Meeting Manpower Needs: Roles of Nonformal Education in Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the roles of nonformal education for socio-economic development in Thailand and to suggest the future direction of this sector. Thai nonformal education is a well developed system and is recognized as a key agent for upgrading the human resources in this country. This paper first reviews the philosophy and system of Thai nonformal education, then identifies problems of quantity and quality in nonformal education provision regarding budget, students population, curriculum development, assessment, teaching profession, teaching media, continuity between formal and nonformal education. This paper highlights the fact that nonformal education provides people, especially disadvantaged population, with not only skills and knowledge but also motivation and power to participate in development process.