Citizens' duties and history will be taught intensively in schools starting from the second term of the 2014 academic year, according to the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec).
Kamol Rodklai, Obec's deputy secretary-general, said the Obec will host a meeting tomorrow chaired by Winai Rodjai, head of Obec's senior experts on education, to tweak the national curriculum by placing greater emphasis on these subjects.
Mr Kamol said the plan to revise history in the national curriculum will mean it will now focus not only on historical eras or historical background, but also understanding Thailand's history.
The citizens' duties subject aims to help encourage students to learn their duties and responsibilities for the sake of the nation and to bring about reconciliation and unity in the country.
He said the Obec will also ask international schools in Thailand to teach Obec's "adjusted" version of history, because some schools currently do not have this subject on their curriculum, even though about half of their students are Thai.
"On Friday, we will discuss whether it is possible to teach each of the subjects at least in a 50-minute class period per week,'' he said.
"We will also discuss in further detail if an increase in such learning hours for the subjects will have a negative effect on students,” he added.
After the meeting, the Obec plans to host seminars with experts on the subjects where they will express their opinions on the issue and determine what should be added to the courses, Mr Kamol said.
He said new textbooks on the two subjects will be published before September and then distributed to schools before the start of the second semester of the 2014 academic year, which starts between October and November.
Mr Kamol unveiled the Obec's plan after receiving an order from permanent secretary for education Suthasri Wongsaman to shake up the national curriculum by assigning more importance to citizens' duties and history subjects.
The change in the national curriculum is being made in line with the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) policy to promote unity and reconciliation among Thais in the country and cements the junta's remarks that it intends to remain in power until the reconciliation job is done.
The existing version of the 2008 national curriculum comprises eight core learning areas: maths, science, Thai language, foreign languages, social studies, art, career and technology, and health and physical education.
History is currently taught under social studies, while citizens' duties is not currently a subject but will become part of social studies.
Weerachat Soopunyo, lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Lifelong Learning Department, said he agreed with Ms Suthasri's move to shake up the national curriculum by assigning more importance to citizens' duties and history.
Mr Weerachat said the core concept of the subjects should focus on how to encourage students to accept people's different opinions to help them live happily in a society where people know what should be done.
He added that learning services and community-based learning should be promoted within the two subjects.
This will encourage students to be more aware of society's value for the sake of the country.