Thailand reduces school hours in major curriculum overhaul

[webfact]

 

Thailand’s Ministry of Education has announced an ambitious overhaul of the national curriculum, aiming to reduce school hours and incorporate more practical and tech-based learning.

 

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) is leading this initiative. Thanu Wongjinda, Obec secretary-general, disclosed that the plan necessitates a panel's establishment to review the curriculum, last updated in 2008. This step aims to modernise the educational framework to meet global standards.

 

Obec has been integrating technology-based subjects into individual courses, but this upcoming reform is viewed as a transformative upgrade. The proposed reduction in school hours stands as one of the most significant changes, addressing concerns that Thai students spend far more time in class than their global counterparts.

 

Currently, students from Pathom 1 to 6 (grades one to six) undergo at least 1,000 hours of classes and activities annually. Those in Mathayom 1 to 3 (grades seven to nine) face no fewer than 1,200 hours a year. For Mathayom 4 to 6 (grades 10 to 12), the total amounts to over 3,600 hours across three years.

 

 

“It only makes sense to try and scale back study hours,” stated Thanu. He further explained that the panel, once formed, would review each subject and look for areas of improvement. The initiative aims to foster more balanced and effective learning experiences for students.

 

Input will be sought from educational professionals, students, parents, publishers, and other stakeholders to ensure the reforms are comprehensive and inclusive.

 

Deputy Education Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul expressed concerns about budget constraints impacting the ministry's Learning Anywhere Anytime project, which focuses on online learning for Mathayom 4 to 6 students.

 

Initially set at 7.6 billion baht (US$ 205.5 million), the budget was reduced to 4.1 billion baht (US$ 110 million).

“The cut will hurt the project's overall efficiency,” lamented the deputy minister.

 

The forthcoming changes aim to better equip Thai students for the future, balancing classroom time with practical, modern learning methods.

 

File photo courtesy: Wikipedia

 

-- 2024-06-27

 

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[lordgrinz]

By all means, cut back on education in a country with such a stellar educational system. Oh, and they save extra baht in the budget for the government too? Glorious!

[mfd101]

13 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

and they save extra baht in the budget for the government too?

How very dare you ask a question! Are you implying I haven't taught you properly? Get out of my class I don't want to see you again.

[dinsdale]

A brief response.

A few things here. I agree that the school day should have a reduction in hours (ban homework also IMHO) and that not just tech based but 21C teaching as a whole that needs to be adopted. Associated problems: Way too many activities that takes students out of the classroom. A good example is scouts which is nothing more than a military recruitment exercise. There are just so many other examples of out of class activities to list. Beneficial activities like excursions I don't have a problem with. As for tech based teaching and as I said 21stC teaching this needs to be supported with the correct learning environment. Schools with 40+ students in a classroom that has no technology is NOT the ideal learning environment.

[dinsdale]

17 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

By all means, cut back on education in a country with such a stellar educational system. Oh, and they save extra baht in the budget for the government too? Glorious!

It doesn't mean a cut back in education. What it's about is trying to drag the education system here out of the mid 20thC into the 21stC.

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, dinsdale said:

It doesn't mean a cut back in education. What it's about is trying to drag the education system here out of the mid 20thC into the 21stC.

 

No, its about taking money from education to feed other programs, but I see the propaganda is working.

[dinsdale]

Just now, lordgrinz said:

 

No, its about taking money from education to feed other programs, but I see the propaganda is working.

Maybe you can explain how reducing the hours of a school day equals to taking money out of the education system to be used elsewhere. Not mentioned in the article but I would think a reduction in the time of one study period from one hour to forty five minutes may be one thing they are considering or a reduction from six in class hours a day to five or maybe both. How on earth does this equate to taking money away from the budget.

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, dinsdale said:

Maybe you can explain how reducing the hours of a school day equals to taking money out of the education system to be used elsewhere. Not mentioned in the article but I would think a reduction in the time of one study period from one hour to forty five minutes may be one thing they are considering or a reduction from six in class hours a day to five or maybe both. How on earth does this equate to taking money away from the budget.

 

Initially set at 7.6 billion baht (US$ 205.5 million), the budget was reduced to 4.1 billion baht (US$ 110 million).

“The cut will hurt the project's overall efficiency,” lamented the deputy minister.

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Initially set at 7.6 billion baht (US$ 205.5 million), the budget was reduced to 4.1 billion baht (US$ 110 million).

“The cut will hurt the project's overall efficiency,” lamented the deputy minister.

This was for a specific project and has nothing to do with a reduction in school hours. The budget for public schools here is over Bt200 trillion.

