TY - JOUR AU - Kaewkumkong, Ampa AU - Jaiborisudhi, Watunyu PY - 2021/02/22 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Educational decentralization policies in Thailand and South Korea: A comparative study JF - Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences JA - kasetsart J. Soc. Sci. VL - 42 IS - 1 SE - Research articles DO - UR - https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/kjss/article/view/249469 SP - 165–170 AB - <p>The Thai government, as a result of globalization and intent of the 1997 constitution, initiated an educational decentralization policy which has been in place for over two<br>decades, but serious problems and challenges remain and still need to be resolved as they have led to opposition and misunderstanding, hindering the policy’s progress.<br>This paper aims to examine the educational decentralization policy of Thailand and compare it with that of South Korea, whose has been in place longer, and which is<br>ranked at the top of the international education system. The methodology of the study includes documentary analyses, fieldwork, and interviews, with the results being<br>presented in the form of descriptive analysis. The findings reveal that the two countries’ educational decentralization policies share many similarities at the macro<br>level; however, they have some dissimilarities with regard to details and functions. Both countries have enacted laws and regulations to drive their educational<br>decentralization policies. When it comes to implementation at the macro level and central and local planning, Thailand and South Korea have both organized structures<br>and assigned responsibilities connected to educational decentralization that conform to the values of independence and flexibility. This research explores South Korea’s<br>success in educational decentralization, which has been enabled by political, economic, and social factors. Finally, this research offers recommendations for Thailand to<br>develop its policy towards educational decentralization based on the success stories from South Korea.</p><p><br><br><br><br><br></p><p>&nbsp;</p> ER -