Thailand to upgrade education to welcome AC

BANGKOK, July 12 (TNA) - New Education Minister Jaturon Chaisaeng has introduced his policies on further developing Thailand's education and quality, PISA, and Thai university rankings within 2015, when the ASEAN Community (AC) is scheduled to be formed. Briefing his policies to executives and officials of the Education Ministry on Thursday, Jaturon announced to mobilize natural resources to develop Thailand's education quality, rankings of Thai education and universities and results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), as well as to increase the number of vocational students to equal that of general education students within 2015. Jaturon noted that the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) has ranked Thai education at 51st among 60 countries. Besides, Thailand has been ranked 50th among 65 countries for its PISA test and only one Thai university has been listed among the best universities worldwide this year, ranked 351st among 400 universities. The education minister acknowledged that the information showed Thailand needs to further develop national education competitiveness urgently. The education minister said that he has ordered subordinates to speed up eight areas of development, including overall teaching reform, teacher development reform, technological application for teaching media, the improvement of vocational education, the improvement of universities, private participation in educational services, the distribution of learning opportunities and educational development in the Thai far South. (TNA)