Thailand Drafts New Education Act After Sharp Fall in Student Test Scores

Thailand Drafts New Education Act After Sharp Fall in Student Test Scores

BANGKOK, April 27, 2026 — Thailand’s Education Ministry is pushing forward with a new National Education Act aimed at overhauling the country’s school system after worsening student performance in international assessments increased pressure for reform.

Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong cited the latest 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, which showed continued declines in Thai students’ mathematics, reading and science scores.

Thai 15-year-olds scored 394 in mathematics, 379 in reading and 409 in science, well below OECD averages, placing Thailand 58th in mathematics and science and 64th in reading among 81 participating countries and economies.

Within Southeast Asia, Thailand ranked behind Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, but ahead of Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia.

The results also showed a decade-long downward trend, with Thai students losing around 30 points in mathematics and science and about 60 points in reading between 2012 and 2022.

Prasert said the proposed law would seek to redesign the education system, including curriculum, teaching methods, assessment standards and teacher development, with a focus on preparing students for future economic demands.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoschanan Wongsawat said existing curriculum revision cycles of three to five years were too slow to keep pace with rapid global change, calling for a more flexible system.

Officials said the reform agenda would also focus on decentralising education management, reducing teachers’ administrative burdens and creating smoother lifelong learning pathways.

Thailand has faced long-running concerns over education quality, inequality between urban and rural schools, and student readiness for a more technology-driven economy.