Kowit Vorapipatana

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Personal Data

Vorapipatana Kowit (1933-2000) was nationally recognized as the creator-champion of Thailand’s modern adult education.
He was inducted into the international Adult continuing education hall of fame in 2016.
H e revealed how adult/ non-formal education can recompose ,augment and encompass formal and non-formal education.
As a scholar, he successfully challenged universities to renovate their syllabus and produce a new cohort of adult educators.
He graduated with a Masters from the University of Utah in 1959, His thesis was on the "An application to of the community school concept in Thailand"
He later graduated with a PhD from the same university in 1967. Hid dissertation topic was "A study of the Thai Graduates training program in the field of education from the United States".
In 1979, he institutionalized non-formal education in the national education system, transforming the small division into a Department of Non-Formal Education that led a highly successful literacy campaign in the 1980's.
Kowit’s single greatest contribution was his introduction of the khit phen concept to education, literally translated as “being able to think and decide for him/herself.” This belief stemmed from his concern for the disadvantaged out-of-school population and his respect for their dignity and grassroots wisdom.

Employment

Dr. Kowit Vorapipatana, Deputy Director General, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Development Ministry of Education, Thailand.

Awards and Honor

Human Resources Development Award of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in 1980

Membership-Professional Organizations

World Baden-Powell Membership

Publications

Non-formal education in Asia and the Pacific : an overview.

Author:	C Duke; Kowit Vorapipatana.; Asian Programme of Educational Innovation for Development.
Publisher:	Bangkok : Unesco Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific, 1982.
Edition/Format:	Print book : International government publication : English

Towards community-centred education for national harmony and development in Thailand

Author:	Nicholas Bennett; Kowit Vorapipatana.
Publisher:	Paris : International Institute for Educational Planning, ©1975.
Series:	IIEP seminar paper, 13.
Edition/Format:	Print book : International government publication : English

Major Contributions to Adult Education

The problems of environmental education transfer (the Thai experience), Published in 1980.

References