Interviewer instructions
3.24 Education
Education levels can be categorized as follows.
3.24.1 Formal education, which is divided into:
a) Nursery (or pre-school)
b) Primary education: P1 - P4 and P5 - P7 (M1 - M3 of the old system).
[P = Prathom means primary levels]
[M = Mathayom means secondary level]
c) Secondary education:
Lower secondary education: MS1 - MS3 (M4 - M6 of the old system)
Upper secondary education: MS4 - MS5 (M7 - M8 of the old system)
[MS = Mathayomsuksa also means secondary level]
3.19.2 Vocational Education
Before 1961, vocational education was divided into:
a) Lower vocation: accepts those who complete P4; the curriculum is 3 years.
b) Upper vocation: accepts those who complete M3; the curriculum is 3 years.
c) Higher vocation: accepts those who complete M6; the curriculum is 3 years.
After 1961, vocational education was divided into:
a) Lower secondary vocational education: accepts those who complete P7; the curriculum is 3 years. (MS1-MS3)
b) Upper secondary vocational education: accepts those who complete MS3; the curriculum is 3 years. (MS4-MS5)
In addition, there are vocational education levels for occupational certificate.
a) Vocational diploma: continues education from MS3 for 3 more years.
b) Higher vocational diploma: continues education from MS3 for 5 more years.
c) Vocational teacher training diploma: accepts those who complete vocational diploma or upper secondary vocational education; the curriculum is 2 years.
d) Secondary teacher training diploma: accepts those who complete higher vocational diploma; the curriculum is 1 year.
e) Higher certificate in technique teacher training: accepts those who complete higher vocational diploma; the curriculum is 2 years
f) Short-training course in vocational education (less than one-year curriculum): examples are Polytechnic school, technician school.
3.24.3 Tertiary Education means education in university, college, cadet school, police cadet school, or other higher institutions at the same level of the university.
3.24.4 Other Education: examples are teaching, nursing, arts, physical education, including other schools that are a part of other government agencies such as chemistry lab, train engineering, etc.
[From column 11 to column 16, record only persons who are 5 years or older. For children who are 4 years old or younger, write a dash.]
Columns 15 to 16: Education (See details in chapter 3 number 3.24)
Column 16: Highest education level completed
The highest education level/grade means the last level or grade that the person passed the final examination of that level before January 1, 1970.
Ask the level of education at which the person completed, and record the education level as follows.
a. Formal education
Record the level of education such as:
1. Education in the old system, e.g. P4, M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, etc.
2. Education in the current system, e.g. P5, P6, P7, MS1, MS2, MS3, MS4, MS5, etc.
b. Vocational education
Record the level of vocational education that the person completed or the certificates of vocation including the highest level of formal education that the person completed. Examples are: year 1 lower vocation (P4), year 2 higher vocation (M6), year 2 upper vocation (M3), MS2 vocational education (P7), MS6 vocational education (MS3), etc.
c. Tertiary
Record the level that the person completed or the diploma including the university names. Examples are: Year 1 Chulalongkorn University, Year 2 Thammasat University, Year 3 Cadet School, B.S., Certificate of education, etc.
d. If the person studied religion such as Third grade religion, Second grade religion, Buddhism Theology 5, etc., record the religious degree and the formal education level.
e. If the person finished vocational education programs that did not teach formal subjects, such as dressmaker curriculum, mechanic curriculum, etc., do not record the vocation education in this column, but record the formal education level.
f. If the person never studied at any level, record "Never".
g. For children younger than 5 years old, write a dash.