Uphill task to demilitarize and decentralize Thailand's deep South for lasting peace
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Uphill task to demilitarize and decentralize Thailand's deep South for lasting peace
13 Sept 23:06Key points summarised by AI
Thailand's new Move Forward-led coalition faces an uphill task to establish lasting peace in the deep South, prioritizing demilitarization and decentralization within its first 100 days.
Despite a shared goal of peace, coalition partners hold diverse approaches and priorities regarding military presence, local governance, and the peace process, complicating policy consensus.
The coalition must navigate conservative resistance and fears of separatism, explicitly affirming its commitment to a unitary state while pursuing decentralization initiatives.
Advancing peace talks with separatist groups like the BRN requires a unified strategy to move beyond military-backed cease-fire agreements towards a more comprehensive political dialogue.
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.