Kusselin Yuthasax Prak Chuap. Exploring new educational pathways for Thailand's deep south: a feasibility study on a Malaysia-supported private school model. Master's Degree(Public Policy). Chiang Mai University. Library. : Chiang Mai University, 2025.
Exploring new educational pathways for Thailand's deep south: a feasibility study on a Malaysia-supported private school model
Abstract:
This paper examines the role of education in shaping trust, identity, and inclusion in Thailand's conflict-affected Deep South. Amid a long history of cultural marginalization and assimilationist state policies, Malay-Muslim families have increasingly turned to private Islamic schools, reflecting a crisis of confidence in government-led education. Based on ten qualitative interviews with stakeholders across the region, this study uses a Hope and Fear framework to explore lived experiences and aspirations around schooling. While the interview data is thematically structured through this lens, the policy analysis is informed by broader theoretical perspectives, including Nancy Fraser's theory of social justice and Tejendra Pherali's Victim-Perpetrator-Liberator-Peacebuilder tor-Liberator-Peacebuilder (VPLP) model. These frameworks shaped the author's interpretation of trust, legitimacy, and justice in education policymaking, even if not directly applied in the coding process. Findings suggest that such a model could affirm local identity while bridging cultural divides if it is paired with inclusive policy design, cross-border cooperation, and structural reform. The paper argues that education in the Deep South must move beyond symbolic inclusion to address deeper systemic exclusions in language policy, curriculum design, and governance.