Patai Udom Suksa, a well-known private school in Bangkok, closes
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Patai Udom Suksa, a well-known private school in Bangkok, closes
10 Sept 20:21Key points summarised by AI
Patai Udom Suksa, a prominent private school in Bangkok, announces its closure after 55 years of operation, effective May 2026.
The decision is driven by a decade of financial struggles, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, declining student enrollments due to low birth rates, and the economic slowdown.
Rising operational costs, including salary adjustments and utilities, coupled with stagnant revenues and numerous tuition fee defaults, led to persistent liquidity problems despite cost-cutting measures.
Parents have been notified of the closure, with a meeting scheduled to explain the reasons and outline plans for assisting the school's 3,300 students with transfers.
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.