Education, Thai health agencies push for reform

[webfact]

REFORM
Education, health agencies push for reform
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- WITH REFORM high on the agenda of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), agencies related to higher education and public health are preparing to push for new changes.

Their intentions were made clear on Tuesday when representatives met with NCPO deputy chief Admiral Narong Pipatanasai.

Speaking in his capacity as the vice president of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT), Associate Professor Pradit Wanarat disclosed a plan for higher-education reform.

"We believe the Office of the Higher Education Commission [OHEC] should be upgraded into a ministry," he said.

He insisted that the management of higher education should be differentiated from that of basic education.

He also complained that the Education Ministry was now over-stretched, as it has to cater to the needs of a number of agencies under its supervision.

"Work flow will improve if the OHEC is not under the Education Ministry," said Pradit, who is also the president of the National Institute of Development Administration.

He said the CUPT would discuss this issue at its next meeting on June 4, after which it would submit its proposal to the NCPO.

OHEC secretary-general Thosaporn Sirisumphand lent his support to the CUPT proposal to remove higher education and research from the jurisdiction of the Education Ministry.

"Universities are about the creation of knowledge, innovations, researches and many more," he said. "They are not just about teaching."

Thosaporn said he hoped also that a strong emphasis would be placed on ethics inculcation at higher-education level.

"We hope to turn Thai universities into world-class learning institutions," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Narong Saha-metapat, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, revealed that it has been proposed that his ministry be taken out of the supervision of the Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC).

Another plan, he said, was to create public health zones to encourage state hospitals in neighbouring provinces to share resources.

"This way, equality among service users should improve," he said.

The proposal, Narong said, suggested a total of 12 public health zones in the country.

The NCPO has allowed the permanent secretary of each ministry to serve as its acting minister.

Suthasri Wongsamarn, the Education Ministry's permanent secretary, said Narong had authorised her to handle routines and move ahead with new projects that had already been approved.

"For example, the curriculum revamp can go ahead," she said.

However, Suthasri admitted |she would need to consult Narong before proceeding with other unapproved big projects or performing certain actions such as transferring a senior official or an official of C10 level or upwards.


-- The Nation 2014-05-29

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[Robby nz]

Health does not seem to bad but there is no doubt that education needs a big shake up in all sectors.

However there needs to be caution exercised in this as those with pet projects may see this as a good time to try to foist them on a military administration that really knows little about the problems or how to approach fixing them.

If they are not careful they could well end up with things that have been pushed by groups for their own benefit rather than the greater good.

[Mango Bob]

It seems someone whats to set up their own empire. You only need the Ministry of Education.

[NongKhaiKid]

It seems someone whats to set up their own empire. You only need the Ministry of Education.

Who haven't exactly done a sterling job so far.

[Dr Bruce]

I have much experience with the Ministry of Education. Corruption has been rife in the past, I hope that any new people in charge look at the money that is mis-directed whenever they build and equip a new school.

I cannot say too much for fear of being identified.

[MaxLee]

"Education, health agencies push for reform"

I mean in terms of education, do they mean "upgraded totalitarian brainwashing and eradication of common sense"?

[antimedia]

"We hope to turn Thai universities into world-class learning institutions," he said. - To have world class learning institutions is all fine and well, but with the low education standard of students coming out of the general education system, it is a joke. Surely the priority would be to plough more resources into the general education to lift the standard so this can be achieved in time. Sounds like a few snouts are looking for new ways to get to the trough.

[millwall_fan]

So this senior academics answer to the lamentable state of higher education is to start a new ministry?

Wouldn't he be better off starting closer to home and stop some students buying their place at university, paying others to write their essays for them, buying a top class degree and then using that degree and more money to get a top job? A new ministry isn't needed for that, just non-corrupt academics.

The problem with the system is that it means that many ministries, QANGO's and businesses are not run by Thailands brightest and best, but by the children of the rich and this is a break on national development.

[dhrobertson]

What's really needed is a ministry of Administrative Affairs.........

[MaxLee]

World class, these education futsies must be joking. The majority of Thailand's youth isn't really ready to spring up from 0 to 100 into a high level...

