PPAO President Rewat Areerob oversaw a ceremony at Provincial Hall on Friday which saw the funds handed out to students of different ages who qualified for financial support for the academic year.
Mr Rewat was joined by Phuket Vice Governors Anupap Wetchawanichsanong and Thiwat Seedokbuab, PPAO Vice President Akkrawat Sirithanthanakorn, as well as selected PPAO personnel, executives of Phuket-based schools and educational institutions, parents, teachers and students.
Mr Akkrawat explained that the said that the PPAO has a policy to provide assistance to students who lack financial resources to enable them to access better educational opportunities with the intention of providing them a brighter future. The assistance especially eases the financial burden on the students’ parents, Mr Akkrawat added.
While there was no specific mention of students who qualified for the financial assistance, likewise the schools they were from, the criteria for a student to receive the funds was disclosed at Friday’s ceremony, namely that they need to be well-behaved and diligent but lacking financial means.
Mr Rewat emphasised the importance of access to education for all youngsters in enabling them to develop and establish a better standard of living and opportunity in later life, but that many smart children were denied this due to the poor state of their family’s financial plight.
He further explained that a total 73 students from various schools under the PPAO passed the qualifying criteria and therefore received the financial assistance, which would be determined from an overall budget of B202,000 as follows:
- 32 students in kindergarten receive B2,000 each for a total of B64,000.
- 22 students in primary school receive B2,000 each for a total of B44,000.
- 10 students in lower secondary school receive B4,000 each for a total of B40,000.
- 9 students in upper secondary school receive B6,000 each for a total B54,000.