Poor villagers risk their lives in danger zone as Philippines' most active volcano erupts
AI In-Brief
Thailand News in Brief
Thai PBS World
Thailand and the world, every day
AI can make mistakes. Please double-check.
Poor villagers risk their lives in danger zone as Philippines' most active volcano erupts
13 Sept 22:02Key points summarised by AI
Impoverished villagers defy evacuation orders, risking lives in Mayon volcano's permanent danger zone, driven by their livelihoods and difficult conditions in overcrowded evacuation camps.
Mayon, the Philippines' most active volcano, is currently experiencing a 'gentle' eruption, but poses severe threats like pyroclastic flows and lahars, with a history of deadly events.
The crisis highlights a broader issue of poverty forcing Filipinos to inhabit high-risk areas, as government efforts to provide safe housing and sustainable livelihoods often fall short, leading many to return to dangerous zones.
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.