Learning centres for stateless children

The Education Ministry is stepping up regulation of private learning centres for stateless children to address security concerns.

Stateless children of various ethnic groups enjoy attending schools and learning centres set up near the Thai-Burmese border in Tak. The authorities want to rein in some of the centres over security concerns. PHOTOS BY SIRIKUL BUNNAG

The ministry estimates up to 260,000 stateless children are scattered around the country.

Of these, only 60,000 are studying in the mainstream education system while the rest have no places to study or have to study at learning centres run by NGOs, foundations or individuals, said Deputy Education Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat.

"Some centres meet standards and some don't. Teachers at some learning centres themselves entered the country illegally.

"We have no idea what they teach and instill in those children," Mr Chaiwuti said.

The centres were created to educate stateless children who lack the necessary documentation to enrol in mainstream schools.

Many centres go unregulated to meet the rising number of stateless children. "Tak province has the highest number of stateless children.

"There are many centres up and running which we don't know anything about," said the minister.

He was speaking during a seminar on education management for stateless children in Tak last week.

In two months, the ministry would present to the cabinet a PM's Office regulation controlling learning centres.

Under the regulation, a provincial committee supervising learning centres for stateless children will be set up in provinces where there are such centres.

The panel, to be chaired by the provincial governor, can approve learning centres, or dissolve them.

Any organisation wanting to provide education for stateless children must seek permission from the panel and submit an education management plan.

Mr Chaiwuti said the centres would have to teach Thai, and give instructions on Thai culture, traditions and basic Thai laws.

Academic assistance and teacher training would be offered once a centre is approved.

Learning centres which consistently meet standards would be upgraded to private schools, he said.

"Once the centres are upgraded to private schools, their students will qualify for a 12-year, state-funded education," Mr Chaiwuti said.

Students from centres which meet standards would be accredited by the ministry.

Learning centres that refused to register with provincial panels would be considered illegal and would be ordered to close, he said.

Pawray Rattanachairuedi, chairwoman of the Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee, welcomed the ministry's move to regulate learning centres.

But she urged the government to give financial help to learning centres once they were regulated.

Her organisation runs 37 learning centres for 8,000 stateless children with funding from the US and England.

With money running out, however, the learning centres have asked parents to help meet expenses.

Small learning centres collect 50-100 baht from students a year while large ones collect 500 baht a head a year.

Mrs Pawray admitted her centres were short on Thai language teachers. But many students do well in English.

The government, she said, should help improve Thai language skills among teachers at learning centres nationwide.

The government should also be clear on how many hours of learning must be devoted to mainstream subjects, and how many the centres could fill themselves with their own tuition.

Another problem, she said, is that students completing Grade 12 are not recognised by the Education Ministry and cannot pursue higher studies in colleges and universities.