2022 Volume 27 Pages 31-40
This paper aims to reconsider characteristics of the reorganization of local educational administration in Thailand under the military government, also known as the "National Council for Peace and Orders"(NCPO), through a comparative analysis between Educational Service Areas Committee(ESAC)and Provincial Education Committee(PEC).
ESAC was institutionalized as a local educational governing body in decentralization reform since the 1990s. However, ESAC was suddenly abolished by NCPO with its ultimate administrative authority in 2016. Instead of ESAC, NCPO ordered establishing PEC to "reform" local educational administration, which is usually criticized because of its orientation towards re-centralization. However, it is acknowledged that those criticisms were suggested without careful examination of institutional modification from ESAC to PEC.
Through document analysis with comparative perspectives, the study found that the reorganization resulted in the restriction for local stakeholders to participate in decision-making on education. In addition to this, as a common aspect, both ESAC and PEC belong to local branches of the central ministry.
While it is important to condemn the re-centralized restructuring, this paper suggests that attention should be paid to the consistent aspects of the Thai local educational administration structure.
