How far can Thailand’s ambitious BCG push go in the APEC community?

13 Sept 12:20 Key points summarised by AI

Critics argue Thailand's Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model, promoted within APEC, primarily serves domestic conglomerates and is perceived as 'greenwashing' rather than fostering inclusive regional development.
The Thai government champions BCG as a crucial paradigm shift for a balanced, sustainable post-COVID recovery, aiming to commercialize the nation's biodiversity and cultural richness through technology.
Concerns are raised by environmental and biodiversity advocates about their exclusion from the BCG's implementation, which is dominated by government and big business, potentially leading to deregulation for resource extraction and land conflicts for carbon credit schemes.
Despite Thailand's efforts to embed BCG into APEC chair statements as the host, the model's specific adoption and future progress within the broader APEC agenda, particularly under subsequent hosts, remain uncertain.

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.