MOE budget crisis: Only 4% for development

MGR Online•Politics•9d ago

Reader Briefing

Amphon Pinasa criticizes the Ministry of Education's budget structure and urges reforms for small schools and students falling out of the education system.

•Amphon Pinasa reported that 96% of the Ministry of Education budget is spent on regular expenditures, leaving only 4% for development.
•Over 500,000 children have fallen out of the education system.
•The 15-year free education program's textbook budget is insufficient in some grade levels, causing financial burdens for parents.
•Amphon Pinasa proposed implementing the 1 School 3 Systems model nationwide to bring children back into education.

Overview

•Amphon Pinasa stated that 76% of the Ministry of Education budget is for personnel, and total regular expenditures account for 96% of the budget.
•Amphon Pinasa questioned why the Office of the Basic Education Commission's 2027 plan lacks a sustainable solution for small schools.
•Amphon Pinasa highlighted the problem of overlapping schools, specifically opportunity expansion schools with fewer than 20 lower secondary students.
•Amphon Pinasa proposed using a Performance Agreement (PA) system between school directors and educational area office directors for transparent transfers.
•Amphon Pinasa noted that in some grade levels, the budget for the 15-year free education program covers only about one-fourth of the necessary textbooks.
•Amphon Pinasa questioned the effectiveness of the Department of Learning Encouragement in improving administration and solving unemployment after its upgrade from NFE.
•Amphon Pinasa stated that the current Zero Dropout project, limited to one school per province, is insufficient for 500,000 children out of the system.
•Amphon Pinasa requested the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education to review the new National Education Act draft.

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Key Entities

Person

Amphon Pinasa(อัมพร พินะสา)

Deputy leader of the Democrat Party, education committee member, and former Secretary-General of OBEC and OTEP.

Organization

Democrat Party(พรรคประชาธิปัตย์)

The political party of which Amphon Pinasa is deputy leader.

Ministry of Education(กระทรวงศึกษาธิการ)ℹ️

The government ministry whose budget and administration were criticized by Amphon Pinasa.

Office of the Basic Education Commission(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการการศึกษาขั้นพื้นฐาน)ℹ️

The agency tasked with managing basic education and addressing the problem of small schools.

OBEC(สพฐ.)

Abbreviation for the Office of the Basic Education Commission.

Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission(คณะกรรมการข้าราชการครูและบุคลากรทางการศึกษา)

The body responsible for the criteria for appointing and transferring school administrators.

OTEP(ก.ค.ศ.)ℹ️

Abbreviation for the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission.

Department of Learning Encouragement(กรมส่งเสริมการเรียนรู้)

An agency upgraded from the Non-Formal Education (NFE) system.

NFE(กศน.)

The previous form of the Department of Learning Encouragement.

Office of the Vocational Education Commission(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการการอาชีวศึกษา)

The agency managing the proportion of vocational versus general education students.

OVEC(สอศ.)

Abbreviation for the Office of the Vocational Education Commission.

Office of the Permanent Secretary for Education(สำนักงานปลัดกระทรวงศึกษาธิการ)

The administrative office requested to review the new National Education Act.

Policy

15-Year Free Education Program(โครงการเรียนฟรี 15 ปี)

A government project providing free education that Amphon Pinasa claims has insufficient textbook budgets.

Zero Dropout Project(โครงการติดตามเด็กหลุดออกจากระบบการศึกษา (Zero Dropout))

A project aimed at bringing children who left the education system back into school.

Law

National Education Act(พระราชบัญญัติการศึกษาแห่งชาติ)

The law being drafted to improve educational administration and opportunities.