Leap to Thailand 4.0 will fail unless we close rural-urban gap

That news has triggered another wave of concern about national education and the low average scores in the Onet exams and global Pisa ranking. Recent studies have blamed the low scores on conditions in rural Thailand. Underfunded schools are partly to blame, but perhaps even more crucial is the situation of families – particularly with so many parents absent. Parents in rural Thailand more often than not face a cruel choice: either move away to earn money or stay in the village in relative poverty and with no hope of anything better.
But studies have shown that making the choice to leave has a devastating impact on the children left behind, as reflected in their Onet and Pisa rankings. The kids are usually left in the care of grandparents, who are often unable to help them with homework. I have occasionally witnessed these “skipped-generation” villages at holiday times, when mothers and fathers return for brief periods before leaving again. The grief is not directly visible, because the money is so badly needed, and the devastating educational impact is seen only in the long term.
Meanwhile, we are being told that the Thailand 4.0 skills shortage can be overcome merely by hiring foreign specialists to train Thai workers for a couple of years.   
Given the huge impact of the skipped-generation problem at home, however, this move to seek help from abroad won’t be enough. Thailand cannot afford to ignore its urban-rural gap. Instead it should address the challenge by bringing parents back home, subsidise product transport back to Bangkok to maintain the price balance, step up education in rural areas, and aim for a brighter and more prosperous future for all Thais.
Dirk Sumter
Bangkok