Bangkok: "Kanchanaburi" discusses the issue with Parliament, urging the Prime Minister to approve central government funds to help the Student Loan Fund (SLF) overcome its liquidity crisis. She emphasizes that the SLF must be a bridge to create opportunities for children, not a door that opens and closes depending on surplus funds.
According to Thai News Agency, today during a session of the House of Representatives, Mr. Kanch Tangpong, Member of Parliament for Trang Province, Constituency 4, from the Democrat Party, raised the issue of the budget shortage in the Student Loan Fund (SLF), which is impacting the educational future of youth nationwide, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Kan stated that the Student Loan Fund (SLF) is a policy legacy that began during the government of Mr. Chuan Leekpai to expand opportunities for children and youth from impoverished families to access education. However, the SLF is currently facing two major challenges: firstly, it must assist existing borrowers who are burdened with debt, while secondly, it must maintain sufficient funds to accommodate new students who need to borrow.
The Democrat Party MP for Trang stressed that the current budget for the Student Loan Fund is insufficient, making it impossible for existing and new students to borrow money. In the current economic climate, if families cannot afford to support their children and cannot rely on the Student Loan Fund, these diligent students will unfortunately drop out of the education system.
"We cannot allow our children's educational opportunities to depend on whether the student loan fund is sufficient each year, or whether they will even be allowed to borrow. Therefore, I urge, through the Speaker of the Parliament, the Prime Minister and relevant ministers to urgently consider approving central government funds to supplement the student loan fund's liquidity and to establish clear and strict repayment guidelines. The student loan fund must function as a bridge to children's future, not as a door that opens and closes depending on the remaining government funds," Mr. Kan said.