BANGKOK, 6 March 2013 Elementary and secondary school pupils can expect to spend fewer hours in class and more on the extra curricula activities. Problem solving-based homework may no longer have to be done at home.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission of Thailand (OBEC) is reportedly planning to make changes to the current curriculums in the Thai school system.
OBEC Secretary-General Chinnapat Poomrat said the move came after the education systems of such countries as Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada had been compared to Thailand’s in terms of effectiveness.
He said class schedules will be changed, although the number of hours will remain the same. Complex and problem solving assignments should not be done alone at home without teacher’s supervision, he explained, saying they would only put too much stress on students.
More out-of-classroom activities will be encouraged, and so will be the skill enhancement based homework. The OBEC is publishing handbooks for teachers for use as a guideline to construct an integrated curriculum.
Explanations on how to carry out assessments and provide students with home assignments will also be outlined in the manual. Training courses will be arranged for teachers to make them aware of the change, which, Mr. Chinnapt said, will begin in the first school semester of the 2013 academic year.
