Nine countries send observers for Myanmar’s elections

15 Sept 08:40 Key points summarised by AI

Nine countries, including ASEAN members Vietnam and Cambodia, along with Russia, China, India, and Japan, have dispatched observers for Myanmar's multi-phase elections, the first since the February 2021 military coup.
Human rights and non-governmental organizations globally condemn these internationally observed polls as a "sham" electoral exercise intended to legitimize the absolute power of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

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.