Thailand officially commenced its OECD membership process, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin meeting Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, who submitted the 'Roadmap for Accession'.
Joining the 38-member organisation is expected to significantly attract investment, prompting Thailand to commit to upgrading and reforming policies across all sectors to meet OECD requirements.
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.