Led by Taylor Swift's $1 bn tour, 2023 concerts set new record

23 Sept 04:20 Key points summarised by AI

2023 concert tours achieved a record $9.17 billion in ticket revenues, marking a substantial 46% increase from the previous year.
Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" made history as the first to surpass $1 billion in ticket sales, with projections indicating it could reach $2 billion.
Beyoncé's "Renaissance Tour" secured second place with $579 million, contributing to a historic year where two women dominated the top rankings for the first time in 15 years.
The live music industry experienced significant growth across all metrics, including average revenue, total ticket sales, and average ticket prices, with a promising outlook for 2024.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 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.