ASEAN FMs to meet ahead of Luang Prabang meeting

13 Sept 12:18 Key points summarised by AI

ASEAN Foreign Ministers will convene on January 29 in Luang Prabang, Laos, to deliberate and finalize the bloc's agenda for the upcoming year.
Under Laos' chairmanship, the meeting will focus on nine key priorities aimed at enhancing ASEAN connectivity (integrating economies, digital transformation, cultural promotion) and resilience (strategic plans, centrality, environmental cooperation, health).
A critical agenda item includes addressing regional security, particularly the stalled Five-point Peace Consensus (5PC) for Myanmar, with the ASEAN Special Envoy recently visiting the country to advance its implementation.

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.