Thailand’s forgotten youth and why we should care

11 Sept 11:27 Key points summarised by AI

Hundreds of thousands of children in Thailand remain out of school, revealing critical systemic failures in an education system that struggles to adapt and is financially inaccessible for many marginalized families.
Despite initiatives like the "Thailand Zero Dropout" campaign, nearly 700,000 children are still excluded, often driven into labor or criminal activity due to family crises and a lack of societal support.
Society frequently misjudges these out-of-school children, viewing them as delinquents rather than victims of broader systemic problems, with experts emphasizing that their hardships reflect collective societal shortcomings.
Addressing this urgent national crisis requires a reevaluation of 'education,' decentralization of learning approaches, and making child and family welfare a top national agenda to unlock these children's potential and secure Thailand's future.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Today 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.