Fish caught in Kok River infested with parasites and bacteria

12 Sept 01:59 Key points summarised by AI

Provincial fishery officials discovered several fish species in Chiang Rai's Kok River with skin blotches, parasitic infestations, and bacterial infections, though initial tests did not detect heavy metals like arsenic.
Residents are avoiding river fish due to concerns about potential arsenic contamination from unregulated gold mining waste in Myanmar's Shan state, a problem the local administration cannot address due to the region being controlled by armed minority groups.

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.