[scorecard]

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"Education, health agencies push for reform"

I mean in terms of education, do they mean "upgraded totalitarian brainwashing and eradication of common sense"?

Where does what's been said so far suggest that?

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"We hope to turn Thai universities into world-class learning institutions," he said. - To have world class learning institutions is all fine and well, but with the low education standard of students coming out of the general education system, it is a joke. Surely the priority would be to plough more resources into the general education to lift the standard so this can be achieved in time. Sounds like a few snouts are looking for new ways to get to the trough.

Well let's hope the education reforms (not yet detailed) do include what you mention. I hope so too.

[lomatopo]

"We believe the Office of the Higher Education Commission [OHEC] should be upgraded into a ministry," he said.

It seems like a basic tenet of "reforms" is to create new, additional governmental ministries? The Royal Thai Police have also been proposed to be reformed by being represented by a new, separate Ministry.

Given that much of the pilfering is done at the Social Servant (non-political) level, i.e. Permanent Secretary (see Defense and Transportation for recent hordes of cash), one quickly sees that "reforms" may quickly become just a method for more equally distributing the "15%"?

[boomerangutang]

health / education / people issues.

I can understand people being only concerned about people issues, but if you're outside of a city, and you look around, you'll see there's more than people issues:

THERE'S NATURE.

Why does each successive Thai administration, whether politicians or military, completely ignore environmental issues?

ooops sorry, the Yingluck administration did one thing in regard to the environment: They rescinded safeguards for rivers and creeks in her area around Chiang Mai - to anable Shinawatres clan and their Chinese-Thai developer buddies to trash the one little bit of nature not yet destroyed, in the region of 'The City Without a Park': Chiang Mai.

[rebelplatoon]

Lots of different institutions finally able to speak out university level education needs definite adjusrments. Hospitals have complained for ages that the 30B scheme does not work or not enough government support, resulting in the fact that hospitals sent people with cancer home with only pain killers.

[northernjohn]

Health does not seem to bad but there is no doubt that education needs a big shake up in all sectors.

However there needs to be caution exercised in this as those with pet projects may see this as a good time to try to foist them on a military administration that really knows little about the problems or how to approach fixing them.

If they are not careful they could well end up with things that have been pushed by groups for their own benefit rather than the greater good.

Let us hope they do away with the 30 baht charge. It cost the health service 50 baht to process the 30mbaht with a net olss of 20 baht. 20 baht times 1 million baht iis 20 million baht that can go into the medical system.

"Thosaporn said he hoped also that a strong emphasis would be placed on ethics inculcation at higher-education level."

This is one of the highest priorities in the education system. They are the ones who will be turning out the teachers to teach are children and grand children. At the level they are now they can not turn out qualified teachers. For a teacher to be really qualified they have to do it on their own initiative not the pap they are being given in higher learning institutions.

[SICHONSTEVE]

It seems someone whats to set up their own empire. You only need the Ministry of Education.

They are not empire building!!

They have put people in positions that know what they are doing and are there because they are the best people for the job (not Thaksin mates or supporters who are placed there for HIS benefit).

At last the country is being turned around and once it is then I hope that the Northern people will swallow their pride and realise this by voting for capable people rather than liars and people 'in it' for their own good and benefit (PTP)!!

Ask the rice farmers who is better and cares for them out of Thaksin and Prayuth at this juncture!!

[focus27]

What's really needed is a ministry of Administrative Affairs.........

Yes, Minister.

[sawadee1947]

,,start teaching the teachers,, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Robby nz]

These things need to start from the top.

The former education minister who is now enjoying the hospitality of the army has already been banned from politics for 5 years and upon completion of the ban was promptly installed as education minister as some sort of compensation for his term of ban.

This sort of thing must stop and competent people put in charge of ministries, people who will oversee each ministry for the good of the country and not regard their position as a path to personal enrichment.

From there the branches and leaves of each ministerial tree need to be scrutinized to get corruption out of the system.

If what we read is correct then if corruption can be eliminated (easier said than done) then salaries could be raised and still leave a saving for the country.

[jpeg]

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"Education, health agencies push for reform"

I mean in terms of education, do they mean "upgraded totalitarian brainwashing and eradication of common sense"?

Where does what's been said so far suggest that?

