Children’s Day overshadowed by growing dangers facing Thai youngsters: experts
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Children’s Day overshadowed by growing dangers facing Thai youngsters: experts
13 Sept 08:38Key points summarised by AI
Thai children face escalating dangers due to government policies prioritizing economic growth, exposing them to harmful products like alcohol, marijuana, and online gambling, alongside high rates of sexual abuse, physical assault, and neglect.
Significant developmental and health issues persist among youngsters, including delays in language and motor skills, learning disabilities, and a concerning rise in childhood obesity linked to insufficient physical activity.
The internet poses severe threats, with children experiencing delayed development from excessive screen time, exposure to online predators, cyberbullying, grooming, and the risk of blackmail from online images.
A critical inequality in education, particularly between urban and rural areas, limits opportunities for many children, emphasizing the urgent need for reforms to provide equitable and relevant learning experiences.
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.