Page 68 - ฉบับ "ปรีดี บรรณานุสรณ์ 2561"

in Prayoak 1 Curriculum back in 1911, under the older education
system. But once the Ministry of Religious Af airs had classif ed
curriculum into foundation, primary, and secondary education,
Master Pridi continued his education at Wat Salapoon Temple in
Krung Kao District.
Once he had f nished his primary education, he moved
and attended secondary education in the country’s capital, at Wat
Benchamabophit School, before he moved back to attend Tuayang
Montol Krung Kao School (Model School of Krung Kao Precinct). He
had passed the f nal exam for grade 6 of the secondary education in
1915 before continuing further education at Suabkularb School for
6 more months.

Experiencing Farmer’s Life

After that, Master Pridi returned home to help his father,
Mr. Siang, in his paddy f eld at Utapao Subdistrict (which is currently
known as Wang Noi District). He received f rsthand experience
working in the paddy f eld, from helping his father in the f eld
including opportunities to observing various problems, and the real
lifestyle of farmers; for examples, when his father turned to work the
paddy f eld in Tha Luang, which didn’t have any irrigation system,
and had to endure drought for two consecutive years; or when their
cattle were all stolen but the authority did not provide any help at all
while they were required to pay ‘the tribute’ (government capitation)
and paddy f eld’s duty tax to the authority. This is not to mention
many other cases of farmers, who rented the land to farmers, and
had to endure exploitation of the landlord, especially in terms of rent
and exploitation of the middleman, the rice mill’s owner, and etc.
Though, back then, they were merely immediate problems,
these problems encouraged this young man to f nd solutions.
However, Master Pridi could not possible know that there were the
very f rst pieces of a jigsaw then, once put together, would reveal
more severe and deeper problem of this country.

68 ปรีดีบรรณานุสรณ์ ๒๕๖๑