It need not be 'suggested'. It is my experience of 17 plus years of living here. I'm sure others would agree.

[jpeg]

These things need to start from the top.

The former education minister who is now enjoying the hospitality of the army has already been banned from politics for 5 years and upon completion of the ban was promptly installed as education minister as some sort of compensation for his term of ban.

This sort of thing must stop and competent people put in charge of ministries, people who will oversee each ministry for the good of the country and not regard their position as a path to personal enrichment.

From there the branches and leaves of each ministerial tree need to be scrutinized to get corruption out of the system.

If what we read is correct then if corruption can be eliminated (easier said than done) then salaries could be raised and still leave a saving for the country.

Given the aforegoing, I'm assuming these 'competent' people would have been educated abroad.

[wirat69]

"Thosaporn said he hoped also that a strong emphasis would be placed on ethics inculcation at higher-education level."

Nah, too late. Ethics are learned at the knee of the Grandmother... all ethics taught at Uni just teach the crooked kids how to manipulate and what to look out for.

Before you scream in defence of the indefensible, I was Secretary of the Law Society for 15 years. That was a pretty good grounding in how various people interpret "ethics"!!!

[rubl]

In 2013/2014 the MoE got about 460 billion Baht I think, close to 19% of the 2.52 trillion NB.

It's amazing how the Ministry of Education manages to spent their yearly part of the National Budget and get almost nothing done.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/695289-thailands-educational-spending-highest-in-the-world/

[northernjohn]

It seems someone whats to set up their own empire. You only need the Ministry of Education.

That has been the basis of the Shinawatra empire. Keep the people ignorant throw them a bone and you will continue to enjoy the pleasures of using the public money for your own uses.

Surprised to see you figured that out considering you have been a big fan of theirs.

[EnlightenedAtheist]

"Universities are about the creation of knowledge, innovations, researches and many more," he said. "They are not just about teaching."

So, everyone is lining up tp get a piece of the pie, now? Fine, but with all due respect to the admiral who is supposed to evaluate the merit of the proposal and with all due respect to all professors (and English "professors" who are hired because they have "a" degree) and teachers out there, the education ministry could use a refresher or two on what is EFFECTIVE language (English) teaching in universities all the way down to kindergarten and what it entails. The change proposed is not likely to be the magic bullet needed to resolve current educational issues, IMHO. Granted, good teaching is happening, I am sure, somewhere and at times, but there are forces and a culture that prevent progress from happening in more places and more often. For instance, the ministry could provide the resources and the guidance to those who are willing and interested to teach or improve their teaching and the resources and the guidance for improving the curriculum. I have learned from an official source that marks are sometimes attributed when parents visit the director of a school? I hear from another official source that there is no sufficient accommodation provided to teachers and "professors" (and directors) when students (including those from university) are being streamed in classes that don't match their levels. Finally, it seems that teachers --in some schools-- are supposed to provide detailed lesson plans, which are time-consuming to create, taking time away from the creation of good lessons. These lesson plans are used --and I have this for the same official source-- to market the school, to validate the teaching that is happening there, but is it legitimate and real? Shouldn't there be qualified supervisors who should be there to ensure that, walking and observing, supporting and teaching? It seems that the system is not resilient enough to cope with forces that affect learning outcomes and success. Again, I am sure that there are many examples of fine teaching at all levels in Thai institutions, but it is clear that the system is such that there is not enough and effective oversight in ensuring that it does happen. Of course, better work needs to be compensated at all levels, if it is happening.

In a related story on this topic, scientists are finding that imbalances in gut microbiomes (created by a lack of breastfeeding, unnatural birth, the overuse of anti-biotics, for instance) could be responsible for the increase in autism and other conditions, such as asthma and allergies. Other learning disabilities?

