Thais secure 19 spots at Asean education workshop

Scheduled to run from December 12 to 16 in Bangkok and Prachuap Khiri Khan, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative workshop, on the theme “Smart Gen Asean”, offers just 60 seats.

Eligible applicants must be between 18 and 35 years of age.

“The workshop attracted 5,345 applications from across the Asean region. 

“This reflects an overwhelming interest and a message that education is a top concern for the young people in the region,” Karndee Leopairote said in her capacity as the managing director of C asean.

C asean centre is organising the workshop in collaboration with Future Innovative Thailand Institute and the US Embassy.

According to Karndee, a survey based on the workshop applications showed that 40 per cent of applicants were worried about the lack of critical thinking in Asean’s education sector, while 36 per cent were concerned about teacher quality. 

A total of 33 per cent said the region would need quality instruction improvement while 32 per cent believed elementary-school student development was needed.

“English proficiency and critical thinking skills were of the greatest concern to young Thais,” Karndee added.

 

High-flying figures will be joining the upcoming workshop as speakers. They are former Asean secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan; US Ambassador to Thailand Glyn Davies; Asean deputy secretary-general for socio-cultural communities Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee; Jason Ho from Gallup’s Strengths Finder; directors of Thriving Talents Michael Teoh and Mallory Loone; Benjamin Amick from USAID; Ishi Singh from Google; Nati Sangh from Makerspace Co; and Sattiya Langkhapin from Intel Thailand. 

Warapon Yanglang, a Thai who will join the upcoming workshop, is a teacher from Kho Mook island’s Ban Koh Mook school in Trang province.

“I want to join this workshop because I want to improve my teaching methods and teaching strategies,” she said.

She hopes that she will be able to put the knowledge from the workshop to good use at her school, where she says many students stopped learning after completing primary education.

Chanakarn Hutayon, who joined a previous workshop on civil engagement in Kuala Lumpur, said she had learned a lot from keynote speakers there.

“Via the workshop, I also made new friends, many of whom have shared the same attitudes,” she said. 

As an anti-human trafficking activist, Chanakarn has created a non-governmental network on human trafficking with friends she met via the workshop.