ID :
378572
Fri, 08/28/2015 - 08:04
Auther :

Primary schools to end school early

BANGKOK, August 28 (TNA) -- The Thai Education Ministry has instructed 3,500 primary schools in a piloted-project to end school classes at 2pm instead of 4pm. Education Minister Gen Dapong Ratanasuwan said the schools would now end each school day two hours earlier, at 2pm instead of the usual 4pm, where the extra two hours would be used to create knowledge based learning. The minister further noted that once the school ends at 2pm, students with parents waiting to pick them up could go home straight away, while students whose parents could not pick up at that time would be joining in knowledge-based activities organised by the schools, so that the students could enjoy themselves and have fun, while also gaining more knowledge. The project is set to be piloted on November 1 or the next school term in 3,500 primary schools under the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), or around 10 percent of the total 38,000 schools under the agency's responsibilities, said the education minister. The minister said he is confident the project would bring more happiness to both the students and the parents, as it would give both more time to spend together. As for whether or not the teachers would enjoy the new project or not, a trial run must be completed and evaluated first, said the minister, adding that the project could be successfully carried out, as thorough considerations have revealed that the lowering of classes would not affect the curriculum courses as a whole and so the project has been forwarded for further approval from the prime minister. Meanwhile, OBEC Secretary-General Kamol Rodklai said the society has been continuously calling on the government to end schools early, as well as to make adjustments to the education curriculum. The ministry, therefore, has approved that the total study time should be lowered from 1,000 hours per year down to 840 hours per year, while the main subjects would be decreased from 8 down to 5, which would include Thai, English, Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies. The OBEC official added that the remaining three subjects would be changed in various activities, which the agency is currently summarising the different types of the activities the piloted schools could choose from, including, arts, music and sports, or a tutoring session from the teachers, or between students to students. Mr Kamol, however, stressed that the activities should not add more burden to the children and that such activity should help the children to really enjoy themselves during those 2 extra hours after school. (TNA)

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