Abortion is now legal, but why is it so difficult to get one in Thailand?
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Abortion is now legal, but why is it so difficult to get one in Thailand?
13 Sept 13:25Key points summarised by AI
Despite legal changes allowing abortion up to 20 weeks, access remains severely limited in Thailand; only about 100 facilities, mostly private, offer services, with no state hospitals in Bangkok, forcing women to travel long distances for care.
Prevailing societal and medical opposition hinders the availability of safe abortion services, with some healthcare professionals reluctant to perform procedures, creating significant barriers even for those with legal grounds.
Organizations like Tamtang Group and Aids Access Foundation play a crucial role in counseling women and connecting them to certified facilities, highlighting the gap in official provision and the need for greater support.
Advocates call for a clear stance from public health authorities to shift attitudes among medical personnel and ensure wider availability of services, emphasizing the dangers of unsafe abortions and the benefits of accessible, legal options.
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.