Education new strategy will be 'free of politics'

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Phongthep commits to enhancing knowledge, boosting standards

BANGKOK: -- Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana promised yesterday that he would not let politics interfere with the improvement of education in the country as his ministry was in the process of drafting a national education plan and strategy to enhance education and address current problems.

"Education has to be free from politics as it is used to strengthen citizens' capabilities and develop the nation in the long run. We have to listen to everyone's opinion no matter who they are or how their political standpoints are different from ours. We also have listen to children's opinions," he said at a meeting hosted by the Office of the Education Council (OEC) in which opinions were sought to shape the national education strategy 2013-2015.

He added he would take all recommendations into consideration, including those created for the second-decade education reform, initiated by the Democrat-led government.

Education experts, however, wondered if the strategy would be implemented seriously enough.

"Implementation of the strategy is the most worrying issue for me," Assoc Prof Sukum Chaleisap, chair of advisory team for the president of Suan Dusit Rajabhat University said. "A manual that clearly tells teachers how to implement the strategy should be created and distributed naitonwide so teachers know how to follow the strategy correctly."

Assoc Prof Sompong Jitradub, a lecturer from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Education, said he wanted the OEC to provide more details on the implementation plan. "This should not just be comprised of the six sentences we see in the draft."

According to Prof Phawit Thongroj, the strategy will focus on enhancing education; providing equal opportunities; reforming the teaching profession; boosting education at higher and vocational levels to meet market demand; using information technology; promoting research and development to boost the country's intellectual capital; and enhancing competitiveness. The professor works as an adviser to the minister.

Phongthep said the strategy would help boost students' achievements, which were not satisfactory at present, by encouraging teachers to change the way they teach and allow students to voice their ideas more. Hence, he said, they would start with changing the curricula.

"Some subjects do not require students to remember too many details, but require them to think more and analyse," Phongthep explained.

Similar meetings would take place later in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Kanchanaburi and Phuket to get recommendations from stakeholders.

-- The Nation 2013-01-15

Same old stupidity.... "Ask the children".... Hopeless with your typical incompetent Thai official as is the case here.

It's simple: the reform policies come from meetings with two camps. You have the teachers, admins & education academics on one side who provide the input vis a vis how the students learn and suggestions based on the latest research.

In the other camp, you survey the employers, who outline what skills they need to have to be useful in a breathtakingly fast-changing employment field. The resulting policies and curricula MUST be a convergence of these two sources.

Even more pressing and not surprisingly absent from his comments, the TEACHERS MUST BE TRAINED further, not just told to "change the way they teach". You invest in TRAINING them. Changing the curricula is playing a shell game with the problem where the mark is Thailand itself.

Frogs in coconut shells.

Edited January 15, 201313 yr by seminomadic

"Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana promised yesterday that he would not let politics interfere with the improvement of education..."

It's amazing that in almost every country it is the politicians who promise that politics won't interfere with government programs. This is a universal joke

"Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana promised yesterday that he would not let politics interfere with the improvement of education..."

It's amazing that in almost every country it is the politicians who promise that politics won't interfere with government programs. This is a universal joke

Where does the Education Minister Phongthep, buy what ever he smokes, or drinks?

Just buy the bloody curriculums off the shelf from the Singaporeans or some other qualified nation. Dump the Thai culural subjects which promote tacit fibs anyway about history to free up time, ban the cheering and random days of crap to free up time, implement proper sports/PE classes, stop the pass for all.

any more?

Same old stupidity.... "Ask the children".... Hopeless with your typical incompetent Thai official as is the case here.

It's simple: the reform policies come from meetings with two camps. You have the teachers, admins & education academics on one side who provide the input vis a vis how the students learn and suggestions based on the latest research.

In the other camp, you survey the employers, who outline what skills they need to have to be useful in a breathtakingly fast-changing employment field. The resulting policies and curricula MUST be a convergence of these two sources.

Even more pressing and not surprisingly absent from his comments, the TEACHERS MUST BE TRAINED further, not just told to "change the way they teach". You invest in TRAINING them. Changing the curricula is playing a shell game with the problem where the mark is Thailand itself.

Frogs in coconut shells.

Agreed. All good points - the problem is that the entire system needs an overhaul. Teachers, curriculum, assessment methods, subjects....and on and on. But of course here in Thailand schools chiefs are more concerned about having an impressive set of school gates rather than looking at anything of substance. As usual it is more about how it looks rather than how it really is. And of course the elephant in the living room is that if you start to impelment a system based on critical thinking and analysis then the whole system will unravel as people will start asking questions....'why is this place based on who you know rather what you know', 'why do we tolerate up to 50% of the cost of a taxpayer funded project to go into bribes of elected officials and civil servants', 'why are our police subservient to powerful individuals and not serving the general public'........etc. etc. Big questions, big answers, big trouble.

