1.3.4 Expansion of educational opportunity
The Thai government has undertaken the measures in expanding educational opportunity to every target group especially the poor and the disadvantaged.The poorest of the poor includes the orphans, homeless people, street
children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities. In 2001 the
Office of the Primary Education Commission undertook a survey and found that
approximately 140,000 school-aged children, mostly the hill tribes, had their problem
in attending schools and continuing their studies until the end. Besides, there still are
some other groups having the same problem such as the seaman, street children, migrated children, children with no nationality and children at risk of HIV/AIDS.Although the present constitution has provided the right of every citizen to receive free education for 12 years, the problem still occurs due to the lack of other necessary expenses concerned which has caused important obstacle to the poor. The result of a survey of educational needs done in 1999 found that lacking of supporting fund had been the most significant cause that forbid the children aged 12-17 years from proceeding onto their education at a higher level or secondary education. To give the opportunity for children to continue their schooling, the parents have to bear the burden of 70 % of their actual budget to support their children to school. Therefore, in order to expand educational opportunity to the poor the government has to set appropriate measures for solving this problem.