Integrating the work of 12 ministries to develop Thai children for readiness in the 21st century 

     The current situation in Thailand has seen a continuous decline in the birth rate or number of newborns for over 40 years, starting from 1963 to 1983, which was a period when the population exceeded one million births per year and was referred to as the Baby Boom era. Since then, the number of newborns has gradually decreased, and 2021 was the first year that the number of births was lower than the number of deaths.

     Given the current situation, many challenges face children and youth. Accordingly, the government places great importance on driving plans according to the national strategy and implementing a master plan for developing people's potential throughout their lives, especially for school-aged children and teenagers. The goal is to instill good character, discipline, and volunteerism and develop learning skills relevant to the 21st century, so that the new generation of children can think, analyze, learn, solve problems, adapt, have up-to-date knowledge, and work effectively with others throughout their lives.

     Therefore, preparing Thai children for the 21st century has been a collaborative effort between a variety of related organizations, along with creating the framework to drive the development of Thai children's potential. This framework is called the "4H principles," which are composed of four elements:

Head - Intelligent, wise, and skillful;

Heart - Good moral and ethical character, disciplined, and conscientious of self and others;

Hand - Professional skills and abilities utilized for one's own and the common good;

Health - Strong, knowledgeable, appropriate health behaviors and good health.

     These principles may help to prepare Thai children for the 21st century, to be well-rounded individuals who can adapt and thrive in the new world. Twelve government agencies have collaborated in this plan: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labour, and Ministry of Culture. 

    The collaboration brings experts from different fields working together to develop the potential of Thai children so that they can learn with quality and happiness in the 21st century. The focus is on developing Thai children into knowledgeable, analytical thinkers who love to learn, can solve problems, adapt, and work effectively with others.

Source: Office of the Basic Education Commission Ministry of Education
Address: Rajadamneon nok Avenue Dusit, Bangkok 10300
Tel. +66 2288 5511 

For more information