Superboard raps 'weak' Thai educati

Superboard raps 'weak' Thai education .
The quality of Thailand's education system is "not satisfactory" and needs improvement at all levels, the "superboard" for education has admitted.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday ordered the Educational Ministry and other agencies to intensify their efforts to boost students' academic performance.
Speaking while chairing a meeting of the national education and policy development committee, the so-called superboard for education, at Government House yesterday, Gen Prayut urged the ministry and relevant authorities to accelerate their efforts to develop the country's education system, insisting the ministry must prioritise human resources development.

Gen Prayut told the board the country's education system during 2015-2016 had to be better than in previous years.

The panel acknowledged that the quality of the country's education is not satisfactory and must improve and adjust, starting from elementary school upwards. Compared with several countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Finland, Thailand's education system scored quite low.

Meanwhile, permanent secretary for education, Kamchorn Tatiyakawee, said Thailand must focus more on English, science, engineering and mathematics skills.

Dr Kamchorn said teachers' performance will also be assessed based on their students' achievements.

"Teachers' work will also be reflected in their students' achievements. Teachers will be promoted if they produce good students," he added.
Gen Prayut wants projects relating to education to be prepared and passed on to the next government, said Dr Kamchorn.
In addition, Gen Prayut instructed the National Statistical Office to conduct a survey on labour demand in a bid to develop human resources to match the needs of the market.

He also told the Department of Skill Development to study whether those who worked in vocational fields will be able to earn higher wages.

Porametee Vimolsiri, secretary-general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, said the committee discussed providing vocational classes which offered training in seven specific fields in order to serve private sector labour market demands.

The seven fields comprised merchant marine, rail transport, petrochemicals, power generation, tourism services, food safety technology, and the mould and die industry.

The training will be jointly conducted by the government and private companies
Mr Porametee said Thailand could develop to be the educational hub of Asean.

He said Thailand had enough manpower to pass on knowledge of management, accounting and engineering to people from neighbouring countries.

Foreign experts should also be recruited to work as teachers in Thailand to help develop the country's education system, Mr Porametee said.

For the government's class-hour reduction plan which will simultaneously boost the amount of extracurricular activities, Dr Kamchorn said the pilot project will be implemented at 4,100 schools nationwide from next Monday.

The elective classes will focus on "4H" aspects: head (brain), hand (skill), heart (merit) and health, in order to improve learners' skills.

Dr Kamchorn said the activities will not affect the schools' academic content and students' learning.

He said students will be happier as they will be encouraged to think and analyse, and will know how to write essays.