Matthayom Five student Sasikarn Jit

Matthayom Five student Sasikarn Jittawana said: “Quality [education] comes from teaching and learning in classrooms.

“Teachers do not pay attention enough in the classroom. Some teachers treat students like a whiteboard. A friend of mine fell asleep in the back of the class and the teacher let him remain asleep.

“In many cases Thai students don’t understand what is taught in the classroom and are afraid they will fail the university entrance exam, so they go for tutoring schools,” said Ms. Sasikarn from Chakkamkanatorn School in Lampoon province.

Mr. Peerapong Sudsangauan, a new graduate from Singhaburi Agricultural Vocational College, Singhaburi province who attended the event said: “Thai children study but they don’t have goals and directions. They receive 15 years of free education but do not know what they study for. They study according to trends and family pressure for master and doctoral degrees. They complete a bachelor degree just to become an administrator. It’s how this country manages its human resource personnel.”

The UN’s Mr. Hozumi said the classroom is both the entry point as well as the finishing line for the improvement of quality education.

“We need to first look at inside the ‘black box’ of the classroom and to carefully observe and analyze what is going on in terms of student-teacher interaction and real teaching and learning, and then come up with measures to facilitate positive changes in them.”

The seminar was a joint partnership between the Office of the Education Council and the United Nations Country Team. It was jointly organised by UNESCO ahead of proposed government strategies to enhance teaching levels and ensure a quality education for all children in Thailand.