Thailand educational system reform initiatives

The Thailand Ministry of Education has initiated a series of reforms aimed at improving student safety and restructuring the national educational framework.

In early October, the ministry launched the ‘Safe School’ initiative. This program focuses on physical security through new screening measures and the establishment of a ‘Rights, Liberty, and Safety in Educational Institutions Center.’ It also addresses digital safety by proposing criminal code amendments to protect children from online threats and establishing guidelines for AI usage and social media bullying. Additionally, the initiative emphasizes student dignity by prohibiting certain hair-cutting practices and promoting educational access for displaced children.

By late October, Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong announced a roadmap for a new National Education Act to replace the 1999 framework. The proposed legislation seeks to decentralize administration, academics, personnel, and finance. The reform includes a ‘block grant’ budget system to increase school flexibility and aims to reduce teacher administrative burdens. The overhaul is designed to address shifting demographics and the impact of AI on the workforce by connecting learning to the labor market through a credit bank system.