Research by international non-government organisations Save the Children and World Education has revealed a crisis in education for migrant children in Thailand.

The research estimates that there are between three and four hundred thousand children of migrant workers in Thailand, but only about a third of them were found to be in any form of education.  Of those who do enroll in primary education, only about 4% make it into the secondary level.  While the numbers of migrant children in school has been increasing thanks to the Royal Thai Government’s Education for All policy, this policy is not always consistently implemented in different regions and schools. Other barriers for migrant children are financial constraints, language barriers, and a lack of awareness of their rights. 

Save the Children Country Director Allison Zelkowitz stated that “Not only is education a fundamental right for children of migrant workers, it is key to enabling the migrant community in Thailand to offer better skills and to integrate successfully into society. And equally importantly, migrant children are the most common victims of human trafficking, a serious issue for Thailand, and education is a key strategy for their protection.” 

Children who are not in school are at far greater risk of becoming the victims of traffickers, who subject them to some of the most dangerous work in the construction and sex industries. As Thailand seeks to overcome serious challenges in human trafficking, where migrant children make up the majority of victims, education is an essential strategy for equipping children with the skills and knowledge to protect themselves.  With ASEAN integration, there will be more and more mobility of workers between countries.  Literate, skilled and educated migrants are essential not only to a robust and effective Thai economy, but to the greater ASEAN region as well.  

Save the Children has developed a three point plan to address the crisis and is calling on the Royal Thai Government and the international donor community to:
1.     Gather accurate and current data on the number and location of migrant children so that adequate resources can be allocated for their education
2.     Raise awareness and promote EFA among schools, communities and to migrant parents and children
3.     Increase support to and scale up initiatives that prepare and support migrant children to access and succeed in education

“This report is the result of many months of research into the situation of migrant education in Thailand.  It shows that while Thailand has made progress in providing education for migrant children, there is still a crisis of  access to education for this community, as less than half of the children of migrant workers are in school,” Tim Murray added.  “The report uncovers the different barriers children face and provides detailed recommendations for the Thai government, donors and NGOs.  We hope this will lead to significant improvements in education for migrant children in Thailand in the future.”

To ensure that the future for children of migrant workers in Thailand is a bright one, Save the Children and World Education urge the Royal Thai Government, NGOs, and donors to work together to strengthen education for current and future generations of migrant children living in Thailand, and to prepare them for a possible return to Myanmar.

Link to the report: https://thailand.savethechildren.net/sites/thailand.savethechildren.net/files/library/Migrant%20education%20annual%20report_full_resized.pdf.

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 Save the Children in Thailand’s Education Specialist, Tim Murray is available for further comment. 

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Songporn Leelakitichok
Communications and Advocacy Coordinator
Save the Children Thailand
Email: bea.leelakitichok@savethechildren.org