Educational Attainment in Thailand: Differentials in Primary and Lower Secondary Schooling

Based on data collected by the 1987 Thailand Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS), this study focuses on differentials in educational attainment in Thailand with respect to the primary and lower secondary levels according to family background and several other potentially important characteristics as well as accessibility to schools. Analysis of TDHS results reveals clear and pronounced associations between the chances of a child receiving a lower secondary education and the child's family background. The educatinal attainment of parents and the household wealth level exert strong influences. Children from families in which at least one parent has attended secondary or higher levels of schooling and children from the wealthiest stratum have far higher probabilities of going to secondary school than children from the least educated or poorest families. Likewise children from non-agricultural families, and especially ones in which the father receives a regular wage or salary, are considerably more likely to obtain a secondary education than children from agricultural families. The availability of schools is also a significant factor. Children living in urban areas or those in rural areas with nearby lower secondary schools are more likely to enter secondary education than those who must travel further distances.