Basic education levels worrisome

An academic achievement assessment conducted using O-NET (Ordinary National Educational Test) scores, meanwhile, found that only 18 out of the 100 assessed schools passed.

Announcing its 2011 report of the Third Round of Quality Assurance (2011-2015), ONESQA director Channarong Pornrungroj said basic education standards were still worrisome, while vocational institutes and universities were at a “satisfactory” level. 

ONESQA also found that 1,896 schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) needed improvements, 73 of them in need of emergency improvements, he said. 

Channarong said the poor academic achievement resulted from a shortage of teachers, teachers instructing students in subjects for which they are not qualified, and teachers’ lack of training in diverse teaching methods relevant to their curricula.

He urged small schools with limited per-head subsidies, which often fall behind in these assessments, to overcome their obstacles by recruiting volunteer teachers (such as university students or parents) and creating “friend-help-friend” networks with nearby schools to boost academic achievement.

Urging educational institutions to improve their attitudes toward the assessment and place importance on developments in teaching and learning, he said the issue of low academic achievement must be solved on a system-wide basis, including testing. Exams should aim for student and teacher development, he said. For example, correct exam questions should be explained to pupils and the exams should promote more analytical thinking. 

Channarong said the agency’s assessment of 179 vocational institutes resulted in only 106 places being certified, while 53 others were certified with conditions. 

Among the 20 failed institutes, 15 were privately run and five state-run. At theses institutes, students’ achievement and innovations didn’t meet the criteria, while some vocational projects were also rated rather poorly. He urged vocational schools to promote creativity to build innovation – rather than just focusing on fixing or maintaining things – and urged the central agency to instil a creativity-boosting atmosphere with many contests. 

ONESQA assessed 47 higher education institutions’ quality, research and innovation, academic achievement, art and cultural promotion, management administration and internal quality assessment. Channarong said 45 universities passed and were certified, with Khon Kaen University and Phuket Rajabhat University getting very good results. 

Hat Yai University and Lumnamping College didn’t pass, however, because some faculties/departments didn’t meet all the standards. Channarong urged college and university lecturers to improve their performance and conduct more research, which he said should be more relevant to Thai society.