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"We will make this happen in the upcoming academic year," Education Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

The new academic year will start around May for most schools.

During the past several years, the government has provided just 12 years of free education and the socalled "free education" is mainly about the exemption of tuition fees. Parents have been required to pay the schools many other fees relating to their children's education such as electricity fees, computerclass fees, and specialactivity fees on top of textbooks and uniforms.

"Now, we are going to give free textbooks, free school uniforms, free learning equipment as well. Aside, we will exempt the students from fees for both tuition and special activities," Jurin said yesterday.

He was speaking after a meeting with Education Ministry permanent secretary Chinnapat Bhumirat and top executives from the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), the Office of Vocational Education Commission and Office of Private Education Commission.   

Relevant authorities are now instructed to draft the details for the implementations.

"We agree that each student will receive two school uniforms each. But we are going to check how many textbooks and learning equipment each student from each class will need," Jurin said.

He added that he would convene the next meeting on the issue next Monday.

Obec secretary general Khunying Kasama Varawarn revealed that the government would likely give all students free textbooks and exercise books for eight main subject groups.

"But we are not going to provide free programmed textbooks. We don't encourage the use of this textbook type," she added.