This year has passed by without much for the education system to celebrate. The Bangkok Post's Top 5 news stories on education reflect this scenario as we hope for more good news in 2018.
One issue that stole headlines in 2017 was the so-called "tea money" allegedly given to a school director to secure a child's place at a famous state school.
Others include the sub-standard level of courses provided by private universities, and Thai students again failing to pass international assessments, this time in Unesco's Global Education Monitoring Report.
However, it was not all doom and gloom in the educational sector. Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon University is joining hands with a Thai university to launch a new range of programmes in the country next August. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry's new rule to let professional experts teach in schools could bode well for students, but is facing a backlash from teachers.
1. Tea money claims at top city school
Donating money to a school in exchange for a placement has been a part of Thailand's education culture for decades, as parents with sufficient means rush to ensure their offspring gain access to the best education the country has to offer.
Donating money for a child's placement has been part of Thai education for years. Panumas Sanguanwong
But while private schools may be justified in accepting such donations, state schools are required by law to accept students on the basis of meritocracy, which is to say, purely in light of their academic achievements and exam results. Despite this, many state schools, including the cream of the crop, are known to still pocket such pledges.
The highest-profile "culprit" this year was Samsenwittayalai School, a state school in Bangkok whose director was embroiled in a "tea money" scandal. The school made headlines in June after a parent circulated a video clip showing school director Viroj Samluan receiving 400,000 baht supposedly to accept a child into Mathayom 1.
Mr Viroj allegedly had one of his deputies receive the cash on his behalf, then claimed later he was the victim of a plot to oust him by disgruntled alumni whose children were not admitted to the school.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) has set up a committee to consider disciplinary action against Mr Viroj.
It has transferred him to work on a temporary basis at the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1 to ensure the probe is conducted transparently.
The incident sparked such a public outcry that the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) urged the Education Ministry to force school directors nationwide to declare their assets to avert possible graft.
Interestingly, even ACT director Mana Nimitmongkol admitted that trading or selling placements at top schools is still a common practice.
Known as "pledged donations" for school development, they can reach five figures for less popular schools and 10 or 100 times this amount for more prestigious schools.
Mr Mana said one solution would be to have schools issue receipts for the donations and provide information on how they are spent.
Six months on, the news has receded from the public eye after the clamour subsided, with the probe panel yet to publish its findings.
2. Sub-par uni courses closed
The education business is mushrooming in Thailand. Like any commodity, there must be some defective goods. In June, 87 bachelor's and master's programmes run by 10 private universities were closed after the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) ruled them sub-standard.
The 10 private universities were Bangkok Thonburi University, North Chiang Mai University, Pathumthani University, Phitsanulok University, Western University, Thongsook College, Siam Technology College, Institute of Technology Ayothaya, Rajapark Institute and Ratchathani University.
Ohec audited private universities nationwide after it received complaints, ranging from sub-standard quality to overcrowded classes.
The inspections turned up problems at these 10 universities. According to Ohec's audit, they hired sub-standard teachers and took in students beyond class capacities. For instance, the student-teacher ratio for master's programmes is fixed as 5:1, but some classes at these universities were taking in more than 100 students.
That was just the beginning. A probe by the Office of the Auditor-General of Thailand (OAG) found that more than 20% of higher education courses run by Thai universities (2,030 out of a total of 8,949) broke Ohec regulations by admitting too many students or failing to employ enough qualified instructors.
The audit also found that eight doctoral study programmes taught in seven universities were below standard. The problems were similar: These private universities either used sub-standard teachers or took on too many students.
3. World-class university to open
Despite tea money, and sub-standard courses in universities, Thailand has a reason to cheer as a world-class university, Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), will open in Thailand.
CMKL University, a joint institute established by CMU and King Mongkut's Institute of Technology University Ladkrabang (KMITL), will open in August next year.
The institute will act as CMU's campus in Thailand and will observe the same academic standards taught in Pittsburgh. CMKL's students will be awarded two degrees from both CMU and KMITL when they graduate.
