The government will launch a project to find and assist children who have dropped out of school after finding more than 1 million students had ceased their formal education prematurely.
Spokesman Chai Wacharonke said the government has a "Thailand Zero Dropout" policy as it bids to get all kids back to school.
The initiative consists of four measures.
The first requires using a database of affiliated agencies to look for students who have dropped out. The next two steps involve assisting those kids to get back into the education system and then providing them with a curriculum that suits their individual needs so they can reach their maximum potential.
The final step is to encourage private businesses to participate, such as by providing scholarships.
The government plans to launch its Thailand Zero Dropout app this month to assist in identifying such students and monitor the progress of the project.
"Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is worried about the nation's future after finding that 1.02 million youngsters between the ages of 3–18 years have not enrolled in school. He ordered all concerned parties to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," said Mr Chai.
The announcement comes after Sompong Chitradab, an education expert and executive director of the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), said Monday there is a serious problem with students leaving the education system early this year.
The EEF found that 1,025,514 children dropped out in 2023, double that of the previous year. The previous average was about 500,000 a year. He said many children drop out instead of progressing to high school.
But recent data shows that more kids are leaving the system at other transitional points, such as going from elementary to middle school, or from middle school to a vocational school.
Poverty used to be the root cause, but now unstable politics that create uncertainty about the labour market, investments, and the economy are also being blamed, as they lead more families to pull their kids out of school, Mr Sompong said.
