East Timor joins ASEAN after 14-year campaign

15 Sept 13:01 Key points summarised by AI

East Timor officially joined ASEAN as its 11th member state, culminating a 14-year campaign for accession.
Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao hailed the membership as a "dream realised" and a new chapter, with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim welcoming East Timor to complete the "ASEAN family."
Despite this milestone, East Timor confronts significant challenges, including high inequality, economic dependence on oil, and infrastructure deficits, which may impact its full engagement in ASEAN's development initiatives.

Examining Thailand’s four-part education revolution

Yesterday 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.