EDUCATION
SIRIKUL BUNNAG
Pumping up a sense of patriotism in primary and secondary school students will be an urgent priority for next year.
Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary-general Kasama Voravarn na Ayutthaya said students lack a sense of nationalism and know very little about history and other matters to make them proud of their country.
For example, many children know nothing about historical figures such as Phan Tai Norasingh (barge steersman Norasingh) and King Naresuan the Great, Khunying Kasama said.
This was a great failing of the education system.
King Naresuan liberated Ayutthaya from the Burmese after a great war 416 years ago. The story of Phan Tai Norasingh also dates back to the Ayutthaya era. In 1704, while trying to manoeuvre a royal barge, the Ekachai, through a 90-degree turn on the Khok Kham canal, he hit a large tree.
Although the king and his courtiers were unhurt, Norasingh insisted on being beheaded on the spot for putting the king's life in danger. The king was at first reluctant, but finally, impressed by Norasingh's sincerity, he complied. He also ordered the digging of another canal, Mahachai, to eliminate the bend.
Under the annual basic-education guidelines issued by the Obec to all 185 education zones, schools will boost activities to instil patriotism in students from prathom 1-mathayom 3 (grades 1-9) across the country.
"At least 80% of students in Obec-run schools must pass an assessment of their ethics and nationalism. We will develop the central curriculum in order to effectively propagate a sense of nationalism," Khunying Kasama said.
Next year, Obec hopes to raise the number of children entering the nine-year compulsory education system to 80% in every tambon, with a drop-out rate of no more than 0.8%.
Other goals are 80% of high-school graduates to further their studies at universities and 80% of children aged 4-6 to attend at least one year of kindergarten.
Obec-run schools will have one teacher per 25 students, a target not yet attained in 250 schools. Grade 9 graduates must be computer literate, with 40% of high school graduates able to write programmes and design web pages.
All education zones will be required to report on students' behaviour such as video-game addiction, premature pregnancy and sex, drugs and other offences.
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