Population Policy

The Third National Economic and Social Development Plan 
(1972-1976). Chapter 16, p.264.

Date:     1972-1976

Source:     Office of the Prime Minister, National Economic and Social Development Board, Bangkok, Thailand

Subject:     education policy, adult education, special education, vocational training, adolescents

- To improve curricula of adult education programmes, multi-vocational schools, mobile trade training units and other vocational training units to suit local requirements.

- To teaching of agriculture to adults will be emphasized by establishing extensive mobile agricultural training units. New agricultural methods will be taught to students of Prathom 4 level so that they will be able to help their parents in framing.

- To promote skilled manpower development programmes by giving intensive vocational training to youths as well as adults.

- Adult and special education are to be improved by increasing the use of audio-visual equipment and mass media. Support will be given to establishment of public libraries in cooperation with provincial authorities.

- To improve and increase output of physical education teachers at all levels in order to solve the problem of shortage of such teachers in schools throughout the country.

During the Plan period youth promotion and development programmes will be more effectively organized through closer coordination between the Government agencies concerned. There are still a large number of young people of school-age who lack education because of financial difficulties or failure to pass the entrance examination and because the number of schools is limited. Since it is realized that education for young people is necessary if they are to become useful members of society, the National Youth Promotion Board was established as a permanent body at the end of the Second Plan period, with the following principal programmes.

(a) Mixed rural youth development programme. This programme aims at training local youth leaders by emphasizing vocational training and literacy as well as offering short training courses tailored to local conditions. Mass-media will be use for this purpose, such as educational films on agricultural training, and dissemination of knowledge in the form of news and information.

Towards the end of the Plan period emphasis will be placed upon establishing a credit cooperative system for young people in order to show them how to save money and how to use credit and insurance. A vocational training centre for rural youth leaders was established at the end of the Second Plan period at Lop Buri. During the Plan period a training centre for rural youth in the South will be established at Satun and another one in the North.

(b) Urban youth leader training programme. Projects will be formulated, coordinated with local development programmes organized by a group of undergraduates and students, so that urban youths who are too old for school and unemployed will have the opportunity to enhance their skills, as well as improve their attitude towards society.