Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School

About

The Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or AFAPS (Thai: โรงเรียนเตรียมทหาร) is a senior high school in Nakhon Nayok Province. It is a flagship institution of the National Defence Studies Institute Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. The curriculum consists of academic and physical training as well as other activities. Cadets who manage to graduate automatically gain entrance to the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, the Royal Thai Naval Academy, the Royal Thai Air Force Academy, or the Royal Thai Police Academy. The school accepts only male applicants. Admission to AFAPS is selective. The number of applicants per year exceeds 70,000 and over 600 are accepted, making overall acceptance rate less than 1%. With more than 600 cadets per class year, the academy's enrollment is around 2,000. The cadet regiment represents all provinces of Thailand. The academy supports the traditions and ceremonies of Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian students. The school has a reputation for producing close lifelong bonds between the pre-cadets of each class. Rivalries between classes are common, especially in the promotion process.

The Thai Ministry of Defence established the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, literally in Thai language 'Prepare for Military', on 27 January 1958 by consolidating the preparatory schools of the Royal Thai Army, Navy, and Air Force, also, the Ministry of Interior sent 40 men of the Royal Thai Police to study in the new Armed forces Academies Preparatory school, according to the agreement in 1951, forming the first and second generation. They used the building of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in Ratchadamnoen Avenue in the first five years. Then they moved into their new place in Rama IV road, next to Lumphini Park in Bangkok, (the current site of One Bangkok). In 2000, the academy moved to a new 4 km2 site in Nakhon Nayok Province.

As an institution involving the four service branches of the Armed Forces of Thailand, the commanding officers consist of officers from each branch. The Academy Commander is an Army Major General, and accompanied by four Executive Officers, one from each of the service branches. The Royal Thai Police, while structured similarly to the armed force, follows a different notion for its officer positions. Its officers, whom are relegates from the Royal Thai Police Academy's Cadet Command Division, are of the rank equivalent to the armed force counterpart, for their respective positions.

The Pre-Cadet Regiment is divided into four Pre-Cadet Battalions, 1 to 4. As with the school's command structure, the Regiment's command structure also consist of officers from all service branches. Each of the four battalions is themed after the four service branches, namely in the battalion's color and its commanding officer. In order, the 1st Battalion after the Army, the 2nd Battalion after the Navy, the 3rd Battalion after the Air Force, and the 4th Battalion after the Police Force. The Pre-Cadets themselves, however, do not necessarily get assigned to the service branch in which they received acceptance into (e.g. a Pre-Cadet to graduate and enroll into the Naval Academy may not be assigned to the 2nd Battalion, which is themed after the Navy).

In last two years program for a senior high school level, AFAPS provides a rigorous academic program, with a focus on science, mathematics, and pre-engineering courses. Cadets study academics for four days a week in academic buildings from 08:00 to 16:00. On designated training days, study time is divided in half. In the morning, a wide range of sport and health education classes (i.e., rugby, track and field, fencing, paramedic swimming, etc.) are offered. In the afternoon, cadets study military science and strategies, including military structure, field survival, and weapon training. AFAPS provides courses in English, Chinese, mathematics (through algebra and calculus), history and social science, laboratory science, art, music, and religious studies. Cadets may also choose to join club programs such as marching band, exhibition drill, poetry, and sports. Evening classes are offered to students in Olympiad programs and as optional learning opportunities. Grade point average (GPA) is measured on a 4.0 scale. Cadets are ranked academically.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.