Panel Focuses On Top 10 Educational Reform Issues

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Panel focuses on top 10 educational reform issues

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Ten urgent educational issues were yesterday targeted by the education reform policy committee for education reform.

The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, met yesterday with subcommittees of reform and related organisations at Government House.

"We are emphasising academic achievement," Abhisit told reporters after the meeting.

"We focused on policy and selected measures at this meeting. We will know the scope of budget and evaluation methods for reform at the next meeting," Abhisit said.

The meeting agreed that the evaluation criteria for academic standing should be changed. Students' educational performance would be the most important feature and academic documents would no longer be considered, said Sompong Jitradab Angsuwathin, member of a reform subcommittee.

"Directors of educational service zone offices and school directors will have to sign a memorandum of understanding to help improve students' academic achievements. Scores in any of their national tests must be higher than 50 per cent, especially in English, science and mathematics subjects. Moreover, schools must survey highrisk students and seriously help prevent them from doing unwanted acts," Sompong said.

Reform would also push agencies to increase rapidly the proportion of vocational students - from 32 per cent to 50 per cent, when compared to general education students. More special quotas would be offered to good or moral students to give them more opportunities to enter universities, he said.

Small schools unable to provide proper education due to a shortage of resources would be merged with other small schools with better management and performance. The number of small schools would reduce from 14,000 to 7,000 across the country, Sompong said.

Curricula would be adjusted urgently too, with the balance of contents and activities at 70:30. Curriculum for primary school students will be communitybased education, but for secondary school students it would be civicbased (or civic duty), he added.

Establishment of the National Teacher Education Institute will produce a new generation of teachers and educational projects to improve students' problemsolving skills are among urgent matters.

Sompong said the Education Ministry's role would be adjusted to act as facilitators and coordinators for schools and agencies so as to improve education standards.

The last urgent issue was budget allocation. Sompong said demand from students would be considered when allocating the budget, and educational coupons for students were being considered in response to student demands.

-- The Nation 2011-02-15

[Xangsamhua]

The report is not very clear to me. I'm not sure what some of it means, but any focus on education reform is welcome if it is sincere.

The focus is to be on academic improvement, especially in Science, Maths and English. Well, we know that Thai students are capable of considerable academic achievement if properly taught, resourced and motivated, but at present that seems to be largely restricted to elite government schools and some of the better private schools. Hopefully, reform will enable some of this quality to be extended to more schools and supported by professional development and some incentives.

Improvement of students' problem-solving skills is also emphasised. Once again, given the opportunities, resources and motivation there's no reason why students' problem-solving skills will not be enhanced. I say "enhanced" rather than "improved" because I think they already have these skills, but are not given an opportunity to exercise them or the incentive to spend their time solving "problems" that are set for them and may not be very meaningful to them.

It's when the students, as well as their teachers, get to decide what the problems are that their ability to solve them will be manifested and real cooperative learning will take place, with their teachers as guides and fellow learners as well. There is so much potential among students and young teachers in this country that is not allowed to develop and flourish. Rather, it is "put on hold" until they reach a stage of seniority at which they can really make a difference, but by then they are too institutionalised and demoralised.

Thailand spends as much of its GDP on education as Korea, but it gets much less for it. Of course there are significant cultural and economic differences, but I'm sure Thailand can get much more for its investment if it can only dare to look at things differently and actually make new things happen. It doesn't have to be a revolution - just some thinking and acting outside the current paradigms. Is that too threatening?

[silp1979]

The report is not very clear to me. I'm not sure what some of it means, but any focus on education reform is welcome if it is sincere.

The focus is to be on academic improvement, especially in Science, Maths and English. Well, we know that Thai students are capable of considerable academic achievement if properly taught, resourced and motivated, but at present that seems to be largely restricted to elite government schools and some of the better private schools. Hopefully, reform will enable some of this quality to be extended to more schools and supported by professional development and some incentives.

Improvement of students' problem-solving skills is also emphasised. Once again, given the opportunities, resources and motivation there's no reason why students' problem-solving skills will not be enhanced. I say "enhanced" rather than "improved" because I think they already have these skills, but are not given an opportunity to exercise them or the incentive to spend their time solving "problems" that are set for them and may not be very meaningful to them.

It's when the students, as well as their teachers, get to decide what the problems are that their ability to solve them will be manifested and real cooperative learning will take place, with their teachers as guides and fellow learners as well. There is so much potential among students and young teachers in this country that is not allowed to develop and flourish. Rather, it is "put on hold" until they reach a stage of seniority at which they can really make a difference, but by then they are too institutionalised and demoralised.

Thailand spends as much of its GDP on education as Korea, but it gets much less for it. Of course there are significant cultural and economic differences, but I'm sure Thailand can get much more for its investment if it can only dare to look at things differently and actually make new things happen. It doesn't have to be a revolution - just some thinking and acting outside the current paradigms. Is that too threatening?

sorry but this is very threatening to the elite, they don't want the same thing happens as in the arab world....independent individuals are scary ...

[ndw]

Any educational reform won't work until we get rid of the stupid idea that every student passes. At the moment only the very brightest students have any incentive to apply themselves to their work. Most students at my school have no intention of trying harder because they all know they will pass, no matter what they do. Without the risk of failure and repeating a year, students will never try harder.

[PaulHamon]

Thailand spends as much of its GDP on education as Korea

wow, that's a shock to me, seriously.

[otherstuff1957]

Thailand spends as much of its GDP on education as Korea

wow, that's a shock to me, seriously.

Not really surprising... While I don't have the exact number of students in Thailand vs Korea, the overall populations are 65mill vs 48 mill, so there will be fewer students to spend the money on. In addition, the over Korean GDP is a lot higher than the Thai GDP, which translates to more money being spent on students.

Just remember Mark Twain's saying: "There's lies, there's dam_n lies and then there are statistics!"

[Xangsamhua]

Thailand spends as much of its GDP on education as Korea

wow, that's a shock to me, seriously.

Not really surprising... While I don't have the exact number of students in Thailand vs Korea, the overall populations are 65mill vs 48 mill, so there will be fewer students to spend the money on. In addition, the over Korean GDP is a lot higher than the Thai GDP, which translates to more money being spent on students.

Just remember Mark Twain's saying: "There's lies, there's dam_n lies and then there are statistics!"

Of course you're right. There are many factors to consider in comparing the two countries, including standard of living, cost of living and Gini coefficient (income disparity much higher in Thailand).

However, 4.2% of GDP (Korea is slightly higher at 4.6) is not a bad allocation compared to many countries and should indicate that the government is serious about education. It just doesn't seem to have an impact though.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Thailand spends as much of its GDP on education as Korea

wow, that's a shock to me, seriously.

Not really surprising... While I don't have the exact number of students in Thailand vs Korea, the overall populations are 65mill vs 48 mill, so there will be fewer students to spend the money on. In addition, the over Korean GDP is a lot higher than the Thai GDP, which translates to more money being spent on students.

Just remember Mark Twain's saying: "There's lies, there's dam_n lies and then there are statistics!"

Of course you're right. There are many factors to consider in comparing the two countries, including standard of living, cost of living and Gini coefficient (income disparity much higher in Thailand).

However, 4.2% of GDP (Korea is slightly higher at 4.6) is not a bad allocation compared to many countries and should indicate that the government is serious about education. It just doesn't seem to have an impact though.

Infantilistic-fatalistic culture, end of. Good luck/bad luck/karma/re-incarnation/amulets with dead-babies blood......where exactly is the role for rational education ?

(Sorry, having an anti- day)