CNI News
22 March 2024
Children of undocumented workers including Myanmar ones might be refused to accept enrollment at the government schools in some townships, Thailand, those who are helping in the affairs of migrant workers told CNI News.
Although every child in Thailand has the right to learn at the government schools , some schools did refuse to accept enrollment. So, there still may be schools like that, U Min Oo, in charge of labor affairs from the FED, told CNI News.
" There might be a problem. That is, a child who is about to go to school needs to know a little Thai. If he doesn't know Thai at all, they find it difficult. In addition to the Thai Ministry of Education, there are teachers and parents as well. If they demanded not to accept the children like that, there would be problems. Moreover, it won't be convenient if a child who will go to school is about 10 years old. Thai parents are worried about their children. Older children like that might be refused." he said.
The Thai Basic Education Commission and Thai Ministry of Education released directions for the Thai government schools to accept undocumented children a few days ago.
Among the directions, there was something special about undocumented children, said U Min Oo.
While seeing migrant children attending school
"Undocumented children who attend school - when they are finished with high school education, some campuses of universities or colleges don't allow undocumented people to travel or pass except highly qualified children. In the directions last released, children who are related to education will be allowed. It can be said to be unusual." he said to CNI News.
In Thailand, every child whether they are documented or undocumented has the right to learn at the governments from Primary to 9th Standard. The policy was approved in 2005. In addition to undocumented children, if a child has no Thai birth certificate, he or she can be sent to school with the administrator of the region where they live.
However, when undocumented Myanmar children are enrolled at the THai government schools, because of older age, a large number of students and language barrier, they are often refused. The statement released by the Thai Ministry of Education was too late, Ko Naing Aung Aung, director of the Arakan Workers Organization, told CNI News.
" The problem is that after the coup d'etat in Myanmar, a lot of Myanmar people entered Thailand. Many children came with them. When these children are enrolled at school, the school buildings can't hold all students. It's a problem as well. Many schools accept. But when the statement was released, all the children had been enrolled already. Enrollment in Thailand is in February." he said.
In Thailand, children aged 6 to 12 are at the primary level; ones aged 13 to 15 for intermediate level and ones aged 16 to 18 are designated as high school level.
At present, the number of children of migrant Myanmar people learning at schools in Thailand is nearly 500,000 reportedly.
