Part II.pdf - MTB-MLE Network

Thai people so that they will be able to adjust to world trends and events while maintaining their
Thai identity, as well as desirable characteristics like virtue, competency, happiness and self-reliance.
According to the National Education Act, it also enables the Thai people to embrace lifelong learning
through all types and levels of education, and through the transfer of learning outcomes. Education
provision will be based on 3 principles: 1) lifelong education for all, 2) participation by all segments
of society, and 3) continuous development of the bodies of knowledge and the learning process.
Education will be provided in three types: formal, non-formal, and informal education.
Formal education provides 2 levels of education; basic education and higher education.
Basic education is provided before higher education covering pre-primary, 6-years of primary
education, 3-years of lower secondary education, and 3-years of upper secondary education. Basic
education can be provided by early childhood development institutions, schools and learning centres.
Non-formal education has more flexibility than formal education in determining the aims, modalities,
management procedures, duration, assessment and evaluation conditional to its completion. The
contents and curricula for non-formal education can be adjusted to meet the needs of individual
groups of learners.
Informal education enables learners to learn by themselves according to their interests, potential,
readiness and the opportunities available from individuals, society, environment, media or other
sources of knowledge.
The Office of Non-Formal Education Commission (ONFEC), the new name of the Department
of Non-Formal Education (DNFE) after education reform, is the new body directly responsible for
the promotion and development of adult education. It aims to organize non-formal education for
the disadvantaged all over the country. There are various NFE organizations established throughout
the country, namely regional NFE centres, provincial NFE centres, district NFE centres and Bangkok
Metropolis NFE centres, respectively, to help provide basic education, vocational skills training
and information services for the out-of-school population all over the country. With its policies on
development of:
• Basic education involving literacy promotion, basic education equivalency programmes
and continuing education based on the needs of the target groups
• Education for occupational development
• Education for life skills development
• Education for community and social development – The ONFEC can provide non-formal
and informal education to cover a wide range of disadvantaged groups based on their
rights as stated in the Constitution. They are, for example, prison inmates, the disabled,
the aged, ethnic minority groups, i.e. the hilltribes, Thai Muslims in the south, unreached
groups of people in remote areas and Thai people living in foreign countries who have
the right to learn as those within the country.
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