The government day care center where a gunman killed more than 30 people, including more than 20 children, is located in a poor region of Thailand where most preschool-age children attend schools. such basis.
The The Uthaisawan Child Development Center in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu is one of nearly 20,000 early childhood development centers run by local governments across the country, according to Unicef, the country’s children’s agency. United Nations. The centers are free and serve about 860,000 children aged three to five, Unicef said.
Nationally, 84 percent of children in that age group attended one of the centers in 2012, up from 60 percent in 2005. According to a recent Unicef report. By 2019, this number had increased to 86%.
But attendance is optional, and it varies by region. For example, in the northeast in 2019, the attendance rate was 92 percent. In the capital, Bangkok, the figure is 71%.
Napat Phisanbut, an early childhood development specialist at Unicef Thailand’s office, says the high rates in the northeast may be related to another statistic: The same region has a high percentage of children living separately from parents are the highest, in which many children migrate to work. in cities.
“The kids live with their grandparents,” she said. “So ECD centers can help care for these young children and provide the proper development they need.”
Kyungsun Kim, Unicef’s representative in Thailand, condemned the attack in a statement on Thursday night.
“Early development centers, schools and all learning spaces should be safe havens for young children to learn, play and thrive in their most important years,” she said. .
