Back to School!

Due to Covid the school breaks have been thrown out of balance this year. Hardly had the exam results come in from last term than most students were starting back for the next one. All students supported by Odet were able to say they passed all subjects and with no drop-outs! Let's hope they can keep going for the coming term. Thanks for your great support everyone. A little makes a huge difference.

Tee Lek continues to get pretty good grades and helps his mother with the roadside shop after school.

Dee just managed to pass all subjects. He takes care of his younger brother at home during the week. Their mother returns from work on weekends. 

Thailand has been undergoing social upheaval in the past few months with student led demonstrations around the country. They find the huge imbalance of wealth and power unacceptable and they want to see an end to the current regime. In a symbolic show of defiance, many vowed not to wear their school uniforms on the first day of the new term. 

                  Inequality in Education (from 'The Nation')

"In Thailand, almost 100 per cent of children have completed their 

elementary education, but only 65 per cent have completed 

high school, a 2019 report compiled by the National Statistical

Office in cooperation with Unicef shows.

The report says that up to 160,000 youngsters across the nation 

cannot be educated because they live in very remote areas, while 

up to 30,000 juveniles are missing out on education because they 

are behind bars for drug charges.

In addition, some children in Thailand suffer other problems like 

poverty, pregnancy or disability, which hinders their education.

The report also showed that nearly 400,000 children live on the 

streets or are the offspring of migrant workers. When these 

children are denied education, they tend to be lured into drug 

abuse, human trafficking or violence.

Another problem worth mentioning is chronic malnutrition among 

children in the educational system, especially in remote areas." 

(The Nation 5,12,2020)