Education reform needs to be evaluated, Paitoon says

"The evaluation of all parties involved in education reform should be conducted next year. The results will let us know where improvements are needed," Dhurakij Pundit University vice president Dr Paitoon Sinlarat suggested at a seminar.

The Educational Council, Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment, and Foundation for Thailand's Educational Development held the seminar at the Rama Gardens Hotel on the 9th anniversary of National Education Act 1999.

"Perhaps, we need to review the whole thing because the globalised world has been changing a lot," Paitoon said.

Launched nine years ago, the educational reform was touted as a means to improve national standards and end rote learning.

However, many people have said the results have been poor.

Former education minister Wijit Srisaarn said education reform had not progressed as much as it should.

"Despite 12 years of free education, the government can provide just 8.2 years of free education in practice," he said.

Wijit is also a former head of the Education Reform office.

"Education reform should focus on students but efforts mainly deal with organisational structures and teachers," he said.

Wijit lamented inconsistency in the implementation of reform.

"We had seen six education ministers in six years," he said.

Seameo Rihed director Dr Supachai Yavaprabhas said he met too many teachers over the past nine years preoccupied with their own academic credentials.

"Local administrative organisations have also often recruited teachers to help with some of their work," he said.

Instead of teaching, Supachai said teachers now did more administrative tasks.

In line with decentralisation policy, some state schools are now supervised by local administrative organisations.

Thammasat University rector Surapol Nitikraipoj, however, had some praise for the ongoing education reform.

"Actually, it has progressed by at least 70 per cent. It will simply take some more time to see concrete results," Surapon said.

He is a former board member of the Education Reform office.

Surapon urged politicaloffice holders to ensure consistency in educational policies.

"When the government promises to deliver 12 years of free education to children, adequate subsidies should be allocated for implementation," he said. "With budget, even the universal healthcare scheme achieved concrete results."