Deputy Education Minister Akkhanan Visits Remote Mountain School to Address Teacher and Student Challenges, Pledges to Reduce Educational Inequality
Deputy Education Minister Akkhanan visited a remote mountain school in Chiang Rai that only recently received electricity, pledging to reduce educational inequality by accelerating support systems for schools in hard-to-reach areas.
On May 17, 2025, Deputy Education Minister Akkhanan Kankittinanth traveled over two hours to a highland area to visit and listen to concerns from teachers and students at Phalang School in Muang Chiang Rai district, a remote school that only received electricity one month ago due to difficult terrain and limited accessibility.
During this visit, Akkhanan actively taught grades 1-4 students in reading, writing, and arithmetic, finding that students demonstrated excellent development and literacy skills comparable to urban schools.
He emphasized concerns about the safety and quality of life of teachers in remote areas, who face limitations in transportation, utilities, and educational resources. "Education should not be determined by geography," Akkhanan stated. "Whether children live in mountains or cities, they deserve equal educational opportunities and quality. This is the heart of reducing inequality that we must make real."
The Deputy Minister announced that the Ministry of Education will accelerate support systems for remote schools to bring learning quality to the same national standard. He referenced a Nida Poll survey showing most Thais still trust Thailand's education system but want the government to speed up reducing unnecessary paperwork and teacher workload, as well as hidden costs burdening parents.
"This field visit represents an important step in driving our policy to reduce educational inequality, ensuring Thai education meets the same standards whether schools are near or far from cities," Akkhanan concluded.
