ASEAN to have second summit with Russia

9 Sept 20:28 Key points summarised by AI

Russia has officially requested a second summit with ASEAN leaders in Moscow this year to commemorate 30 years of their dialogue relations.
ASEAN senior officials have agreed in principle to the summit, though some members prefer to await the outcome of Russia-Ukraine peace talks to avoid appearing to side with Russia.
Russia, admitted as a dialogue partner in 1996 and holding its first summit in 2016, seeks to elevate its ties with ASEAN to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Despite not producing high-level geopolitical outcomes, Russia remains an important dialogue partner, with two-way trade reaching US$18.1 billion last year, and is a major arms exporter to the region.

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.