PM warns teachers to shape up
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says the country’s academic achievements remain unsatisfactory and warned school directors they risk being removed if they cannot improve education quality.
He was speaking before 20,000 teachers and senior education management at a meeting organised by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) in Bangkok yesterday.
Gen Prayut said all parties must work together for better academic achievements. Although teachers and education professionals are trying to make progress in the country’s education system, there is no clear direction for how policies can raise academic standards, he said.
The Education Ministry is in direct charge of ensuring that national education meets quality standards and serves people equally with programmes initiated to support lifelong learning for the population.
The country’s academic achievements on the whole remain unsatisfactory, he said, adding that flaws in the system need to be fixed.
In February, the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Niets) revealed the results of the 2016 national tests in nine core subjects for Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) students which showed they failed most of them.
Of nine core subjects, each comprising a total of 100 marks, Thai language had the highest average score at 56.65, while the mean results for the other eight subjects — Social Science, English, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and General Sciences — were less than 50.
A total of 179,968 students participated in the tests. The scores of the nine core exam subjects are used by students to apply to universities through a clearinghouse system.
The premier said the first-phase of education reform must be completed before the next general election, which is tentatively set for the middle of next year.
In 2014, the Education Ministry set out the first-phase plan for education reform, which includes adjusting the school curriculum, reducing the number of subjects taught in classrooms, supporting more life skills for students and developing vocational education to better serve domestic labour demand.
“Educational problems cannot be solved by political means. It requires cooperation from all sectors,” the premier said.
He added that teachers must encourage students to think and innovate. Students must be urged to embrace self-learning exercises, sharpen their analytical thinking and embrace new technology. Students must be able to find ways of solving problems using logic, he said.
Gen Prayut also said the ministry should reduce clerical and administrative assignments for teachers so they can be free to concentrate on improving their teaching.
He also warned that school directors who failed to make progress in education risk being transferred. He said teachers must prove to other countries that Thailand’s education standards are not poor, while the education authorities must steer clear of corruption.