Teachers play a significant role in the provision of education of quality which 
is up to standard, particularly in the learning  reform as stipulated in the 1999 National Education Act. In their new role, the teachers are transformed to become facilitators in  providing learning to the learners whom they motivate. They also create an ambiance enabling the latter to learn and acquire knowledge themselves. It is therefore imperative that the teachers of the 21st century be true professionals endowed with knowledge of academic content as well as method of providing learning in keeping with social changes and technological progress. The quality of the learners and the Thai society will thus be assured, with both being able to fare well in the highly competitive world community.

                The 1999 National Education Act, which is Thailand's first education reform legislation, attaches great importance to the raising the status of the teaching profession. Measures for the reform of the teaching profession on a holistic basis have therefore been stipulated to achieve such elevation. The measures included in Chapter 7 : Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel cover various aspects, namely, the production of teachers, faculty staff and educational personnel to attain the quality and standard commensurate with those of a highly respected profession ; professional licences for teachers and administrators; decentralization of authority for personnel administration to educational service areas and educational institutions; enactment of legislations on salary, remuneration, welfare and other benefits for teachers and educational personnel, allowing them to have sufficient income in keeping with their social and professional status; establishment of the Fund for Development of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel and the Fund for Promotion of Teachers, to be distributed as subsidies for initiatives, creative and outstanding achievements and awards for honouring teachers.

                For the teaching profession reform required in Chapter 7 of the National Education Act, the ONEC, in its capacity as the educational policy-making body, took preparatory measures for the reform of teachers and educational personnel in all aspects through study and research on the important issues in each section of this chapter. Proposed provisions regarding the relevant issues were prepared for dissemination to teachers, administrators and the general public as well as for popular participation in the policy formulation. Public hearings were held by the ONEC in the northern, central, north-eastern and southern regions as well as in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. Public polls were also conducted. The ONEC therefore availed itself of the outcomes of the public hearings and the polls for efficient policy formulation on each issue as well as for more effective policy implementation. The policy recommendations put forth can be summarised as follows :

1. Teacher Production and Development

                The professional teachers desired are those with quality, attached to their profession, and ready to learn for self - development and learning process development which enables the learners to learn to the best of their potential. The learners will thus attain the quality required for competition with the world outside, and will be capable of self - adjustment in keeping with the social changes at present.
The policy recommendations on the teacher production are primarily aimed at turning out new teachers of quality in accord with the teaching profession standard. These teachers will serve as a new driving force for the success of future learning reform through the selection of good and competent candidates for teacher training. Successful candidates will be provided with scholarships. They will then enrol in a 6 - year education course, comprising 4 years for academic subjects, one year for education, and another year for teaching experience.

              The policy recommendations are aimed at developing approximately 700,000 in - service teachers to become true professionals, whose quality will be developed on a continuous basis throughout their working lives. Development measures include professional training in courses, seminars, further studies and provision of budgetary allocation enabling them to carry out research and development work relating to their teaching - learning activities on a continuous basis. A measure to achieve quality improvement of teachers is the establishment of an Institute for Development of Teachers and Administrators. The Institute will be entrusted with the tasks of co-ordination and promoting development of in - service teachers to become efficient through improvement of the training designs, training course curricula as well as various media and technologies. All these steps will link the training with formal education for increase in the teachers' educational qualifications, particularly in the subject areas where there is a shortage of teachers. 

2. Teaching Licence

                The teaching licence will serve as a mechanism for raising the status of the teaching profession and for teachers' quality assurance. The ultimate aim is development of the learners' quality. The main points of the recommendations on the teaching licence are : a licensed teacher must be an awardee of not less than a bachelor's degree in pedagogy. If awarded a bachelor's degree in other subjects, he must have studied pedagogy or received teacher training in accord with the prescribed criteria for which 24 credits are obtained. New pre - service teachers must have received a two - year professional training with successful assessment before being awarded a standard teaching licence. Teachers with experiences of two years and above and with the requisite qualifications will be provided with a standard teaching licence, renewable every five years. All teachers ,however, are required to develop themselves and their teaching - learning activities on a continuous basis, otherwise the licence will  be suspended and revoked. A licensed teacher, however, will be entitled to receive the salary and remuneration based on the new system.

3. Professional Licence for an Administrator

                The professional licence for an administrator is aimed at developing an administrator to attain the requisite quality and professional standard. The administrator must therefore be a true professional with wide vision and strong leadership, and with quality and efficiency in the administration of education through the learner - centred approach.

                The main points of the recommendations for an administrator's professional licence are : an educational institution administrator must already have a teaching licence for at least five years; he must have awarded not less than a master's degree in educational administration or must have successfully attended an administration training course recognised by professional organizations before he can be awarded a professional licence. A licensed administrator will be entitled to receive salary and remuneration based on the new salary scale. The professional licence of an administrator is renewable every five years. Should  he be unable to observe the professional standard and ethics on a continuous basis, his licence will be suspended or revoked.

4. Honouring Teachers with Outstanding Achievements

                 Regarding the policy recommendations on honouring teachers with outstanding achievements, there should be established a Fund for Promotion of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel as well as a Centre for Promotion
of Hououring and Awarding Teachers, Faculty Staff and Educational Personnel. As an independent organization, the Centre should be entrusted with the tasks of co-ordination, promotion and honouring teachers with outstanding achievements, priority being given to honouring and awarding in terms of "Subsidy and work". The financial award should be used for development of their teaching - learning activities as well as the development of fellow teachers. The standard criteria for the selection of those who should be honoured and awarded have also been proposed. A co-ordinating mechanism for the honouring and awarding of teachers of various agencies or organizations has also been suggested so as to form a career ladder. There will thus be a system for honouring and awarding teachers with outstanding achievements as well a network of such activities, which are well co-ordinated and mutually supportive.

                The systemic implementation of the teaching profession reform mentioned above will contribute to the raising of the teaching profession standard and will be an efficient way of developing the profession. With the success of the reform, the teaching profession will be recognised for its high standard. The society will accord it with faith and acceptance as in the past. Teaching will enjoy a high professional standard similar to that of medical and engineering professions. It is hoped that, in the near future, we shall see professional teachers capable of providing quality learning to learners through the learner - centred approach. They will constantly develop themselves as well as the teaching - learning activities so as to keep up with the changes in the Thai and world communities. This will undoubtedly mean that the products of Thai education in future will be children and youth of quality, able to compete and adjust themselves to the social changes.