Basic Education Commission secretary-general Pornnipa Limpaphayom said the ministry had submitted a proposal asking for Bt200 million to create science classes in the commission's 167 leading secondary schools nationwide, and she had been told Cabinet would consider the proposal early next month.

The idea was brought up after Cabinet rejected a Bt4-billion plan to build four regional branches of the government's first science school, Mahidol Wittayanusorn, and asked for a cheaper alternative, she said. The ministry now plans to introduce science classes in leading secondary schools instead and to encourage students who excel in science.

Each science class would have about 40 students, who would study the curriculum taught at Mahidol Wittayanusorn School. The commission would allocate a yearly budget of Bt10,000 per student, meaning that each school would receive Bt400,000 per year, she said. If the project is approved, it will be implemented in the 2007 academic year.

The Nation