The Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (Onesqa) is promoting active learning as its chief strategy to enhance the learning capacity of students under its care.
Nantha Nguantad, acting director of the Onesqa, on Tuesday revealed a recent assessment conducted at more than 20,000 schools in early childhood education and basic education programmes showing they had achieved targets aimed at elevating the quality of students.
She highlighted Donmuang Chaturachinda School as a model of active learning methods. The school passed its criteria with highly satisfying scores, she said, noting that practical studies had been crucial to raising standards.
Teachers, parents and communities were also encouraged to participate.
"Active learning is an educational method to promote a culture of lifelong study in students. It also applies to local problems that students face in their schools and communities and lets students try to find solutions with only brief guidelines from teachers," said Ms Nantha.
The office has a list of experts from 28 universities nationwide, so teachers and students can ask for advice to proceed with any projects they want to create, she said.
Winai Khamwiset, director of Donmuang Chaturachinda School, said teachers and students had found water hyacinth blocking a local waterway, which was stifling the ecosystem.
One student, Napatchanun Pongtechanuwat, came up with a project to eliminate the aquatic weed by making insulation bricks mixed with the weed.
The student named the project "idsala" (a portmanteau of two Thai words, id referring to brick and sala meaning sacrifice) as it was a result of the work of classmates and teachers, said Ms Napatchanun.
The hyacinth-based brick has proven far more cost-effective than other similar projects, she added.