Here we go yet again.

What will change? Where will we be in a year's time? Will the education system actually improve? Will Thai youth benefit from this?

Will , will, will...?

Edited January 15, 201313 yr by arthurboy

Someone came up with an idea - got some free press - form a committee of 'experts' and nothing will change other than a bunch of pencil neck public servants being able to justify their existence of being paid by the public purse! And don't forget the pats on the back for having done so.

"Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana promised yesterday that he would not let politics interfere with the improvement of education..."

It's amazing that in almost every country it is the politicians who promise that politics won't interfere with government programs. This is a universal joke

Yes and the school band played "Believe It If You Like"

Someone came up with an idea - got some free press - form a committee of 'experts' and nothing will change other than a bunch of pencil neck public servants being able to justify their existence of being paid by the public purse! And don't forget the pats on the back for having done so.

Not to mention the numerous trips abroad to study education methodologies and best practices - all in all, a great shopping and five star hotel experience - I'm told.

Could it possibly be that he tells lies also?

The public education system could use the same methods which seems to be used to educate the new 'civil servants' in this country. Instead of a dunce hat and a corner, any failure would result in an inactive classroom assignment. Seems to be plenty of those avaliable.

The Civil servants seem to pick up very quickly, how to scam, corrupt, intimidate, just about everything/everybody they come into contact with.

Nothing is free from politics in this country. If you make it free from politics them no one can collect free money from them, ie, corruption.

And just when they went back to school. Teachers day tomorrow.

Aaaaaaaagggggh! Why?

Same old stupidity.... "Ask the children".... Hopeless with your typical incompetent Thai official as is the case here.

It's simple: the reform policies come from meetings with two camps. You have the teachers, admins & education academics on one side who provide the input vis a vis how the students learn and suggestions based on the latest research.

In the other camp, you survey the employers, who outline what skills they need to have to be useful in a breathtakingly fast-changing employment field. The resulting policies and curricula MUST be a convergence of these two sources.

Even more pressing and not surprisingly absent from his comments, the TEACHERS MUST BE TRAINED further, not just told to "change the way they teach". You invest in TRAINING them. Changing the curricula is playing a shell game with the problem where the mark is Thailand itself.

Frogs in coconut shells.

Agreed. All good points - the problem is that the entire system needs an overhaul. Teachers, curriculum, assessment methods, subjects....and on and on. But of course here in Thailand schools chiefs are more concerned about having an impressive set of school gates rather than looking at anything of substance. As usual it is more about how it looks rather than how it really is. And of course the elephant in the living room is that if you start to impelment a system based on critical thinking and analysis then the whole system will unravel as people will start asking questions....'why is this place based on who you know rather what you know', 'why do we tolerate up to 50% of the cost of a taxpayer funded project to go into bribes of elected officials and civil servants', 'why are our police subservient to powerful individuals and not serving the general public'........etc. etc. Big questions, big answers, big trouble.

Well 'school gates' goes even further.

Several years back at one uni in Bkk the director ordered a helicopter pad be built on the roof.

No logical reason whatever why there should be a heli pad at that uni or in terms of the activities at that general location.

Plus several heil pads already existed within a few kilometres because of military bases and hospitals.

Edited January 15, 201313 yr by scorecard

Education free of politics?

Trouble is their politics is free of education!

THANKS!!! I needed a good laugh today!!!

If by chance they were to really mean education would be free of politics that would mean the Education Mionister would not be appointed according to who has done the most favors for the ruling party.

In other words they would have to get a qualified person for the job and not ever change them no matter who win's an election. Or who has suck holed up to the PM at this time TS.

Ain't never going to happen.

I believe that the impending realisation of ASEAN maybe driving changes forward. Under the current curriculum Thailand has a zero chance of attracting their share of international companies because the education standard is poor compared to most other ASEAN countries. The culture issue should be removed completed from all education and the responsibility handed back to the parents. Then each set of parents can decide what culture they teach their kids.

I have used Singapore curriculum books and they are so superior to Thailands offering. Before chemical changes take place and puberty arrives children brains are like dry sponges and can absorb untold amounts of information. During the pre puberty years the Thai curriculum mainly concentrates on cultural issues. Is it suprising that you take your times tables with you forever and the Thai people take a wai.

The culture so fondly referred to as Thainess is part of the system design to hold them back. If you have to keep talking about your culture you dont really have a culture