The Ministry of Interior has intensified efforts to eliminate inequality in education and has directed local government to lead a nationwide campaign to bring children who do not attend school back into classrooms.
Spokesman Manat Suwannarin said on Tuesday that the ministry, overseen by Anutin Charnvirakul, as working closely with the Ministry of Education and other agencies to ensure that “no one is left behind”.
A key component of this agenda is the “Thailand Zero Dropout” policy endorsed by the cabinet in May 2024. This policy aims bring all children currently outside the education system into school.
The Ministry of Interior has been appointed as a member of the national steering committee and in February directed all provincial governors to establish corresponding provincial committees. These committees are to work closely with Provincial Education Offices, he said.
Local administrative organisations, incuding municipalities and tambons, are being mobilised to lead the effort at the grassroots level. They are tasked with forming or assigning dedicated committees to identify, assist and reintegrate out-of-school children using the four-step process of prevention, intervention, referral and monitoring.
“The goal is clear: no child should be ‘missing’ from the state’s educational care,” Mr Manat said. “Local administrations must play an active role in facilitating access to formal and non-formal education opportunities based on each child’s potential, aligned with their legal responsibilities in providing quality education within their jurisdictions.”
This push follows a recent resolution by the national committee on zero dropouts, which instructed the Equitable Education Fund to coordinate with provincial governors and ensure all local governments participate actively in the campaign.
While significant progress has been made - the number of out-of-school children dropping from approximately 1.02 million in the 2023 academic year to 880,000 last year - officials acknowledge that further work is needed.
Mr Manat also highlighted the exemplary work of provincial governors in Surin and Buri Ram, who demonstrated strong collaboration across government, civil society and the private sector. These efforts showed how local leadership can build educational networks, pool resources, and tailor flexible learning approaches that address students’ real-life needs.
He said Mr Anutin, who is a deputy prime minister and oversees the Ministry of Education, has been personally monitoring the campaign’s progress and has commended provinces that have shown leadership in addressing this pressing issue.
The Ministry of Interior reaffirmed that its collaboration with local governments remains critical in achieving the Zero Dropout goal and building a more equitable, inclusive education system for every child in Thailand, he noted.