• 
• 

Published on October 18, 2007

Launched two years ago by the previous administration, the scheme has already seen some 90 recipients returning to Thailand after struggling overseas.

"Grantees in the third batch will not be allowed to come back and continue their education in Thailand because the objective is to get bright students studying at great institutes," Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an said yesterday.

He said this condition would ensure scholarship spending was effective.

The scheme has been renamed the Community Development Scholarship.

Grantees must complete secondary education, have excellent academic performance and come from poor families.

The government reviewed the scheme after several grantees returned to Thailand. However, it agreed the scheme should be adjusted and continued.

Although the objective of giving bright students from poor families overseas education opportunities remains, there are new conditions in the revamped scheme.

"It will provide 432 scholarships each year," Wijit said yesterday. The number of scholarships is much lower.

According to Wijit, each of 178 education service areas will select two recipients while each province except Bangkok will select one vocational student for the scheme. The recipients must choose to continue higher education abroad in non-English-speaking countries. They must enrol at respected institutes on a list compiled by the Office of the Civil Service Commission.

Wijit said the non-English-speaking-country requirement existed because many students already studied in English-speaking countries.

The Nation