There is no doubt the relevant authorities foresaw that a large number of students would cry their hearts out when they failed to get a place at a prestigious secondary school during the ongoing school-admission period.

It was also foreseeable that thousands of students in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces would find themselves without seats to start their secondary-education level earlier this month.

Despite knowing what would occur the authorities let it happen again.

Such scenes are witnessed year after year, and there is no sign they will be able to stop them anytime soon.

This mess has clearly highlighted the inefficiency of the Education Ministry as well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) when it comes to educational services.

Had proper planning been in place, the problems should have been at least curtailed - even if not completely wiped out.

Education is what the state must provide for the children and the Education Ministry, in  particular, should also deliver efficient educational services as they are the key to developing human resources for the country's sustainable development.

In fact, the Education Ministry has known all along that 83,638 students in Bangkok would complete their primary education in the 2006 academic year and that they would need to enrol in secondary schools this year.

The Education Ministry has also been aware there are just 976 schools in Bangkok with the capacity to seat 77,920 students based on a requirement that each class has 40 seats. Furthermore, it is a common practice that many parents from other provinces try to enrol their children in Bangkok schools in search of better educational services.

Nonetheless, the Education Ministry has hardly done anything to prevent these foreseeable problems.

This year, nearly 18,000 Grade 6 graduates in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces were without places at secondary schools as of April 1.

Of them, about 10,000 were in Bangkok's Educational Service Area II where the boom of housing estates has translated into a huge number of children.

For its part, the BMA has also failed to deal with this problem efficiently.

The city council has 435 schools under its control, but only 71 of them provide classes up to Grade 9 level and just five of them provide classes up to Grade 12 level.

In such circumstances, it is unavoidable that many students will have to struggle to find a place to start their secondary education in Bangkok.

Many more will not find a place at highly-regarded schools famous for delivering the cream to prestigious universities. 

"The problem is not just about creating more schools. It is also developing the standards of schools. If all schools are of good standard, students will not have to flock into Bangkok and try to get a place at a handful of prestigious schools," Paitoon Silarat, a former dean of Chulalongkorn University's Education Faculty, said yesterday.

He said relevant authorities should also issue a clear policy on whether it would encourage private entrepreneurs to help provide educational services.

"Without the policy, private entrepreneurs are reluctant to step in. They are concerned that after making a huge investment, state schools might open just next to their schools," Paitoon said.

The focus should not just be on opening new schools, but about developing and expanding current schools.

On March 7 this year, Education Minister Wijit Srisa-arn signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the BMA with shared goals to ensure that all children in Bangkok will find places at schools near their homes.

According to the MOU, the BMA will be mainly responsible for providing education from Grade 1 up to Grade 9 in the future, as the Education Ministry's Office of Basic Education Commission will shift its focus to senior secondary schools. Also, the Education Ministry has vowed to encourage private schools to admit more students.

However, there is no specific timeframe to achieve the goals and it could take a long time before parents and children see some tangible progress.

Last but not least, the Education Ministry should do more about occupational guidance in order for children - who are the future of the country - to plan their careers.

By saying "career", the term is not restricted to doctors, teachers, soldiers, police officers, lawyers or journalists. Think about other positions that require vocational skills. Many big garages and factories today are run and owned by former technicians who knew the skills of their trades.

Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation