3 weeks or 5 years – how much longer can Prayut legally stay in power?
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3 weeks or 5 years – how much longer can Prayut legally stay in power?
15 Sept 10:12Key points summarised by AI
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha faces a constitutional challenge over his eight-year term limit, with critics asserting his tenure must conclude by August 24.
The core of the debate revolves around three potential start dates for his term—August 2014, April 2017, or June 2019—each dictating a different end date for his premiership.
Opposition parties and a group of 99 academics are intensifying pressure, demanding Prayut vacate office by the August 24 deadline to avoid violating the country's supreme law.
The Constitutional Court is expected to issue a definitive ruling on the dispute, with a caretaker government, led by Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, anticipated if Prayut's term is declared expired.
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.