Thailand

Back to the land

Bangkok Post Feb 28, 1998  

SUTHON SUKPHISIT

 The College of Agriculture and Technology run by the Ministry of Education's Department of Vocational Education started a project in 1996 called "Reforming Agricultural Education for a Better Life."

The brainchild of former Education Minister Sukavit Rangsitpol, the project is open to all young people who have completed Matthayom 3.

The course lasts three years, and students who complete it are presented with a certificate. What makes the course special is the fact students are provided with free food and board throughout the entire three years.

Formerly, students had to commute to college each day and had to pay fees of up to 1,700 baht per term (one academic year consists of two terms.)

Add living expenses on top and getting an education was an expensive proposition.

Those sons and daughters of farmers who could afford college opted for courses which led to careers as auto mechanics, electricians, or accountants. After all, they had had a very close look at the poverty farming had inflicted on their parents and at the back-breaking labour that filled very long days.

As a consequence, enrolment at agricultural colleges decreased each year.

Each student within the Reforming Agricultural Education for Better Life project is allocated 5,000 baht for living expenses.

Although the amount is not much, the students can do other work to generate additional income.

Students on the course cultivate a wide range of edible crops, including bean sprouts and 'phak bung' (morning glory) that are ready to harvest very quickly. Others like cabbages, rice, and bananas require more time.

Livestock is also raised, including chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, and cattle. All the animals raised and products grown are theirs to eat.

Any food stuffs not used by the student are sold. Any income earned can be used for personal expenses.

As the students raise these crops and livestock, it not only helps them pay their way but is also an important part of their studies. This practical way of learning is invaluable experience for their future careers as farmers.

In designing the curriculum, the project organisers deliberately placed emphasis on practical knowledge rather than classroom study.

The school day begins at 5 a.m. and continues into early evening, with time set aside for sports and housekeeping duties.

The College of Agriculture and Technology was established in 1934, and now encompasses 45 community colleges nationwide. Each has between 500 and 1,000 rai of land - plenty of space for the curriculum-based farming activities, vocational study facilities, and student residences.

In initiating the new project, the Ministry of Education wanted to attract a large number of students, so a publicity campaign was launched at schools throughout Thailand.

The response was gratifying: When the project began in 1996, there were 6,310 students. By 1997 numbers had swelled to 16,154, and this year shot up to 36,000.

Buan Mueangsuwan, director of the College of Agriculture and Technology in Chiang Rai, recently spoke of the project's success at his school.

"We've been accepting students for two years," he said. "At present we have an enrolment of 1,037. Next year, we've set ourselves the goal of admitting 1,200 students.

"We have 580 rai of land, and are very fortunate because both the soil and the water are very good. We grow vegetables and fruits like longans and lychees in quantities sufficient for our needs. There is also a fish pond here and chicken coops. There is also a well-equipped facility for growing mushrooms.

"About 70 percent of our students are from the Hill Tribes, and they're all hard workers. They wake up at five in the morning and go straight to their tasks.

"Since we enjoy high productivity, our youngsters have a choice of two dishes to eat with their rice at every meal. They say they eat better here than they did at home. When our students' parents come to visit them, they are happy to see their children doing so well.

Worachai Sae-Yaang, an ethnic Hmong student from Chiang Rai's Wiang Pa Pao district whose parents are rice and corn farmers, is enjoying his course.

"Since coming to study here, I've started plans to go home and start a chicken farm," Mr Worachai said. "Chicken eggs bring in income quickly. I also like mushroom farming. When my father came to visit me, he was pleased to see how well we live. When my younger sister grows up, he wants her to come and study here."

Anucha Boonmee, a student from Mae Hong Son province is enrolled at the College of Agriculture and Technology in Chiang Mai. He is equally impressed with his studies.

"In Chiang Mai we place more emphasis on raising livestock," he explained. "Personally, I like pig farming. At home we raise pigs, but we just let them roam and leave the breeding to chance. Now I know how to mix animal feed, when the animals should give birth and how to keep their pens clean.

"I've also learned how their carcasses should be butchered and how to prepare the meat properly.

Mr Anucha is grateful for the opportunity the project provides.

"My father only earns a few thousand baht a year. If it weren't for this free study, I wouldn't have the chance to go to school."

With the Reforming Agricultural Education for a Better Life project now in its second year, a number of surrounding farmers are showing an interest in both the project and its students.

Surawat Juengwiwat, who has a 500 rai mango orchard in Lamphun province, paid a visit to the college in Chiang Mai recently.

After donating farming equipment he proposed students from the course come and practise on his land.

"I've worked hard for a long time, enough for one lifetime," explained Mr Surawat. "I empathise with these young students and would like to help them. My mango trees are big and bear much fruit. Buyers come right to the orchard, so they don't have to worry about marketing.

"All the equipment they need is there, too. So I'd like to have the students come and study there, and whatever they produce is theirs."

Critics may say the Reforming Agricultural Education for a Better Life project will become too expensive if a large number of students take part, especially in these hard times. But surely it is producing high-quality farmers for the country's future.

Money spent on a project like this one provides opportunities for young people and is incomparably more wisely spent than the billions thrown into the construction of ephemeral sand castles.

It is true the project was initiated by a government minister, but for once the benefactors are not politicians. They are the children and grandchildren of farmers who previously had little hope of a bright future.