MPs approve 2026 education budget, but some are sceptic
355 billion baht education budget approved, but opposition warns of declining standards
The House of Representatives has given its approval to the Ministry of Education’s budget proposal during the second reading, as discussions on the 2026 fiscal year budget bill proceeded in a special session.
The budget allocations received the support of 253 MPs, while 121 opposed and 26 abstained. The second reading involved a detailed section-by-section review, with the Ministry of Education’s allocations addressed in Section 24 of the bill.
The debate focused on funding for the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) and plans to build provincial education offices across 15 provinces. Surawat Thongbu, a list-MP from the opposition People’s Party, expressed concerns over more than half of OBEC’s budget supporting the One-District-One-School initiative.
He highlighted that over 30,000 schools exist nationwide, yet the focus remains on approximately 1,800 district schools, potentially neglecting others. Surawat warned that such budget allocation could lead to a significant decline in Thai education standards over the next 20 years.
Surawat noted that the global Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) will be conducted this year, with students selected randomly to participate. However, he criticised the concentration of the budget in urban areas.
In the 2022 PISA assessment, Thai 15 year olds scored 394 in mathematics, 409 in science, and 379 in reading, all showing a decline from 2018 figures.
Additionally, criticism was directed at the 1.85 billion baht allocated for basic learning, largely intended for renting equipment and materials for students, with only 150 million baht set aside for teacher support.
Parit Wacharasindhu, another list-MP from the People’s Party, suggested reducing the 375 million baht aimed at constructing new provincial education offices in 15 provinces, proposing that the ministry consider renting facilities instead.
He questioned the value of investing in new buildings, especially as the roles and structure of these offices are under review in upcoming education reform bills.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the Ministry of Education has been allocated 355 billion baht, reflecting a 14.33 billion baht increase from the current year.
Of this total, approximately 61.47% is designated for salaries, 27.27% for subsidy programmes, 3.87% for operations, 3.83% for investment schemes, and 3.56% for other expenses.
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