"Akkharanat" signs an MOU between the Ministry of Education and the Department of Corrections to open classrooms in prisons, creating educational qualifications and increasing social opportunities after release from incarceration.
On 1 July 2026 at 10:00 a.m., Mr. Akkharanat Kankittinan, Deputy Minister of Education, chaired the Ministry of Education's opening of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony for cooperation in organizing, promoting, and supporting lifelong learning, self-development learning, and learning for qualifications at various levels between the Department of Learning Promotion (DLP) and the Department of Corrections. The event was attended by the Director-General of the DLP, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, the Director-General of the Department of Corrections, executives, and working teams, all gathered to declare their joint commitment to expanding educational opportunities to prisons and correctional facilities at the Convention Room, Science Learning Promotion and Development Center, Bangkok Planetarium.
Mr. Akkharanat stated that this signing is not merely a formal government ceremony but a declaration of a shared stance to use education as a tool to restore opportunities and develop human potential. Although physical walls restrict space, they must not limit intellectual opportunities or hope for a new beginning. The Ministry of Education aims to reduce educational inequality to ensure everyone has access to quality learning in an inclusive and fair manner, consistent with the 2023 Learning Promotion Act, which establishes three flexible learning frameworks: lifelong learning, self-development learning, and learning for qualifications at various levels. Minister Prasert Chanruangthong has continuously emphasized and driven this initiative.
The Deputy Minister added that inmates and former prisoners are groups deserving equal learning opportunities to rehabilitate their potential, build life skills, vocational skills, and confidence before returning to their families and society. The collaboration between the DLP and the Department of Corrections concretely links education with behavioral development. The DLP will implement a flexible learning system suitable for the context, enabling inmates to complete education from basic levels up to university degrees. The success of this collaboration will not be measured by the number of activities or participants but by the real changes in learners' lives and Thai society, based on equality and human dignity.
Mr. Akkharanat concluded by saying that the Ministry of Education is ready to support joint work with the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Corrections to ensure the MOU’s successful and tangible outcomes over the next three years. The goal is to maximize benefits in creating quality individuals with strong minds and educational qualifications who can reintegrate into society and grow to become vital contributors to the country.
