High-stakes election for Thailand and its crisis-hit education system

With the general election only weeks away, education experts are urging political parties to make reform of Thailand’s crisis-hit education sector the heart of their campaigns.

“Politicians vying for power must present policies on improving the country’s education system,” said Prof Sompong Jitradub, stressing that poor-quality education is driving national crises like inequality and declining competitiveness. “Let these problems drag on, and our country may be doomed,” he warned.

Sompong, a retired Chulalongkorn University professor and adviser to the Equitable Education Fund, pointed to four key signs that Thailand’s education system is in crisis.

First, he cited World Bank data showing that, on average, children born today in Thailand are expected to achieve only 61 per cent of their potential, compared with 80 per cent in developed countries.

Second, he noted the slump in Thai global competitiveness. In 2025, Thailand dropped five places in the IMD World Competitiveness Centre’s ranking, falling to 30th among 69 economies.

Third, he pointed to declining academic performance among Thai students on standardised global assessments.

Last year, Thailand recorded its lowest ever performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) since it was established 25 years ago.

Held every three years by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, PISA evaluates world education systems by testing 15-year-olds’ skills in reading, maths and science.

The fourth sign of crisis comes from Ordinary National Educational Tests (O-Net) – used to assess grade 6, 9 and 12 students in core subjects like maths, science and English. Average O-Net scores are still at or below 40 out of 100.

Sompong pinpointed political manoeuvring and a lack of leadership as the reasons behind decades of underperformance in Thai education.

“I really hope that we get a dedicated, practical and resourceful education minister this time.”

He added that strong policies would be meaningless if the education minister lacks the determination to push for concrete results.

The delicate balance of power in Thailand’s coalition governments means ministers are often assigned portfolios not for their expertise or experience, but according to how many seats their parties hold in Parliament.

The opposition People’s Party has pledged to break this tradition by appointing Assoc Prof Anuchat Puangsamlee, chair of Thammasat Secondary School, as education minister if it wins the election.

Reasons for hope?

Sompong said that parties in this election are focusing more on education than at the last vote three years ago, sparking hope of change once the new government comes to power.

“Policies are more detailed this time compared with the vague and abstract pledges previously,” he said.

The opposition People’s Party has unveiled 19 education reform policies, including higher school meal budgets, a new curriculum, reduced administrative burdens for teachers, greater course choice for students, and a mental healthcare professional on every campus.

Pheu Thai has promised an annual payment of 3,000 baht for every child from birth till age 15 to provide a start-up fund for ventures later in life, while also pledging to regear education towards future economic needs.

The party’s plans to pull Thailand out of the middle-income trap also include the “Teachers’ Good Life” policy – a blueprint to ease administrative workloads and produce better teachers.

The Bhumjaithai Party is campaigning on its “Learn Anywhere, at Any Age” policy, promising an online education platform where people at any stage in life can reskill and upskill.

Run as a public-private collaboration, the platform would also match users with available jobs. Bhumjaithai also offers a Learning Passport as part of its Equal Education Plus platform, designed to provide flexible learning beyond the classroom and skills that can be turned into income.

The Thai Kao Mai Party – led by former King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang president Prof Dr Suchatvee Suwansawat – pledges free education up to the doctorate level.

The Democrat Party has vowed an “educational buffet” under its “Thailand Out of Poverty” platform. The menu includes curriculum modernisation, school autonomy, eradicating inequality driven by hidden education costs, and free vocational education for all. It also pledges to recruit native speakers to improve Thais’ language skills.

Reform badly needed

Asst Prof Athapol Anunthavorasakul, who lectures at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, said the education plans of parties were largely the same, though with different packaging.

More important, he said, was the education bill currently being formulated.

“I’m interested in the outcome of the new education law, as this will shape the future direction and form of the education sector and human development,” he said.

Seven education bill drafts have been prepared to overhaul the sector, but none have reached Parliament yet. The legislation was sparked by a decision almost a decade ago that the existing 1999 National Education Act is outdated.

“The 2017 Constitution mandates preparation of a new education law, yet a new one has not yet been legislated,” Athapol said.

Sompong noted that the National Education Act serves as a pillar of national development, with reform needed if the country is to progress.

Thailand’s education system has long been criticised for prioritising rote learning over critical thinking.

“If we don’t change, our children will be stuck with passive intelligence – still reluctant to think outside the box and be creative,” he said.

Sompong also warned that parties could sideline education reform in favour of populist policies designed to win votes. He said emotive issues like nationalism, natural disasters and the scam industry would resonate more with voters than strengthening education for long-term benefits.

However, he added that the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation could drive scientific, evidence-based reform if there was sufficient political will.

Athapol said all eyes should be on whether election winners would do anything to modernise Thailand’s education law. “Doing so would set long-term educational goals and a clear direction for the country.”