Thaksin Shinawatra is celebrating his 74th birthday in Hong Kong, sparking rumors about his imminent return to Thailand and significant political discussions.
Senior Thai politicians are expected to attend the celebration, with a primary focus on resolving the ongoing political impasse and forming a new government.
Pheu Thai party, heavily influenced by Thaksin, is striving to secure sufficient House votes for its prime ministerial candidate to avoid relying on senatorial support, learning from past failures.
Political observers suggest that Move Forward may need to reconsider its stance on the lèse majesté law and engage directly with Thaksin if it wishes to join the new coalition government.
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.