In the 2023 academic year, 1.02 million Thai children dropped out of the education system. When discussing this issue, many people might envision small schools in remote rural areas, where students are forced to leave due to their families' financial struggles. While this image reflects part of the reality, it only captures one aspect of the broader problem.

School dropout encompasses various situations, including students leaving school mid-way, completing their education but not continuing to higher levels, or never enrolling in school at all. In the 2023 academic year, as many as 1 million children and youth aged 3-18 in Thailand were excluded from the education system. This concerning figure, based on data from the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), shows that the problem is not confined to remote mountainous areas but also affects central regions, including Bangkok and its surrounding metropolitan areas!

Provinces with the highest school dropout rates can be broadly categorised into two main groups: those located along border areas, particularly in the mountainous regions of the west, and those bordering Bangkok. This pattern becomes most evident when the data is displayed on a map of Thailand, revealing a clear clustering of provinces with dropout rates above 10%. One aspect of the issue occurs in remote, highland areas, while the other is found in urban areas with high population density. These starkly different geographical contexts contribute to distinct variations in the nature of the problem.

In the five border provinces of the mountainous regions—Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, and Kanchanaburi—there are 169,047 children and youth not enrolled in the education system, making up 16.5% of the nationwide school dropout rate. The majority of these dropouts occur at the primary education level.

Beyond the challenges of poverty and the distance to school, students in these highland areas also face significant issues such as a shortage of teachers, limited funding (as most schools are small and budgets are allocated based on student enrollment), and an education system that is not tailored to the region's linguistic and cultural diversity. As a result, the academic performance of students in these areas remains among the lowest in the country, further exacerbating the sense of hopelessness among families and youth, who struggle to see how education can help break the cycle of poverty.

Throughout Thailand, most school dropouts occur between the ages of 12-18, at the secondary and vocational education levels.

However, in Bangkok, the majority of out-of-school children are at the early childhood level, with 54,396 children, making up 38.5% of all children aged 3-5 in the city. A similar trend is seen in the neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan, indicating that children in urban areas have less access to early childhood education compared to their rural counterparts.

In total, Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, including five others, have around 245,045 children and youth out of the education system, accounting for 23.9% of the nationwide dropout rate, with a significant portion of this dropout rate occurs at the early childhood education level.

One contributing factor is the high population density. In Bangkok, there are only 292 early childhood development centres, which can accommodate around 20,000 children aged 2-5—far from enough to meet the demand of low-income families, both in terms of numbers and distribution.

Thailand has set an ambitious goal: leaving no child behind in the education system. The Thailand Zero Dropout initiative, led by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with other government agencies, NGOs, and private sector partners, seeks to reintegrate children who have fallen through the cracks while proactively preventing others from dropping out. By leveraging technology and a coordinated approach, the programme seeks to eliminate dropouts, particularly in compulsory education (grades 1–9), while addressing educational inequality and giving every child the opportunity to thrive.

Tracking the Lost and Bringing Them Back: One of the key steps in achieving this goal is finding and tracking children who have dropped out. By integrating data from agencies like the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior, the government can locate children who have left the system and identify those at risk. A centralised database allows authorities to monitor progress and update records each semester, ensuring no child is overlooked.

To make this effort more effective, provinces are empowered to set up local teams dedicated to bringing children back to school. This localised approach makes it easier to address specific challenges within each community.

Rethinking Education for a Diverse Society: The traditional classroom model often fails to accommodate the varied circumstances of children who leave the education system. To tackle this, the initiative introduces the concept of "One School, Three Models"—a flexible approach that includes formal education, nonformal education, and informal learning. This system allows children to learn at their own pace, in their own way, and at no cost, while still earning formal qualifications.

Some of the key strategies include:

Financial Support - Scholarships and assistance for underprivileged children, especially in rural and impoverished areas.

Essential Supplies - Free uniforms, school supplies, and lunch for those in need.

Custom Curricula - Flexible programmes designed to meet the needs and interests of children in different regions.

A Collective Effort for Change: The Zero Dropout initiative isn’t just about government action—it’s a call to the entire society. A national committee has been established to oversee and coordinate efforts, while partnerships with NGOs, private organisations, and international agencies bring additional resources and expertise. Together, these groups are working to build a future where every child has the chance to succeed.

Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: At its heart, this initiative is about more than just education—it’s about breaking the cycle of poverty. By giving children the tools to succeed academically, they gain the skills and confidence needed to build better lives for themselves and their families. It’s a vision of equality, opportunity, and hope, where no child is left behind.