- Published: 13/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
In a representative democracy, the voices of the citizens are central. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra repeatedly emphasises that she will listen to and consult with all stakeholders, before making important decisions relating to government policies. So in this regard: who are then, the stakeholders?
Of course, we all are stakeholders. And yet, we are living in a society where the educated, urban middle class routinely disparages the viewpoints of the rural poor, and where parents generally (and perhaps more understandably) make decisions which may override the creative impulses of their children, generation after generation.
This cultural conditioning must therefore be challenged, in order to promote a more balanced policy-making process, in which all stakeholders have more of a voice.
An actuality of both contemporary and historical politics is that politicians tend to listen most especially to those voices that would vote for them, and then to those with voting rights. Accordingly, those who cannot yet vote (namely, all children), can hardly participate within the political system. Yet this demographic is, historically, amongst the most dynamic in society in promoting change, which is critical to the ongoing process of democratisation. It follows therefore, that the voices and perceptions of the children must also be given proper consideration within the network of the policy-making process.
Accordingly, we must continue to challenge the entrenched hierarchical structure which continues to operate.
Despite there having been a number of debates that have allowed for both pro and con arguments in relation to the new PC tablet being made available to school children en masse, the process thus far has been flawed.
Although Pheu Thai Party and the opposition parties have all been involved, and academics have also been brought into the debate, the government has yet to truly involve all stakeholders in its consideration of a policy declaration.
Neither the government nor the opposition have made sufficient reference to the perceptions of the children themselves and, in addition, how the rural population more generally feels about these computer tablets.
The opinions and perceptions of the rural population towards this policy contradict the way in which they are being stereotyped and generalised by the educated middle classes, who tend to see the rural population in terms of this situation, as being politically unaware and as "victims" of populist policies.
To illustrate this point, there is an example of an unnamed 53-year-old rice farmer, from Khong Chiam district in Ubon Ratchathani province, who'd voted for Yingluck Shinawatra in the election, but who now argues that "the PC tablet is a good idea, but it is unnecessary for us in the rural areas, and we'd be better off if the government paid the costs of our kids' transport so they can go to school".
From this not untypical argument, it follows that the centralisation of the decision-making process in Bangkok has generated a policy that is unlikely to truly benefit people all across the country.
At Ban Donjod in Buntharik district of the same province, Jarurat Pornpin, an 8-year-old girl, states: "I could use a PC tablet to improve my knowledge. I will look after it carefully by keeping it in the wardrobe, so it will last long."
Charnchai Dankhuntod, a 13-year-old boy also from the same village, says: "I can use it to search for information and play computer games."
Oftentimes, academics and journalists can be too presumptuous when it comes to anticipating the capacity children have to be able to think for themselves. This can be a problem here in Thailand, where we would also like the children to be both more aware and more creative in relation to their understanding of their rights. A fuller understanding of the "rights" and "responsibilities" that are for all citizens can be promoted, by providing this opportunity to all.
The education of the younger generations can in this regard be the catalyst for promoting a more progressive, dynamic and integrated society, where empowered citizens can all play their part in a cultural paradigm shift.
The children then can be the key to the unlocking of our society's untapped potential. In the 21st century world, the combination of creativity and technology will likely be the major driving force of change in all sectors, not least in education, in economic growth, and in the emergence of innovative societal dynamics.
The role of government is generally accepted to include the provision of opportunities for outsider groups and for a redistribution of resources, because the market mechanism does not necessarily work to benefit the public at large without the intervention of the state. Access to both information and technology is becoming increasingly important in this century, and the free tablet policy is considered to be a priority in improving the quality of education. Yet, to give only one not untypical example, a 12-year-old boy from Ubon's Det Udom district, who is a student in Matthayom 1 (Grade 7) at Ban Kut Prathai School, still cannot read the word Ratthamnoon, or Constitution.
But this clearly is not the only case to be found within rural areas, which highlights failings in the Thai educational system as it stands today.
With regard to the provision of a good standard of education in Thailand, technology as such is not actually the most significant contributing factor, as it has been found that both the quality and quantity of teachers has been a major problem.
By rushing through the implementation of the tablet policy without having a comprehensive explanation in relation to the content to be provided on them, exposes the government to potential accusations. These could imply that the policy is to be enacted in order to benefit vested interests from within the computing and telecoms industry, rather than being straightforwardly in the interests of the school children themselves.
Margaret Thatcher argued during her time as British prime minister, that "The state could not just ignore what children learned: they were, after all, its future citizens and we had a duty to them."
She emphasised the significance of the educational curriculum and the overall standard of education in the United Kingdom.
The quality and content of the teaching are perhaps what is most important in education, and these could be the factors which Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra should focus on, in order to promote the educational attainment of the rural populations.
Ultimately, broad educational improvements have been shown to benefit a country in the long term, and the responsibility to provide a good education to a country's young citizens can be achieved, not just by focusing on technology.
Yes, we are now in a 21st century world, where technology is more and more becoming a major part of our lives. However, we must not become too distracted when it comes to the essentials of our children's education, which of course still include the core subjects of mathematics, written and spoken language, the sciences and the arts.
This government, as with all governments, has a duty and responsibility towards all the citizens. In relation to the distribution of the computer tablet, many of those from within the rural population remain relatively concerned about the potential for negative impact upon their children.
As Praneet Phungpa, a 43 year-old fisherman, from Khong Chiam district argues: "A simple life is their way of life, but the children might change, and I cannot control the websites they access, since I don't know much about this thing."
Local decision-making is the key factor in the context of this whole paradigm. The party's political slogan _ Thaksin Thinks, Pheu Thai Implements _ implies centralised orders and top-down policy-making, which may raise alarm bells whilst the Pheu Thai Party remains largely unchallenged.
This is happening while major policies are being quickly introduced that side-step a comprehensive consultation period, where the full implications of a policy could be investigated first.
Ms Yingluck should introduce a new framework to ensure due process and public consultation in relation to major government policy initiatives in order to promote open and transparent debate.
Titipol Phakdeewanich is a political scientist at the Faculty of Political Science, Ubon Ratchathani University.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/256233/as-citizens-what-in-store-for-children
