for being good citizens, said Gen Dapong.
His Majesty the King has also asked the privy councillors with helping to direct the educational initiatives of Rajabhat universities nationwide, said Gen Dapong.
Regarding Rajabhat universities as vital to the country's development due to their widespread locations, His Majesty wants these institutions to focus on their core missions of producing teachers and leading local development, Gen Dapong added.
Besides offering scholarships to students from poor families, His Majesty has also upgraded Thailand's long-distance education system. Initiated by King Rama IX in 1995, the system is now accessible around the clock via the internet.
The system's content has also been expanded to cover up to Mathayom 3 (Grade 9), previously ranging from Prathom 1 to Prathom 6 (Grades 1-6). The expanded content was first broadcast in the first term of the 2018 academic year.
Broadcast content is also archived for anyone interested in accessing it online.