(http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?pagewanted=3&_r=4&emc=eta1)

[citizen33]

The main health reform mentioned is one that has been mooted by officials in the MoPH for a while, and involves strengthening the role of the keet - the 12 existing health regions. One issue is that these do not cover the same areas as the regional offices of the National Health Security Office (the body that channels the money for the UC scheme). The proposals are partly about better coordination of provider organisations (the MoPH's remit), but some in the NHSO are not keen because they think the MoPH is trying to control the way resources are used. The NHSO had hoped that its own regional offices would become active purchasers and have more influence on how money spent translated into patterns of service development, So there is probably going to be a bit of friction. The NHSO has traditionally been the more progressive organisation, wanting to sweep away some of the more conservative ministry policies. On the other hand the PS's (or is it the Minister's) suggestion about detaching the MoPH from the OCSC would be quite radical and allow more freedom to expand the workforce where it is needed (i.e. not disproportionately in central region). I haven't seen any evidence that the senior MoPH people want to dismantle the universal coverage scheme (though there are some who want to expand private provision), but I wouldn't be surprised to see the 30 baht co-payment go.

Edited May 29, 2014 by citizen33

[SICHONSTEVE]

The main health reform mentioned is one that has been mooted by officials in the MoPH for a while, and involves strengthening the role of the keet - the 12 existing health regions. One issue is that these do not cover the same areas as the regional offices of the National Health Security Office (the body that channels the money for the UC scheme). The proposals are partly about better coordination of provider organisations (the MoPH's remit), but some in the NHSO are not keen because they think the MoPH is trying to control the way resources are used. The NHSO had hoped that its own regional offices would become active purchasers and have more influence on how money spent translated into patterns of service development, So there is probably going to be a bit of friction. The NHSO has traditionally been the more progressive organisation, wanting to sweep away some of the more conservative ministry policies. On the other hand the PS's (or is it the Minister's) suggestion about detaching the MoPH from the OCSC would be quite radical and allow more freedom to expand the workforce where it is needed (i.e. not disproportionately in central region). I haven't seen any evidence that the senior MoPH people want to dismantle the universal coverage scheme (though there are some who want to expand private provision), but I wouldn't be surprised to see the 30 baht co-payment go.

Do you mean back to being free as in under Abhisit's government??

[northernjohn]

"Universities are about the creation of knowledge, innovations, researches and many more," he said. "They are not just about teaching."

So, everyone is lining up tp get a piece of the pie, now? Fine, but with all due respect to the admiral who is supposed to evaluate the merit of the proposal and with all due respect to all professors (and English "professors" who are hired because they have "a" degree) and teachers out there, the education ministry could use a refresher or two on what is EFFECTIVE language (English) teaching in universities all the way down to kindergarten and what it entails. The change proposed is not likely to be the magic bullet needed to resolve current educational issues, IMHO. Granted, good teaching is happening, I am sure, somewhere and at times, but there are forces and a culture that prevent progress from happening in more places and more often. For instance, the ministry could provide the resources and the guidance to those who are willing and interested to teach or improve their teaching and the resources and the guidance for improving the curriculum. I have learned from an official source that marks are sometimes attributed when parents visit the director of a school? I hear from another official source that there is no sufficient accommodation provided to teachers and "professors" (and directors) when students (including those from university) are being streamed in classes that don't match their levels. Finally, it seems that teachers --in some schools-- are supposed to provide detailed lesson plans, which are time-consuming to create, taking time away from the creation of good lessons. These lesson plans are used --and I have this for the same official source-- to market the school, to validate the teaching that is happening there, but is it legitimate and real? Shouldn't there be qualified supervisors who should be there to ensure that, walking and observing, supporting and teaching? It seems that the system is not resilient enough to cope with forces that affect learning outcomes and success. Again, I am sure that there are many examples of fine teaching at all levels in Thai institutions, but it is clear that the system is such that there is not enough and effective oversight in ensuring that it does happen. Of course, better work needs to be compensated at all levels, if it is happening.

In a related story on this topic, scientists are finding that imbalances in gut microbiomes (created by a lack of breastfeeding, unnatural birth, the overuse of anti-biotics, for instance) could be responsible for the increase in autism and other conditions, such as asthma and allergies. Other learning disabilities?

(http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html?pagewanted=3&_r=4&emc=eta1)

I tuned him out after he was talking about Good English being taught through the whole system. It won't make the students one bit smarter. It just saves him the time from learning Thai. This can be a pivotal point in the Thai education system if handled right.

The whole education system needs an over haul from the first day a person enters school to the last day they are there. That includes all the degrees in universities.