One of the major concerns of KFAM is that education attainment is very low and this is holding people back from improving their situation and finding solutions to go forward. Muslims in the border provinces generally have lower levels of educational attainment when compared to their Buddhist neighbors. 69.8% of the Muslim population in the border provinces only have a primary school education, compared to 49.6% of Buddhists in the same provinces. Only 9.20% of Muslims have completed their secondary education (including those who graduated from private Islamic schools), compared with 13.20% of Buddhists. Just 1.70% of the Muslim population has a bachelor's degree, while 9.70% of Buddhists hold undergraduate degrees.
We talked to six women’s groups in the three southern provinces this year (2015-2016). We found out that the reason why they don't consider education important for their children is because they don't understand why children need a formal education to begin with.
Government schools teach their classes in the Thai language which alienates some learners. What's more, this secular educational system is being undermined by the destruction of local schools and the murders of teachers by the insurgent groups.
In these regions unemployment is very high. There are few job opportunities which is why people cross the border to Malaysia, where there are more jobs and a higher per capita income. Many of these cross-border workers end up working in rubber plantations or in the hospitality trade in restaurants. of course, due to the insurgency and terrorist attacks, there is no real hospitality industry left in southern Thailand as tourist tend to keep clear.