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Thailand’s education system faces mounting challenges, with structural and pedagogical issues hindering student success. Despite substantial funding and increasing enrollment rates, outcomes remain underwhelming, and persistent inequalities prevail.
Thai students spend an average of 1200 hours a year in school, far exceeding the 800 hours recommended by UNESCO. Yet, this work overload does not traduce into greater success. According to a World Bank report, the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that 52.7% of 15 year-old Thai students struggle to apply maths in real-life situations, while 44.5% cannont explain basic scientifics events. To compare, the OECD average is respectively of 24% and 22%.
Instead of enhancing the learning system, this excessive number of hours leads to fatigue and undermines the effectiveness of teaching. Finland’s example, achieving exceptional results with substantially fewer hours, proves that a different approach is both feasible and successful.
The Thai curriculum, which remains unchanged since 2001, is one of the most rigid and dense in the world. Two attempts at reforming it, in 2008 and 2017, have failed. This curriculum is structured around 8 core learning domains, among which Thai language, mathematics, science and social studies. Thai teaching is often frowned upon as being too theoretical, preventing the development of analytical and creative skills, that are crucial in today’s rapidly changing world.
Furthermore, automatic school success is a major issue. Students have the option of “fixing” their grades at the end of the year, which discourages a rigorous and continued work effort. This practice, which is initially intended to prevent academic failure, paradoxically contributes to a decline in academic standards.
Classroom effectiveness is significantly undermined when student numbers exceed 50, a common issue in rural public schools. Such overcrowding prevents teachers from offering personalized attention, hindering students’ ability to grasp essential knowledge.
Moreover, the lack of professional and technical schools puts a brake to the country’s economic development. Initiatives exist to stimulate vocational training, through programs like the Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement (IECD), which offers professional training in fields such as hospitality, particularly for young Karens in the Mae Sot region. Thailand still faces a shortage of skilled workers in manual and industrial trades. The Thai education system remains rooted in a theoretical approach that is ill-suited to the needs of the labor market.
The Thai education system places rote learning in the center of its method. Some educators argue that this approach, which prioritizes memorization, hurts the development of analytical skills and contributes to a decline in overall academic performance.
Furthermore, the quality of teachers varies significantly. Ongoing professional development is lacking, and many teachers do not possess the necessary skills to teach effectively. On top of that, they are often overwhelmed with administrative and social tasks, reducing the time available for actual teaching.
The disparities between urban and rural areas are striking. According to a 2022 report by Thailand’s Education Council (CET), 1.2 million children are out of school, often due to poverty or family issues, and 16% of students are not enrolled in formal education. As Attapol Sangkawasi, Secretary-General of the CET, noted, “The situation of school dropouts remains worrying.”
On an international level, Thai 15-year-olds are approximately 1.5 years behind their Vietnamese peers of the same age (World Bank).
Finally, foreign language acquisition is another weak point in the system. Thailand ranks 106th out of 116 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index, trailing most of its Southeast Asian neighbors : Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. This weakness in English significantly curbs young people’s ability to integrate into the globalized job market.
In response to these systemic issues, a student movement called “Bad Students” has been advocating for a deep reform of Thailand’s education system since August 2020. Among its prominent figures is Benjamaporn “Ploy” Nivas, a 15-year-old high school student, who criticizes an education system based on blind memorization and authoritarian control of students. She particularly highlights harsh dress codes and outdated teaching methods.
According to her, education in Thailand prevents young people from developing critical thinking : “At school, we undergo brainwashing. We are taught not to ask questions, but only to memorize and recite facts for exams,” she told Le Point. This protest is part of a broader movement for democratic reforms in Thailand. However, any attempt at reform faces resistance from a deeply entrenched, conservative system.
Thailand’s education system stands at a critical crossroads. Confronted with an outdated curriculum, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate teacher training, it struggles to provide quality education for all students. The educational crisis is not merely a domestic concern; it significantly affects the nation’s economic competitiveness and its capacity to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Without structural reforms, Thailand risks stifling its potential with a system incapable of preparing its youth for the challenges ahead. Modernizing content, improving teacher training, and addressing regional inequalities are imperatives that policymakers can no longer ignore. The future of an entire generation and the country’s development depend on it.
© 2024 Siam News Network
