#Secondarytransition

A rigorous longitudinal analysis conducted by Education Datalab, published in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, exposes a troubling pattern in Thailand’s educational landscape. Brilliant children from low-income families show parity with their wealthier peers through primary school, but during the critical transition to secondary education, their engagement, behavior, mental health, and exam performance deteriorate sharply. By the end of compulsory schooling, the gap widens markedly: gifted students from poorer households are significantly less likely to achieve top mathematics grades or English excellence than their affluent counterparts, even after accounting for other factors.