Can North Korea boost Thailand's failing education?
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In September, The Nation reported that, according to a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, Thailand's quality of education ranked 87th in the world, behind most other members of Asean including, for example, Laos, which ranked well ahead, at 60t
Now, a local news agency is reporting that, following discussions between Minister of Education Admiral Narong Pipatanasai and the North Korean Ambassador to Thailand, the minister stated that both he and the ambassador agreed that the education systems of Thailand and North Korea were similar. The minister is proposing that his ministry hold talks with Thai universities with a view to setting up an exchange programme with North Korean universities.
I’m not sure what to make of these reports, but I have no direct knowledge of the education systems of either country, so perhaps should leave it to other, more knowledgeable, folks to try and figure out what is going on here, and how such an exchange scheme could help to raise the quality of higher education in Thailand.
Robin Grant
Bangkok
