The unequal opportunity and inefficiency in providing education
by the Thai state to its people have resulted in a large number of
uneducated and undereducated children in the countryside. There is,
however, a custom of ordination for boys as samanera (novices) and
for men as bhikkhu (monks) for their religious training and education.
Using this ordination channel for education, parents in remote
areas have been sending their sons to get ordained and educated at
nearby temples. Those boys have become the majority of monks and
novices around the country. They have gradually moved to a bigger
temple closer to a town or a city for higher education and training.
When these ordained young men complete their education, they frequently
disrobe. According to social norms, they have been turned
into educated adults who are usually well accepted in the society. For
those who continue their ecclesiastical careers, they become educated
monks guiding people spiritually. The Bhikkhu Sangha is, therefore, a
necessary institution for less fortunate boys to have an education and
a chance to be incorporated into the society.