Thai education reform: Lessons from Singapore and Vietnam

[webfact]

Thai education reform: Lessons from Singapore and Vietnam 
By Daniel Maxwell, 
Peerasit Kamnuansilpa
Special to The Nation

 

Regional success stories point the way, but the junta government has been a slow learner so far

 

BANGKOK: -- When the National Council for Peace and Order came to power in 2014, it pledged to reform Thailand’s failing institutions, among which education was a clear priority. Now, with democratic elections expected within 18 months and little sign of any substantial reforms to education, it will take a determined effort by the country’s leadership to start catching up with neighbouring countries.

 

That Thailand’s education system is underperforming and urgently requires reform is recognised by both sides of the political divide, as well as by the general public. A 2015 NIDA poll concluded that Thais prioritise the education system as most needing reform.

 

Furthermore, the failings of the Thai education system are highlighted annually, with average scores in national assessments rarely breaking 50 per cent. Recent international reports such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings, in which Thailand came 55th among 70 countries, and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), where Thailand ranked 26th among 39 countries, emphasise the dire situation of Thai education.

 

These international rankings present points of comparison for educators and policymakers, and examining the success of neighbouring countries provides directions for Thailand’s education reforms. Within the Asean Economic Community, Singapore and Vietnam – which have made significant improvements and now outrank the UK and the US – furnish useful lessons.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/30306295

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-02-14

[Thaiwrath]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

Now, with democratic elections expected within 18 months

 

Written by the eternal optimist !

[yellowboat]

"Within the Asean Economic Community, Singapore and Vietnam – which have made significant improvements and now outrank the UK and the US – furnish useful lessons."

 

To those who care about their population's well being over their own desires for control. 

[Emster23]

Lesson from Singapore: Come down hard on corruption

Lesson from Vietnam: Have Confucian culture that values education highly

Should be easy to implement, or at least form committee to study it, along with a few fact finding tours

[clockman]

Nothing changes, Because patronage and corruption are in place to protect the Sino Thai elite!

[Destiny1990]

Simply copy singapore textbooks.Make that the new curriculum 

[Khun Paul]

Do away with the NO-FAIL policy surprising how hard Thai students will start to learn when passing is dependent on knowledge, not school and teacher rankings.

PLUS, tell teachers to teach not just facilitate information.

[Docno]

4 hours ago, Emster23 said:

Lesson from Singapore: Come down hard on corruption

Lesson from Vietnam: Have Confucian culture that values education highly

Should be easy to implement, or at least form committee to study it, along with a few fact finding tours

Agreed, but the second lesson also applies to Singapore where high exam scorers have their photos displayed at bus-stops and where companies (Brand's chicken essence) feature these students in their advertising. Top students in Singapore are almost the equivalent of star athletes in other countries.  

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

 

Written by the eternal optimist !

The new ruler of Never Never Land.

[terryw]

Anybody who thinks that Vietnam's education system is a good example for Thailand to copy obviously knows nothing about what happens there. Vietnamese perform well in international test comparisons because their education system is based upon teaching for the test. Critical thinking and creativity are not allowed. Also, test results in schools and universities are unreliable because of endemic copying, cheating and corruption.

[mfd101]

2 hours ago, terryw said:

Anybody who thinks that Vietnam's education system is a good example for Thailand to copy obviously knows nothing about what happens there. Vietnamese perform well in international test comparisons because their education system is based upon teaching for the test. Critical thinking and creativity are not allowed. Also, test results in schools and universities are unreliable because of endemic copying, cheating and corruption.

'Critical thinking & creativity': and where do these miraculously appear from in the absence of knowledge about anything? If you want to be critical & creative, you have to have something with which to think!

[ChristianBlessing]

Anybody who thinks that Vietnam's education system is a good example for Thailand to copy obviously knows nothing about what happens there. Vietnamese perform well in international test comparisons because their education system is based upon teaching for the test. Critical thinking and creativity are not allowed. Also, test results in schools and universities are unreliable because of endemic copying, cheating and corruption.

So which is it; Vietnamese students perform well because of how they're taught or because they cheat?

[DavisH]

9 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Simply copy singapore textbooks.Make that the new curriculum 

It's more than just books / curriculum though. It's also the desire to learn, and not just studying to pass a test. The culture must change also.

[DavisH]

3 hours ago, terryw said:

Anybody who thinks that Vietnam's education system is a good example for Thailand to copy obviously knows nothing about what happens there. Vietnamese perform well in international test comparisons because their education system is based upon teaching for the test. Critical thinking and creativity are not allowed. Also, test results in schools and universities are unreliable because of endemic copying, cheating and corruption.

You just described the Thai education system...

[bangon04]

1 hour ago, DavisH said:

You just described the Thai education system...

Are Thais still taught in school to look down on their neighbours?

[Destiny1990]

3 hours ago, DavisH said:

It's more than just books / curriculum though. It's also the desire to learn, and not just studying to pass a test. The culture must change also.

Hmm all students just study to pass a test i think that is worldwide.in Phillipines schools the whole education is in English (American curriculum) besides Tagalog language one hour a day.Thailand could consider to copy such a system from Phills but it requires much more Pinay Teachers.Never gonna happen.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

I think the most reasonable and affordable solution would be to end social promotion, by failing some students.  Buying them all a computer wouldn't help, most have some form of computer anyway.  The tablet program was a debacle.  Doubling teacher salaries wouldn't do a thing about laziness and there simply is not money for it.  Some sort of loan incentive for teachers who stay, might be reasonable, but then again, not be able to get rid of the old baggage is a huge problem for many businesses.  

[Rhys]

19 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

Do away with the NO-FAIL policy surprising how hard Thai students will start to learn when passing is dependent on knowledge, not school and teacher rankings.

PLUS, tell teachers to teach not just facilitate information.

 

 

Sadly many of those students suffered from Iodine deficiency.... 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

8 minutes ago, Rhys said:

 

Sadly many of those students suffered from Iodine deficiency.... 

And their parents(s) might have the intelligence of a lawn flamingo, and a negative net wort, but that just means they will have to work that much harder.  I've never seen a diploma with a student's disabilities listed on it.  I have seen some diplomas that should not have been awarded, at all and hopefully one doesn't belong to a person mixing medications or inspecting elevators.

[DavisH]

1 hour ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

I think the most reasonable and affordable solution would be to end social promotion, by failing some students.  Buying them all a computer wouldn't help, most have some form of computer anyway.  The tablet program was a debacle.  Doubling teacher salaries wouldn't do a thing about laziness and there simply is not money for it.  Some sort of loan incentive for teachers who stay, might be reasonable, but then again, not be able to get rid of the old baggage is a huge problem for many businesses.  

I don't think Thailand should follow the Philippines....after all, their International test rankings were so low that they dropped out from doing those tests a long time ago.