US returns Ban Chiang artefacts held at embassy in Bangkok for nearly six decades
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US returns Ban Chiang artefacts held at embassy in Bangkok for nearly six decades
13 Sept 18:46Key points summarised by AI
The US Embassy in Bangkok repatriated four ancient artefacts, including two from the significant Ban Chiang archaeological site, after nearly six decades of safekeeping.
These artefacts, originally gifted to an American soldier in the late 1960s, were formally returned during a UNESCO-hosted ceremony on November 14, 2023.
Thailand expressed profound gratitude, with officials emphasizing the artefacts' invaluable cultural and historical significance as national treasures.
The US Ambassador highlighted the US government's global efforts to return cultural objects to their rightful owners, strengthening cultural ties between the two nations.
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.