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

Learning Anywhere Anytime project, which focuses on online learning for Mathayom 4 to 6 students.

 

[lordgrinz]

Just now, dinsdale said:

This was for a specific project and has nothing to do with a reduction in school hours. The budget for public schools here is over Bt200 trillion.

 

 

They want to reduce hours to save money, its that simple.......but don't expect that saved money will help anyone but the bureaucrats. "Bt200 trillion" ?!?! I don't think so....LOL

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

The budget for public schools here is over Bt200 trillion.

 

you sure about that ? around 5.5 trillion usd for thai education ? 

 

The 2024 budget plan approved by the new government includes higher spending on education, with a total budget of 3.48 trillion baht ($97.29 billion) and a larger budget deficit of 693 billion baht.  

 

 

[dinsdale]

10 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

They want to reduce hours to save money, its that simple.......but don't expect that saved money will help anyone but the bureaucrats. "Bt200 trillion" ?!?! I don't think so....LOL

Thanks @stonerBt3.48 billion. I think the entire budget is the more than Bt200 trillion that popped into my mind. But again reducing in-class time for students may save some money on school's electricity bills (a bit) but other than that you have not said how this actually saves money to be funneled elsewhere.

[stoner]

7 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Thanks @stonerBt3.48 billion.

 

you sure about that ? 3.48 billion hahahaha ...but yes i see what you're getting at.

 

11 minutes ago, stoner said:

The 2024 budget plan approved by the new government includes higher spending on education, with a total budget of 3.48 trillion baht ($97.29 billion) and a larger budget deficit of 693 billion baht.

 

[ChaiyaTH]

So many hours yet they learned absolute nothing by age of 18. Home schooling takes like 2-3 hours a day and most people outperform even International school standards with test scores etc.

[Tropicalevo]

Thailand has missed the 'reality' songteow.

It is the curriculum that needs changing, not the hours or location.

More hours/less hours, it makes no difference if the quality is not there.

This is not a five minute fix and it needs to be driven by educators, not accountants. eg Boeing!

Also, remote lessons only work if the child has the facilities and the 'will to learn'.

Not some thing that every Thai child has. eg the article where the kid had to build a sala in the middle of a field in order to get a wifi signal. (Article in AN during Covid.)

[bob smith]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s Ministry of Education has announced an ambitious overhaul of the national curriculum, aiming to reduce school hours and incorporate more practical and tech-based learning.

....It will take more than an internet connection and a few ipads to sort out the dreadful mess that is the Thai education system!

 

bob.

[ChaiyaTH]

Just now, bob smith said:

....It will take more than an internet connection and a few ipads to sort out the dreadful mess that is Thai education!

 

bob.

If having that, might as well pay home education at 10-12K a month. Solves the potential 6 months per year due to taxes as well.

[herfiehandbag]

Goodness me - reducing the classes?

 

The children's foot drill, close order marching and turnings at the halt have yet to recover from the damage wrought by the COVID lockdowns!

[dinsdale]

2 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

If having that, might as well pay home education at 10-12K a month. Solves the potential 6 months per year due to taxes as well.

Many things are learnt at school and they're not all scholastic. 

[ChaiyaTH]

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Many things are learnt at school and they're not all scholastic. 

Really? I would not have thought of that... Those are also so impossible to achieve without a school... Hence that most world traveling children have more world knowledge, more knowledge about nature, better social skills, better cultural knowledge, better language skills.

 

Not to mention they still join sports clubs, music lessons or whatever else as usual too. Can play after school as usual too etc etc etc.

[bob smith]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Many things are learnt at school and they're not all scholastic. 

...Like respect for authority & how to be obedient slaves and bow to your masters?

 

Thailand surely ranks No.1 in the world for that!

well, maybe they are in 2nd place, just behind North Korea..

 

bob.

[Robert Paulson]

I’m sure the teachers wanting shorter hours with same pay had nothing to do with this

[dinsdale]

2 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Goodness me - reducing the classes?

 

The children's foot drill, close order marching and turnings at the halt have yet to recover from the damage wrought by the COVID lockdowns!

Doesn't actually mention reducing classes and the headline is somewhat pre-emptive IMO that hours will be reduced but as I said in a previous post in-class time could be reduced, classes per day could be reduced or both less classes per day and less in-class time. My guess is still 6 classes a day but at 45 minutes. This would make an 8:30am-2:30pm school day for students.

[ikke1959]

Don't cut the study hours, but stop with all wasted time like in the morning standing for the national anthem, praying listening to endless speeches, practicing for wai kru, unnecessary meetings with nothing but boring students, and stop especially with extra study hours after school.....

