Thai kids’ IQs have risen since 2011
Thai primary schoolchildren’s average IQ (intelligence quotient) has increased and is within what is deemed a normal range, but it is still lower than the international standard, according to the “Thailand Social Development in Q2/2017” report released by the National Economic and Social Development Board on Monday.
Meanwhile, their EQ – emotional quotient – was also found to be within a normal range.
Based on the most recent survey of Thai children’s IQ and EQ, conducted last year by the Mental Health Department of the Public Health Ministry, the average IQ score for students at Prathom 1 (Grade 1) was 98.23, higher than the 2011 average of 94.58.
While this is considered to be in a normal range, it is lower than the international standard score of 100.
Noticeable deviations from the norm were however found for children with below-average IQs.
Overall, 31.81 per cent of Thai kids were found to have an IQ below 90 – a much higher proportion than the international norm of 25 per cent.
Moreover, those with an IQ deficiency – a score below 70 – numbered as high as 5.8 per cent, while the international standard for this category was 2 per cent.
Meanwhile, some 7.9 per cent of Prathom-1 level kids are very smart, recording an IQ score 130 or above.
As for EQ, the average score for Thai kids was in the normal range.
Parents have a significant influence on the development of their offspring, especially in early childhood years.
The survey suggests that parents’ roles in creative toy selection, reading for their children or letting them play music instruments can all help with brain development.
