China’s Xi vows closer ties as HM the King makes first official visit

15 Sept 23:25 Key points summarised by AI

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged closer strategic ties with Thailand, describing the two nations as "like family," during King Vajiralongkorn's historic first state visit to China.
Cooperation is set to expand beyond the China-Thailand railway link into emerging fields such as AI, aerospace, and the digital economy, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

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.