Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang has stressed that the Government would promote general education together with religious studies and vocational education in the three southern border provinces.

In his explanation about guidelines for education reform in the South, Mr. Chaturon said that the school curriculum in southern border provinces must be adjusted in accordance with the needs of local people. The adjustment would create greater learning opportunities for children and support co-existence among the children of different cultures. After they finished their studies, wider job opportunities would be opened for them.

He said that the Government would also promote Islamic studies in state primary schools in the deep South. Persons allowed to teach Islamic principles must be recognized by local residents, and the Government would pay them for their teaching. A working group, comprising government officials and religious leaders, would be formed to work out the curriculum.

Mr. Chaturon revealed that a pilot project was being planned to introduce a bilingual curriculum, teaching both Thai and Jawi, the local dialect. The new curriculum would enable local children who do not speak Thai in their daily life to learn the Thai language better. It would also give them good background to link Thai with other languages. Further research and development would be undertaken on this issue.

Moreover, special schools would be established, such as science schools where brilliant students would be given scholarships. Four Rajaprajanugroh schools would be set up for orphans and underprivileged children there, but they would be managed in accordance with the lifestyle of predominantly Muslim communities. Rajaprajanugroh schools, operated by the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation under the royal patronage of His Majesty the King, are found in many parts of the country.

According to Mr. Chaturon, a Jawi language course would be opened for government officials from all agencies operating in southern border provinces and for other interested persons. He believes that the language study would bring officials and local people get closer together. Other foreign languages, such as English and Chinese, would also be taught more widely.

Mr. Chaturon said that the Government would not suspend the operations or dissolve pondok and tadika schools, but would enhance their quality in line with the local demands. He expressed his admiration to tok guru, the teachers in pondok institutes, for devoting their time and energy to training local children and youths. The Ministry of Education would offer vocational and general education in private Islamic study schools and pondok institutes as requested and on a voluntary basis. Several pondok schools have asked for more teachers from the Ministry, since they have a shortage of teaching staff.

Mr. Chaturon said that these guidelines would create better understanding between local people and officials, and they also show that the Government recognizes the special characteristics of southern border provinces.