Border calm returns as Thai and Cambodian troops hold routine talks - Lt Gen Boonsin
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Border calm returns as Thai and Cambodian troops hold routine talks - Lt Gen Boonsin
10 Sept 17:29Key points summarised by AI
Thai and Cambodian military field officers now hold routine informal talks three times a week in the disputed Emerald Pagoda area, significantly reducing border tension and promoting conflict avoidance.
Lt Gen Boonsin Padklang stressed the importance of dialogue between national leaders to further improve border relations and signal peace to troops stationed along the common border.
While prepared to defend Thai territory, troops are actively seeking to avoid hostile confrontations, reflecting a strong desire for peace in the region.
Beyond military de-escalation, Thailand is undertaking development projects, including building roads for tourism and demining efforts along the K-5 route near the Cambodian border, to normalize and improve border conditions.
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.