Zero-based budgeting can’t tide over challenge of increasing revenue

13 Sept 10:40 Key points summarised by AI

The Move Forward Party (MFP) proposes Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) to replace traditional methods, aiming to address public needs and cut bureaucratic red-tape by requiring annual budgets to start from zero.
Thailand's Budget Bureau clarifies that ZBB concepts are already integrated into the current strategic performance-based budgeting, which involves reviewing, redeploying, and replacing investment projects based on national strategies.
Implementing a new ZBB framework could significantly delay the fiscal year 2024 budget, potentially pushing its approval until March next year, impacting government operations.
The article concludes that the budgeting method is a minor concern compared to the new government's larger challenge of raising sufficient revenue to finance its ambitious welfare and investment promises amidst economic difficulties.

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.