Historically, Songkhla has demonstrated a deep commitment to local involvement, characterized by regular dialogue forums that bring together educational stakeholders from the provincial to sub-district levels to exchange ideas and address challenges collectively. These forums facilitate ongoing communication and collaboration to enhance the quality of education in the region. Additionally, the province boasts a robust “Social Assistance Center,” overseen by a dedicated team of community volunteers, social development and human security volunteers, and volunteer graduates. This center plays a critical role in identifying and addressing the needs of specific demographic groups, providing targeted and effective problem-solving. Building upon these foundational elements, Songkhla is embarking on the groundbreaking “School of Life” initiative, aimed at transforming the province’s educational landscape.
In its commitment to the “School of Life” innovation within the overarching “Area-Based Education” (ABE) framework initiated by the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) Thailand, Songkhla has developed an extensive provincial database system supported by 12 local agencies. This system facilitates real-time data sharing and storage, coupled with intervention via a specialized application. This application enables the working team to record community data and activities, access individual target group data, update progress, and compile an overall progress picture for each case in each sub-district. This ensures that when a target individual is identified, issues can be promptly addressed, whether for urgent emergencies or long-term planning.
Simultaneously, Songkhla has fostered a cohesive network among provincial agencies to ensure continuous education for all children and youth. This connects various educational levels within the province and provides safe, stable living conditions, ensuring seamless transitions for children and youth between institutions, and thereby guaranteeing educational opportunities. This initiative will pioneer in underserved urban areas like Hat Yai and railway- and port-adjacent slums, before expanding into other areas.
At the heart of this initiative is a network of “Community Learning Centers,” providing tailored educational opportunities for out-of-school children and youth, enabling them to achieve compulsory education. These centers, utilizing the database, assess prior learning experiences to convert them into academic credits stored in the “Credit Bank System” for future educational pursuits. This initiative also extends to children and youth in the justice system, reaffirming the province’s commitment to educational equity and ensuring that no child or youth is left behind.
Equally crucial to this initiative is none other than community involvement, with fundraisers organized to generate central scholarships and support out-of-school and at-risk students. By addressing root causes and providing support to families, the initiative aims to ensure continuous and sustained education for all children and youth in the long term. All in all, not only does School of Life’s holistic approach address the immediate educational needs, but it also tackles underlying socio-economic issues, thus ensuring sustainable solutions for keeping children in school.
The Area-Based Education (ABE) initiative embodies a committed effort to leverage local resources and readiness to ensure that all children and youth not only complete compulsory education but also realize their fullest potential. In collaboration with the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), Songkhla is pioneering the “School of Life” model to reduce educational inequality through community involvement and cutting-edge innovation, collectively enabling targeted support mechanisms. This approach integrates cooperation across public, private, and civil society sectors; unifies databases of disadvantaged youth; implements sustainable local educational plans; and develops targeted educational solutions. By empowering communities to own and address educational challenges through this dynamic and inclusive model, Songkhla Province is reshaping its educational landscape, ensuring continuous and equitable education for all youth, and creating an environment where every individual can thrive.
