Poor ONet Scores Might Be Due To A Lack Of Concern About The Results

[webfact]

Poor ONet scores 'could reflect

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A top education official said Matthayom 6 (Grade 12) students' lower average scores in the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-Net) this year might be due to a lack of concern about the results on the part of some students.

Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said he had assigned Obec's Upper Secondary Education Bureau to analyse what caused the lower average scores. However, some of the students who sat the O-Net probably did not pay much attention to the test as they did not need the scores for university admissions purposes, he said.

Many Matthayom 6 students are able to enter universities through the institutions' direct admissions systems, which do not require O-Net scores. This probably caused Matthayom 6 students' O-Net average scores to drop, Chinnapat said.

He said this was a different situation from that facing Prathom 6 (Grade 6) and Matthayom 3 (Grade 9) students. Obec uses their O-Net scores as part of the selection process for their preferred schools at secondary level. Their O-Net scores are also considered when their teachers and school directors are assessed. So, the use of their O-Net scores forces both of these groups of students to work hard and pay attention to the test, Chinnapat said.

The National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) recently announced the average scores for eight subjects. The students' average scores in five of eight subjects were lower than last year. The five subjects are Thai language; social studies, religions and culture; science; health and physical education; and art. However, the average scores of the remaining subjects - occupation and technology, English language and mathematics - were higher.

Out of full scores of 100, the average score for Thai language was down from 42.61 to 41.88; social studies, religions and culture from 46.51 to 33.39; science from 30.90 to 27.90; health and physical education from 62.86 to 54.61; and art from 32.62 to 28.54. Meanwhile, the average score for occupation and technology was up from 43.69 to 48.72; English language from 19.22 to 21.80; and mathematics from 14.99 to 22.73.

-- The Nation 2012-03-27

[thunder30101]

Im thinking more of a lack of concern for anything or anyone.

[Scott]

Mathematics, and English to a lesser degree, would be the subjects that would require the most attention to detail. If students didn't care and were not concerned, then those scores would seem to go down; not up. The other subjects require less 'thinking' and more rote knowledge, they would go down in the scenario outlined, I would think.

[billd766]

My son who is 7 goes to a school 65 km from home and is enrolled in an English training class along with 22 other kids all of roughly the same age.

Scores out of 100

Mathematics 83

Science 98

Health/Physical Education 90

Art 93

Computer studies 100

Star Player 85

Conversation World Class 81

English Land 95

On the Thai side it is more difficult for me as I cannot read or write Thai but he has an overall grade point average of 4.0 the same as the English side.

Granted he is only 7 but looking at the OP my son with his current skills seems to be better than most of the kids leaving school now.

I don't expect him to be perfect or keep the 4.0 for ever but looking at the current crop my son could probably be quite as good as the Obec management team. At the very least he is interested and enjoying himself at school.

[sirchai]

My son who is 7 goes to a school 65 km from home and is enrolled in an English training class along with 22 other kids all of roughly the same age.

Scores out of 100

Mathematics 83

Science 98

Health/Physical Education 90

Art 93

Computer studies 100

Star Player 85

Conversation World Class 81

English Land 95

On the Thai side it is more difficult for me as I cannot read or write Thai but he has an overall grade point average of 4.0 the same as the English side.

Granted he is only 7 but looking at the OP my son with his current skills seems to be better than most of the kids leaving school now.

I don't expect him to be perfect or keep the 4.0 for ever but looking at the current crop my son could probably be quite as good as the Obec management team. At the very least he is interested and enjoying himself at school.

Conversation World Class 81

Sorry, I've forgotten what it really means. Actually I'm confused to be honest. Is there also a Nigerian "Bush World Class Standard School somewhere?

Or is it possible that Thai AND foreigner teachers just upgraded your Luuk Kreung? Obviously, you've paid good money for it

[Scott]

I think we can drop the snarky comments about grades. Schools come up with some rather odd names for subjects.

It would be interesting to see the relationship between a school's grade point average and the national test scores. That might reveal a great deal about education in Thailand.

[culicine]

Those maths and english scores are dreadful. However, it's interesting to see the NIETS / MoE looking for external factors as to why the scores are low - blaming the schools and teachers, rather than their silly multiple guess exams that are usually loaded with errors (especially the english exam).

Anyway I don't get my knickers in a knot too much over it - those students who don't care / can't do the work fail, then they are 'retested' then we pass them. Schools could be subjected to an investigation in failing results are submitted to to the MoE. The "pass" is a GPA of one, so any university interested in their school scores, see the GPA of one, knowing the student probably failed. Most universities have little faith in the school system here for evaluating students (and the O-net as well), so they set their own admissions exams. I'd do the same thing if I wanted to select students for my faculty.

[skybluestu]

Worth reading if only for the laughs! http://asiancorrespondent.com/76664/thai-education-part-1-ridiculous-o-net-questions/

[Scott]

Thanks for the link. An enlightening article.