China's Q4 growth slows to 2.9% y/y, beats expectations

23 Sept 02:20 Key points summarised by AI

China's economy expanded 2.9% year-on-year in Q4, surpassing the 1.8% forecast despite the severe impact of its stringent "zero-COVID" policy.
For the full year 2022, China's GDP growth reached 3.0%, falling significantly short of the official target of around 5.5% and marking one of the weakest performances in nearly half a century.
The "zero-COVID" strategy, involving prolonged lockdowns in key industrial hubs, severely constrained economic activity throughout 2022, leading to a 0.0% quarter-on-quarter growth in Q4.
Economists predict an economic rebound in 2023 following the abrupt lifting of anti-virus measures, though surging COVID infections and weakening global demand present immediate challenges to recovery.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 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.