Pattaya educators pow-wow on international standards

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Regional officials and teachers from Pattaya’s public schools reviewed the steps necessary to bring the city’s educational system up to international standards.

Chonburi Deputy Gov. Phawat Lertmukhda opened the May 15 conference at the Eastern National Indoor Sports Stadium. He was joined by Sopin Thappajug, head of Pattaya’s Educational Development Commission, Pimpan Dechakup, an expert in curriculum and teaching from Chulalongkorn University, Jiraporn Rahotan, associate dean of Sripatum University’s Chonburi Campus Graduate School on Human Resources, and Pakinai Suntornwipat, president of the Guardian Association of Thailand.

Regional officials and teachers from Pattaya’s public schools met at the Eastern National Indoor Sports Stadium to review steps necessary to bring the city’s educational system up to international standards.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome told the conference that the city already is moving forward on a five-year educational-development plan to bring city schools up to world standard by promoting use of technology in teaching, learning, and multimedia curriculums, as well as systematic management and an aggressive English-language learning program.

Pakinai said any world-class program stresses thinking, innovating, communicating and creating “global citizens”. Students, he said, must have basic knowledge of science, mathematics, economics and technology. Moreover, students must have grades accepted by international schools so they can attend universities either in Thailand or abroad.

Hundreds of teachers attended the seminar.

In addition to being able to communicate in two or more languages, students must become self-thinkers, reasoning at a high-level and showing creativity and the ability to solve complex problems.

Schools must stress innovation, allowing students to prioritize, plan and manage to become successful. Additionally, they must be able to use technology and create high-quality works.

As for global citizenship, students must become responsible toward society together with having awareness of world situations, being able to learn and manage with complexity, having knowledge and understanding of culture, customs and traditions of Thai and international societies.

He said school management must include four facets of international standards, including theory of knowledge, extended essays, creativity, action, and service; and language learning.