ASEAN and East Asia Summits fixed for September

14 Sept 11:42 Key points summarised by AI

ASEAN and East Asia Summits are scheduled for September 5th-7th, two months earlier than usual, aligning with India's G20 presidency.
Indonesia, as the current chair, will prioritize human-related security, covering food, health, energy, financial stability, and supply-chain resilience.
The agenda also addresses critical regional and international issues, including the Myanmar crisis, the war in Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula, and the South China Sea.
Indonesia emphasizes reinforcing ASEAN centrality, preparing for ASEAN 2045, and strengthening cooperation on cross-border crime and human rights dialogues, establishing a special envoy office for Myanmar.

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.