As the sun rose over the tranquil skyline of Nakhon Ratchasima province, the silence was punctuated by the rustle of exam papers as Thai students huddled over their desks, brows furrowed in concentration. Yet despite their focus, a ripple of concern coursed through the nation as the latest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results revealed a drop in Thailand’s rankings in the crucial areas of mathematics, reading, and science – the cerebral trinity of education. (Photo courtesy of Prasit Tangprasert)
A chorus of questions arose on Wednesday when Education Minister Permpoon Chidchob addressed the elephant in the classroom: why are Thai students trailing on the global stage? With eyes brimming with both concern and determination, Permpoon pinpointed the Covid-19 pandemic as one specter haunting the halls of learning and vowed to steer Thai education out of troubled waters.
In a world of intellectual Olympiads embracing 81 nations, the latest PISA assessment pegged 15-year-old Thai students at 394 in mathematics, a dip from their 419 zenith in 2018. The scent of skepticism also wafted through the rooms of science, slipping from a proud 426 to a more modest 409. But alas, the voyage through reading presented the most tempestuous seas, spiraling downwards from 393 to a concerning 379. With the ranks showing Thai students at 58th for both maths and science and an even more startling 64th for reading, urgent navigation is required.
The clarion call was sounded by none other than Move Forward Party’s MP, the vigilant Parit Wacharasindhu. With a voice amplified by concern, Parit highlighted a creeping decline in the performance of the Thai education system, a trend that stubbornly persisted over the past decade or two. “Wake up and smell the textbooks,” he seemed to say, an implicit plea to recognize the precarious precipice upon which Thai education teeters.
Yet, Mr. Permpoon, undaunted by the tide, stood firm amidst the stormy critique. Yes, the pandemic had cast a shadow over this educational landscape, disrupting the very fabric of schooling and assessment nationwide, a plight shared by classrooms across the globe. “Thailand is not an isolated case; we’ve all felt the tremors,” he assured, referencing the uniform drop since the assessments of 2018.
In a show of resolve, Permpoon made a solemn promise that echoed through the corridors of power: to address the malady afflicting Thai education and bear the torch of responsibility should the next PISA assessment in 2025 not reflect an uptick in Thai students’ capabilities.
But what ails the young minds of Thailand? Permpoon confessed that Thai students were encountering stumbling blocks in analytical skills, particularly when faced with the daunting odyssey of long passages. His prescription? A hearty dose of open-ended questions in lieu of the multiple-choice format that has long been the staple of Thai tests — a potential panacea for a system in search of greater depth and nuance in thought.
As the world grapples with a global backslide in math scores, with even the mighty US still straggling behind peers, and as teenagers worldwide witness an unprecedented downturn in math and reading prowess, according to the OECD, the time to act is now. Can Thailand’s education system rise like a phoenix from the ashes of these PISA scores? Only time, relentless effort, and a commitment to renaissance in learning will tell.
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