COVID-19 updates by WHO chief

14 Sept 07:57 Key points summarised by AI

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported rising COVID-19 cases in 110 countries, driven by Omicron sub-variants, while acknowledging slow progress in the global fight.
He stressed the pandemic is not over, with hundreds of millions in lower-income countries remaining unvaccinated and vulnerable, citing politics and disinformation as current vaccination obstacles.
Tedros urged the development of a 'pan-coronavirus' vaccine to neutralize all mutations, noting that current variant-specific vaccine updates leave humanity constantly playing catch-up.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Today 14:22 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Education Ministry is implementing a four-pronged strategy to address its students' below-average performance in PISA 2025 and tackle significant educational inequality.
The plan prioritizes closing performance gaps by increasing funding for small and low-income schools, overhauling the curriculum to foster critical thinking, and adopting a data-driven management system to reduce teacher workload.
Key initiatives include enhancing school safety, combating cyberbullying, and expanding mental health support through peer-to-peer networks, recognizing the severe impact of distress on academic performance.
An education expert advises verifying if PISA improvements stem from structural changes, advocating for a revived STEM curriculum with practical 'learn by doing' methods, and urging bureaucratic reform to link teacher evaluations to student development.