BANGKOK – The announcement of the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures literacy in students every three years among the 81 member countries/economies, poses a significant challenge for the Thai government. The recent results indicate a decline in Thai students’ scores in reading, mathematics, and science.
PISA 2022 assessment involved approximately 690,000 students, considered representative of the 29 million 15-year-olds, and aims to provide information to guide education policy. The focus is on assessing students’ competencies in applying knowledge and skills in real-life situations rather than just following curriculum-based learning.
In Thailand, the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST) served as the national center, conducting exams in August 2022 with students from 279 schools, totaling 8,495 participants. The assessment included computer-based testing and online surveys for school administrators.
Thai students’ performance in all areas hit the lowest scores in the past 20 years since Thailand joined PISA in the early 2000s. Reports indicate that 43 percent of Thai students feel the impact of inadequate teaching due to insufficient teachers, and approximately 16 percent report low-quality teaching.
Internationally, Singaporean students outperformed others in mathematics, science, and reading in the PISA 2022 assessment. Thai students ranked fifth among ASEAN countries, trailing behind Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia. Thailand’s average scores in mathematics, science, and reading (394, 409, and 379, respectively) were below the OECD average scores (472, 485, and 476).
In addition to the latest EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) survey, Thailand ranked 101 out of 113 non-native English-speaking countries and fell into the “very low proficiency” category with a score of only 416. The global average score is 502. In Asia, Thailand ranks 21 of 23, and in ASEAN, Thailand ranks 8 of 10.
These surveys and measurements indicate that Thai education is in a serious situation.
Surasak Pancharoenworrakul, Deputy Minister of Education, stated that global education systems faced challenges from the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but for Thailand, the country also faced persistent inequalities and limited access to technology.
Surasak mentioned that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is concerned about the PISA results and has directed the Ministry of Education to address the issues. A National PISA Committee was established in October to improve results in the 2025 assessment, aiming for better performance than the 2018 ranking of 59th.
Suphattra Patiwisan, the Deputy Director-General of IPST, emphasized the need to promote analytical thinking in classrooms for the 2025 exam, focusing on scientific knowledge and global environmental issues. Efforts to enhance learning should begin in primary education.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt spoke about the education challenges, acknowledging that many Bangkok schools primarily cater to primary education, influencing the quality of students entering secondary education. He stressed the importance of addressing these issues to attract both domestic and international investments, as the quality of people is a significant factor.
