Thailand’s Educational Competitiveness

Mr. Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, the Minister of Education, has revealed that the Office of the Education Council recently reported on Thailand’s educational competitiveness in 2010. This report is published in the 2010 Yearbook of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

According to IMD’s methodology, the national environment is divided into 4 factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. In regards to Thailand, the economic performance ranked at 14^th in 2009 and 6^th in 2010; government efficiency ranked at 17^th in 2009 and 18^th in 2010; business efficiency ranked at 25^th in 2009 and 20^th in 2010. In addition, the infrastructure, which included education ranked at 42^nd in 2009 and 46^th in 2010. For education sub-factor, Thailand ranked 47^th, a position which was slightly better than Indonesia, Philippines and India.

Each factor showed clear related figures, such as pupils - teacher ratio (in primary education) - Thai schools - 17.70: 1 and ranked at 41, pupils - teacher ratio (in secondary education) - Thai schools - 21: 1 and ranked at 53, as well as scientific infrastructure etc. Therefore, it is indeed necessary to analyze carefully these figures and further develop any problematic areas.

The Minister also mentioned the ranking of the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) of OECD, in which Thailand ranked at 40^th in 2006: Arithmetic - 417 points, science - 421 points; science in schools ranked at 35^th with 4.62 points. In relation to the competitiveness of Thailand’s educational system, Thailand ranked at 32^nd with 5.01 points, higher education ranked at 32^nd and language skills in response to the business sector ranked at 41 and in regards to English efficiency Thailand ranked at 54.

The Minister also added that all data reflected the educational competitiveness of Thailand in the world arena. With this in this regard, the Ministry of Education assigned the Office of Education Council to analyze all related data, in order for all main organizations to work closer together to improve and enhance all necessary factors.