Thailand–EU FTA talks on track despite past political hurdles - EU trade chief
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Thailand–EU FTA talks on track despite past political hurdles - EU trade chief
11 Sept 03:55Key points summarised by AI
EU trade chief Bernd Lange confirms that Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between Thailand and the EU are progressing well, overcoming past political obstacles.
While Thailand aims to finalize the FTA by year-end, Lange highlights the agreement's complexity, suggesting that a comprehensive conclusion requires time despite positive progress.
Negotiations, initially suspended in 2014 following a military coup, were relaunched in March 2023, with confidence expressed for an eventual deal.
Lange stresses the importance of EU-ASEAN cooperation, including bilateral FTAs, to counter global economic uncertainties and provide a stable alternative to unpredictable tariff policies.
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.