750
M. Saratun and P. Dharmapiya (Piboolsravut)
1 Introduction: Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP)
in Schools
People everywhere face shared problems regarding environmental deterioration,
conflict, and a gradual decline in cultural heritage and spiritual values. There is
unbalanced development among the social, environmental and economic or material dimensions of living. In Thailand, SEP principles bestowed by the late King
Bhumibol of Thailand have been applied as a systemic process to restore balance in
developing the country.
“Sufficiency Economy” is a philosophy the King bestowed on his subjects in
1997, at the time of the Asian Economic Crisis. Nevertheless, when tracing back,
many royal pronouncements made on various occasions over the past three decades,
and King Bhumibol’s royal development projects over the past six decades, all contain SEP elements. SEP is considered as an approach to sustainable development,
aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SEP is
a philosophy and a decision-making framework that can drive human behaviors. It
can be applied by anyone at any level, so their behaviors are reasonably suitable, in
moderation, and with planned risk management and prevention to enable sustainable development, while balancing economic, social, environmental, and cultural
outcomes in the globalized world. In order to do this, the two main prerequisite conditions for these behaviors lie in human development, comprising of knowledge and
moral development.
SEP shares many similarities with the main concepts of international approaches
to developing sustainability, such as focusing on balanced development, responsible consumption, green growth, respecting biodiversity, and cultural multiplicity. In
addition, SEP has its own special contribution to make of a complete and holistic
framework of decision-making mechanisms (prudence, integrity, reasonableness and
moderation, for example), instead of focusing on just one or a few decision-making
elements.
In Thailand, the 2001 National Basic Education Core Curriculum started to include
one single subject based on SEP, which is the Society, Religion and Culture subject
(economics studies). However, early SEP attempts on development via curriculum,
lesson plans and teaching aids bore no fruitful result. In 2007, the UNDP produced
a national human development report on Thailand (UNDP 2007), focusing on Sufficiency Economy and human development. One of the six recommendations from
this report emphasized the need to upgrade the quality of education, including both
content and pedagogical methods, to fulfill the key preconditions of knowledge and
virtues for the successful operation of SEP. Expanding the application of Sufficiency
principles in the management and administration of schools is also recommended.
This triggered the SEP education movement in Thailand. In order to be truly sustainable, cultivating a SEP mindset in Thai younger generations had to be started. In
2007, 135 ‘SEP prototype’ schools were established. They helped design the SEP
curriculum, and entered the process of evaluation for the purpose of accreditation as
a sufficiency school.
M. Saratun and P. Dharmapiya (Piboolsravut)
1 Introduction: Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP)
in Schools
People everywhere face shared problems regarding environmental deterioration,
conflict, and a gradual decline in cultural heritage and spiritual values. There is
unbalanced development among the social, environmental and economic or material dimensions of living. In Thailand, SEP principles bestowed by the late King
Bhumibol of Thailand have been applied as a systemic process to restore balance in
developing the country.
“Sufficiency Economy” is a philosophy the King bestowed on his subjects in
1997, at the time of the Asian Economic Crisis. Nevertheless, when tracing back,
many royal pronouncements made on various occasions over the past three decades,
and King Bhumibol’s royal development projects over the past six decades, all contain SEP elements. SEP is considered as an approach to sustainable development,
aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SEP is
a philosophy and a decision-making framework that can drive human behaviors. It
can be applied by anyone at any level, so their behaviors are reasonably suitable, in
moderation, and with planned risk management and prevention to enable sustainable development, while balancing economic, social, environmental, and cultural
outcomes in the globalized world. In order to do this, the two main prerequisite conditions for these behaviors lie in human development, comprising of knowledge and
moral development.
SEP shares many similarities with the main concepts of international approaches
to developing sustainability, such as focusing on balanced development, responsible consumption, green growth, respecting biodiversity, and cultural multiplicity. In
addition, SEP has its own special contribution to make of a complete and holistic
framework of decision-making mechanisms (prudence, integrity, reasonableness and
moderation, for example), instead of focusing on just one or a few decision-making
elements.
In Thailand, the 2001 National Basic Education Core Curriculum started to include
one single subject based on SEP, which is the Society, Religion and Culture subject
(economics studies). However, early SEP attempts on development via curriculum,
lesson plans and teaching aids bore no fruitful result. In 2007, the UNDP produced
a national human development report on Thailand (UNDP 2007), focusing on Sufficiency Economy and human development. One of the six recommendations from
this report emphasized the need to upgrade the quality of education, including both
content and pedagogical methods, to fulfill the key preconditions of knowledge and
virtues for the successful operation of SEP. Expanding the application of Sufficiency
principles in the management and administration of schools is also recommended.
This triggered the SEP education movement in Thailand. In order to be truly sustainable, cultivating a SEP mindset in Thai younger generations had to be started. In
2007, 135 ‘SEP prototype’ schools were established. They helped design the SEP
curriculum, and entered the process of evaluation for the purpose of accreditation as
a sufficiency school.