Distance learning to be expanded

THE EDUCATION Ministry will expand the distance-learning television (DLTV) programme to 15,553 medium-sized schools nationwide at the start of the 2015 academic year.
This follows the success of the programme at 15,369 small-sized schools, Deputy Education Minister Lt-General Surachet Chaiwong told a press conference yesterday.
This expansion, which will be funded with a budget of Bt5.8 billion, is being conducted under the distance learning via information technology (DLIT) banner.
Surachet said the ministry was following government policy regarding DLTV, which had been kicked off several decades ago as part of a royal initiative. DLTV started covering small schools since last November.
Small schools are defined as having no more than 120 students and are located remote areas, with teacher shortages a regular occurrence.
So far the initiative has yielded a satisfactory result as seen in the slight increases on average in the 2014 Ordinary National Education Test (Onet) scores, Surachet said.
Prathom 6 pupils saw the average score increase in five subjects – health and physical education, science, social science, religion and culture, foreign languages. and career and technology, he said.
The average score in these subjects rose by 3 per cent from the previous year’s 39.3 per cent, he said.
The Prathom 6 students’ average score in all subjects, including Thai language, mathematics and art, rose by 0.9 per cent from 44.8 per cent.
The average Onet score for Mathayom 3 and 6 also increased slightly.
Available statistics show these small schools account for 65 per cent of schools ranked in the top 10 in their primary education service areas – a figure that increases to 72.6 per cent for the top three schools in each area.
Surachet said the Office of Basic Education Commission found that 97 per cent of teachers at the DLTV schools showed improved performance.
“They are more attentive to their students, who are getting happier and have more fun with their learning,” he said, “Positive results are evident.”
Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Wang Klai Kangwon School is the master station in the DLIT project.