FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Flurry of action on many fronts

Flurry of action on many fronts

Reform plans going ahead in many areas, giving rise to a feeling of confusion

THAILAND has just got a new education minister, General Dapong Ratanasuwan, and a blueprint for educational reform from the National Reform Council (NRC).
This is in addition to many other plans to overhaul the country’s educational sector for better quality. The Education Ministry, for example, is preparing to draw up the Educational Development Strategy (2016 – 2020) at the order of a national ‘super board’ that is chaired by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha himself.
Assoc Prof Prapapat Niyom, secretary of the NRC committee on education and human resource-development reforms, has supported the NRC-approved Bill on the National Educational and Human Development Policy Board.
“The ultimate goal is to produce quality humans,” she said.
According to her, the bill covers all aspects of human development including education. It, for example, prescribes an improved curriculum, improved tests and improved evaluation methods.
Prapapat believed that when the tests were changed, teaching and learning methods would definitely change too.
“When national tests focus on problem-solving skills, schools will find a way to equip their students with such skills,” she commented.
Prapapat also supported the hybrid system for educational budget management.
She said at present, the government allocates the budget based on the supply side, that, as a result, left power over education services in the hands of the state.
“But we should add the demand-side element. We suggest that the government give coupons to children and let them choose schools they want to attend. These schools can then use the coupon to claim the budget. This way, schools will pay more attention to learners,” she pointed out.
She said coupon reimbursement should cover teachers’ salary, teaching materials, etc.

Flurry of action on many fronts

“With such an approach, schools will try to improve themselves making sure they are good products in the educational market,” she said.
Prapapat said such an approach might affect small schools, so she believed the National Educational and Human Development Policy Board should have the duty to draw up plans, particularly to help such educational institutes.
Educational Council secretary general Dr Suthasri Wongsamarn, meanwhile, has disclosed recent-ly that a plan to amend the National Education Act was in the pipeline.
“We are analysing the act’s strengths and weaknesses,” she said.
Suthasri said lawyer Meechai Ruchuphan heads a subcommittee on how to improve the act. Basically, it was agreed that the amendment would seek to improve management of education – the process, budget, testing and evaluations.
Office of Basic Education Commission secretary general Kamol Rodklai also separately disclosed that his office was going to have serious meetings later this month to work on the Educational Development Strategy that the Prayut-chaired ‘super board’ had instructed the ministry to draw up.
“Our meetings on the issue will run from September 20 to 26,” he said.
Kamol said although the strategy would be implemented between 2016 and 2020, it was expected to deliver some tangible results within one year of its implementation.
“For example, there should be clear results in the very first years of policies to improve English teaching and to use technology more educational purposes.”
He said on long-term goals, the strategy would seek to improve teachers and reduce educational inequalities.
Education Ministry permanent secretary Kamjorn Tatiyakavee said all sides were trying their best to boost Thai educational quality.
However, he said the country’s educational reform was now in a rather confusing stage.
“Many sides have tried to help, from their different perspectives. But to date, there has been no clear conclusion on how we should stage the reform,” Kamjorn said.
 

 

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