Recent stories about a campaign to have student loans written off reflect a crisis of integrity and responsibility in our education system.
As long as we cannot preserve the integrity of those in our education system, where future generations are nurtured, Thailand will be unable to move forward sustainably.
A group of academics called the Welfare State and Justice Studies has launched a campaign to collect 10,000 names in support of a proposed amendment that would see the Student Loan Fund (SLF) write off outstanding debts two years after graduation.
The group says the debts are not only a burden on former students, but also create inequality in society.
The loans hinder graduates at the very moment they need help to embark on economically and socially valuable careers, it argues.
The campaign coincides with a move to empower the SLF with the authority to ease enforcement of debt collection so as not to overly deprive young earners of too big a share of their income as they repay their loans.
But the campaign is already unpopular and has drawn flak from the public.
Noppadon Pareeloek, a spokesman for the Office of the Council of State which has scrutinised this SLF bill, said cancelling students' debts is not the answer.
It would just promote irresponsibility among borrowers and lead to even more problems in the future, he said.
For sure, the current SLF and debt service structure is far from perfect and needs major reform -- but not a complete moratorium on all repayments.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is concerned about those who are struggling to repay their student loans and has ordered authorities to provide them with greater assistance.
As such, remedial measures have been implemented, including extending repayments from the middle to the end of this year -- but not wiping out the debts entirely.
In fact, the group is already involved in promoting better welfare and equality in the system by campaigning for free education at university level, not just to the end of senior school, and welfare improvements for low-level workers.
But its demand to have all debts owed to the SLF waived is unacceptable and would add a big burden to the state's coffers.
At present some 6.217 million students have yet to repay in full some 696 billion baht in loans taken out.
And while defaulters should not lose their homes, the policy must not be seen as a ticket for others to wash their hands of what should be both a binding obligation and one of adult life's first big financial lessons.
Debt repayment is vital as the original student fund came from taxpayers' money and the SLF needs to have sufficient money to support students from low-income families who need to borrow funds.
There are also many factors behind the student loan defaults including debtors' low income, the SLF's lenient penalty regime, and ineffective debt collection.
But another important reason is debtors' lack of both financial discipline and a sense of responsibility.
Many give student loan repayments a low priority. The proposed debt write-off would damage young people's discipline and accountability.
Strengthening welfare to reduce inequality is needed but such efforts must not cause a "moral hazard" of their own.
