Inclusive Education for Thailand’s Minorities: Snapshots from the North

A cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is achieving quality, inclusive education for all. Yet, a recent UNESCO report indicates that 40 percent of the global population does not have access to education in a language they can speak or understand. This is a long-running challenge in Thailand, home to a diversity of languages comprising approximately 72 ethnolinguistic groups and 31 million minority language speakers. Standard Thai is currently the country’s only official language and the language of instruction in public schools; however, many of the country’s 31 million minority language speakers do not speak Standard Thai at home. The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program recently traveled to Morwakee, a S’gaw Karen community nestled in the hills of the Myanmar border, to better understand the challenges of minority-language education, and how mobile technology can help. Compiled by Wendy Rockett and Lukas Winfield.