Non-formal education has gained popularity in recent years, according to the Education Ministry, which is predicting that small private schools will be affected by a corresponding decrease in formal students.
The ministry's permanent secretary, Supat Champathong, said that enrollment in informal classrooms is increasing even though the birth rate is falling.
He said that one of the main reasons students prefer non-formal classrooms to traditional schools under the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) is they can attend classes at weekends, allowing them to contribute to family incomes by working on weekdays.
Homeschooled kids can also attend non-formal classrooms to gain an education equivalence certificate which they can use if they wish to pursue university education.
"Many industrial sectors recruit workers aged 15 and up, so non-formal education offers flexible hours for them to both work and study," said Mr Supat.
He also noted that small private schools could be the first affected by this shift. However, even the larger, popular private schools will also be hit by the falling birth rate within the next five years, he added.
On Sunday, a Suan Dusit Rajabhat University poll revealed that Thai people believe social inequality is one of the major issues that the sector must address.
Participated in by 1,059 people nationwide, 61.19% of the participants felt social inequality perpetuates educational problems while the second biggest stumbling block is the Education Ministry itself.
Despite efforts to improve the system, long-standing issues and frequently-altered policies implemented by different governments have frequently proved a hindrance.
Moreover, the participants agreed that Thai teachers have acquitted themselves very well during the pandemic by helping to create a collaborative community-oriented attitude towards learning.
However, low wages remain a barrier to Thai schools attracting and keeping the brightest teaching talent, participants in the poll suggested.