 I know students who have to go to school to 6 pm because of extra classes, in the weekend a whole Saturday and even in the long holiday they had to go to school with only 1 week ( the week of Songkran ) free...If time is being used to teach and really good teaching instead of copying what a teacher  preaches there could be made a good schedule that even classes could be halved. 25 students max in a class ...

 

But the Government cut study hours without any cut in unneeded activities and keep so the students dumb. Every foreign teachers knows how much time is spilled in schools

[ChaiyaTH]

1 minute ago, dinsdale said:

 This would make an 8:30am-2:30pm school day for students.

That is what a normal school day should be like in the first place, until near high school, then it is usually until 3:00PM. At least in Europe.

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, bob smith said:

...Like respect for authority & how to be obedient slaves and bow to your masters?

 

Thailand surely ranks No.1 in the world for that!

 

bob.

This is true and is part of the indoctrination process as is religion. There are positives though like socialisation and how to behave properly in a society. 

[ChaiyaTH]

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This is true and is part of the indoctrination process as is religion. There are positives though like socialisation and how to behave properly in a society. 

All of this has long been proven to be nonsense, the only issue is that for the system to work in a modern slavery style, most people need to be processed on mass scales, hence we have education the way it is, we have jobs the way it is etc etc.

 

Anyone who thought twice knows it is far superior and better, to do it without this, if having that chance and luxury by nationality on birth etc. Is the same where a employee style future means 40 hours, a business owned style future means 20 hours, for the same money.

[Pouatchee]

Top down solution. Get rid of the old fossils that are the headmasters and program coordinators who know nothing.

 

Dont be afraid to put foreigners with the proper qualifications ( not online degrees, online pgce's, online and even thai uni master's degrees)

 

Make sure newly hired thai teachers meet decent level english proficiency requirements.

 

Fail the kids who deserve to be failed for a lack of effort and achievement

 

Have clearly defined and enforcable discipline policies that are implemented nationwide.

 

Get problem students the meds (if applicable) and help/support they need

 

Make classes a manageable 25 students per class

 

Pay the teachers a reasonable wage. No long term foreign teacher can live here and prepare a retirement on 35-40k a month and same goes for thai teachers. 10-15k a month is hardly an incentive to attract bright minds

 

 

[dinsdale]

1 minute ago, ikke1959 said:

Don't cut the study hours, but stop with all wasted time like in the morning standing for the national anthem, praying listening to endless speeches, practicing for wai kru, unnecessary meetings with nothing but boring students, and stop especially with extra study hours after school.....

 I know students who have to go to school to 6 pm because of extra classes, in the weekend a whole Saturday and even in the long holiday they had to go to school with only 1 week ( the week of Songkran ) free...If time is being used to teach and really good teaching instead of copying what a teacher  preaches there could be made a good schedule that even classes could be halved. 25 students max in a class ...

 

But the Government cut study hours without any cut in unneeded activities and keep so the students dumb. Every foreign teachers knows how much time is spilled in schools

Agree and disagree. Reduce lesson times to 45 min and abolish useless out of class activities e.g. scouts. 45 min which in reality will be 40 minutes is a pretty good time. Keep in mind the attention span of kids. 

[Robert Paulson]

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

...Like respect for authority & how to be obedient slaves and bow to your masters?

 

Thailand surely ranks No.1 in the world for that!

 

bob.

Yep. People overemphasize the importance of school. The “good” stuff kids learn in school would mostly be learned if they were at home. 
 

People really think schooling is some paradigm set out from the heavens above, never to be questioned. Yet the fact is, it’s completely unnatural. There’s no basis for it at all in my opinion. Schooling should be much more personal. You NEVER see this accounted for. For example some kids do well in school, and maybe school is the best place for them to be. Others do horribly and simply cannot concentrate. Maybe they’d much rather be out dedicating themselves to a sport or other similar passion. Yet we just lock them up under this very odd social paradigm that “all kids must be in school”. It’s so weird… school in part is just another way to make better taxpayers in my estimation. And don’t even get me started on college. 
 

I think what kids need to be taught is how to learn. And how to think critically. And no, this won’t take 14 some odd years to do. That way as they go through life they are able to independently learn stuff at their leisure and as they are interested in it. Motivated by getting better at it. I think the proof is in the pudding. Make a contest between a student in school who studies French for a year and a kid who lives in France for a year who’s interested in learning French. Everyone knows the truth; kids learn nothing about foreign languages in school even after YEARS of studying they can barely put together a sentence. School is a giant mirage I tell you. I suppose it’s just another thing to add to the list of stuff it’ll take people decades to figure out. You should be home schooling to btw I don’t care what your situation is. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk on the inadequacies and misunderstandings of schooling