The university will offer a five-year PhD programme in Electrical and Computer Engineering and two master's programmes in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Software Engineering.
Phd students will spend two years in Thailand and three years in the US, while master's students will study one year at KMITL and another year at CMU.
CMU is the first foreign university to set up a satellite campus in Thailand under the scheme.
The new university was established after the government relaxed its regulations to allow foreign universities to provide teaching support in fields that are crucial for "Thailand 4.0", the country's newest economic model.
Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin says the National Taiwan University (NTU) has also applied to start operations in Thailand.
He added several leading universities in the UK and Japan have also shown an interest in opening campuses in Thailand.
4. Ministry softens teacher entry rules
The Ministry of Education knows why students are lagging in science, maths and foreign language proficiency.
The Ministry of Education has come up with a plan to plug the teacher shortage gap. Courtesy of BonNontawat 123RF
One of the answers is the shortage of teachers with majors in those subjects.
In response to the lack of qualified teachers, the ministry is now allowing graduates who hold degrees in those subjects, but who do not hold a degree in education, to enter the teacher recruitment process.
Previously, only graduates with a degree in education -- who automatically receive a teaching licence known as a "teacher's ticket" from the Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT) -- were eligible to sit for the teacher recruitment exam.
Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said the new policy is aimed at solving the shortage of teachers as many public schools are having a hard time finding specialist teachers.
According to the plan, those who pass the exam will be allowed to temporarily teach in 61 subjects in schools for a period of two years though they are required to attend training to acquire a permanent teaching licence.
The solution sounds easy. Yet many experts argue the new system may hurt the quality of teaching. In Thailand, a "teacher's ticket" is not easy to get.
Students in education programmes need to study for five years, before serving as trainee teachers at a school for one year to qualify.
Resistance to the idea was fierce. The Education Deans Council of Thailand submitted a petition demanding that Dr Teerakiat revise his policy, while some teachers even threatened to organise a petition to oust him.
In response, the ministry compromised by reducing the number of subjects that these professionals are eligible to teach to 25 subjects.
They comprise science, general science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, or languages such as English, German, Burmese, Vietnamese, Spanish.
Others are special subjects such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, financial accounting, painting, clinical psychology, folk music, performing arts (such as khon dancing) and automotive technology. The rest will be reserved for education students.
5. Failing the global test again
It is not groundbreaking news that the Thai education system has failed to pass international standards. Thai students have ranked low in maths, science and English for years. This year, Unesco underscored in its 2017-18 Global Education Monitoring Report released in October that Thai governments have been failing to provide quality universal basic education.
Unesco says education in Thailand is riddled with problems, including a teacher evaluation system. Patipat Janthong
According to Unesco, Thai education standards have not improved since 2003. The country has not published a national education monitoring report since 2006. Interestingly, Unesco blasted the Thai teacher evaluation system for relying too heavily on pupil feedback.
Looking more deeply at the Unesco report is a cause for heartache. Despite 99% of Thais having completed primary education, only 85% finish lower secondary. After lower secondary, 50% have a minimum proficiency level in reading.
Only 80% of the poorest students complete lower secondary compared to 100% of the richest. About 3.9 million adults cannot read a simple sentence. Schools are not fun places but more of a battlefield, as a third of students aged 13 to 15 suffered bullying between 2010 and 2015, and 29% were victims of physical violence.
On a positive note, Thais have the right to an education, meaning citizens can take the issue to court if that right is violated -- something only 55% of countries now guarantee.
Meanwhile, in the latest English Proficiency Index rankings by Education First, a global language school operator, Thailand is in 53rd place among 80 non-native English speaking countries and territories.
Despite ostensibly improving on last year's dismal ranking, which saw Thailand languishing in 56th place (47.21), though this was out of just 72 countries and territories, Thailand is still classified as "low proficiency" in the latest survey.