The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) has revealed that school dropout rates in Thailand have increased as the new semester begins, and found a correlation with households economically affected by COVID-19.
The EEF said education has become unaffordable for many families, given the impact of the virus, as new groups are suddenly living in poverty. 10% of students are not returning to school with dropout rates continuing to rise.
According to EEF Civil Society Director Prof Sompong Jitradub, they initially found 6,568 students had dropped out, but the number is estimated to have increased to at least 10,000, which equates to about 65,000 students by the end of 2021. Dropout rates in primary schools are 4%, 19-20% for young high school students and 48% for older high school students. Only 8-10% of these students have the opportunity to enter university.
He said, currently, there is an increase of 700,000-800,000 students who are living below the poverty line, and the EEF can only help 10-15% of them. (NNT)
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