Thailand
embodies new ideas about child and youth development which emphasize the
importance of early childhood education for better adult development. By constitution, the pre-primary
education is not under 9-year compulsory education, but under government 12
year free-education scheme. It is therefore neither required nor guaranteed by
the government for all students. There
are three basic types of preprimary education: 1) Child development centers; 2)
Preschool classes offered by private schools and public schools; 3) and Formal
kindergarten education offered by private and public schools. Therefore, early
childhood development (ECD) programs should be mainly under direct
responsibility of two ministries, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of
Public Health
Ministry
of Education is responsible in the early childhood development in terms of
providing quality curriculum in preprimary education level. Even though, under
the situation of education reform, preprimary education is more rather
transferred the responsibility to local administrative office (under the
Ministry of Interior), Ministry of Education still continuously aims providing
quality basic education by preparing the core early childhood curriculum and
disseminated it to all Educational Service Area (ESA) Offices. Good curriculum
will be given to parents/ guardians as major caregivers especially during the
first 2 years age, then to teachers especially during 3-5 years of age as to ensure
that they make common effort to quality development of preschool children.[1]
There is increasing consensus
that the early childhood years set the foundations for later academic progress
of children. The brain research field has been influential in this connection
by explaining the role of the early years in the formation of the human brain
by help connecting neurons (brain cells).
Supporting from this statement, a study of Raudenbush, Kidchanapanish,
and Kang (1991) which surveyed around 11,442 Thai students found that students
who enrolled in pre-primary education show better progress in primary school
years comparing to the reference groups who did not attend pre-schools.
The
Ministry of Public Health is mandated to take care of the children’s health in
early stage since they are in mother’s womb by focusing on checking and
providing needed assistance to children and families including knowledge
dissemination to all parents. The Department of Health has implemented a number
of early childhood projects including Parenting Education Project, Safe
Delivery Ward Project, Nutrition Dental Development Corner, and Healthy Child
Development Corner Project.
Nevertheless, by observing an example of nutrition measured by an access
to the Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) in
Thailand, the
Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by the National Statistical
Office in 2006 showed that there were only 58 percent of Thai households
consume salt that contains some iodine.
The consumption rate is particularly as low as 35 per cent in the
poorest region: Northeastern region. The
consumption of iodine was significantly higher in urban household (63 percent)
than in rural household (55 per cent), while very rich households are much more
likely to consume iodized salt than very poor households (75 percent for the one-fifth richest and 42 percent for the one-fifth poorest).
Clearly
explained in scientific term, very low access to iodized salt among poorer
households can be negatively affected to the intellectual development of
children and later on the work efficiency of adults. A recent survey conducted
by the Ministry of Public Health in 2009 reported that the average IQ among
Thai children has dropped to around 91 compared to the international average
score of 90-110. This IQ figure in 2009 is considered to increase from around
88 in 2002, but still lower than other developed countries in which the IQ
score is on average above 100. Iodine deficiency was nevertheless blamed as the
culprit.The evidence of low IQ is also prominent in poorest area such as Northeastern
region and Northern region in which degree of IDD is relatively higher.
Under this IDD status, there is an interest to an achievement
of Universal Salt Iodization (USI) in which Thailand is still lagging behind
compared to other countries. It is even
more challenges observing that, contrast to other countries, the level of
access to iodized salt have been declining – not increasing, from 74 percent in
1996 to 58 percent in 2006.
Reference
Raudenbush, W. Stephen,
Kidchanapanish, Somsri, and Kang, Sang Jin (1991) “The Effects of
Preprimary Access and Quality on
Education Achievement in Thailand”, Comparative Education Review, 35(2):
255-273.
[1] In Thailand, mothers are still
traditionally considered the primary caregivers including some helps from their
families (grandparents, siblings, etc.) This is also prominent in rural area.
Women in the urban area, however, especially informal workers, still rely on
alternative caregivers when they have to work outside. Many of them have to
rely on Childcare centers and nurseries which are expected to provide food and
nutrition, health care, and some basic education.