Luang Phor Alongkot agrees to leave the monkhood

15 Sept 13:19 Key points summarised by AI

Former abbot Luang Phor Alongkot defrocked to face charges: Luang Phor Alongkot, former abbot of Phra Bat Nam Phu Temple, has agreed to leave the monkhood to face charges of embezzlement and money laundering, currently in police custody for questioning.
Temple faces financial crisis amid investigation: The temple now struggles with dwindling funds, threatening care for its 200 AIDS patients, while another suspect, Seksan Sapsubbsakul, is also being questioned for similar financial irregularities.

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.