49 Every year there are complaints even ridicule from students, parents and media about the ONET test s irrational questions. Some have been known to provide more than one answer. (Bangkok Post file photo)
For the past 15 years, the Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) has been the target of criticism. Introduced to test the academic proficiency of students nationwide in 2005, it has been attacked for its failure to improve their knowledge and skills.
In addition, every year there are complaints even ridicule from students, parents and media about the test s irrational questions. Some have been known to provide more than one answer.
Tests axed for school entry due to Covid
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published : 2 Jan 2021 at 10:00 ONET test in 2017. (Bangkok Post file photo)
The Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) scores will not be used as criteria for admitting students into Mathayom 1 (Grade 7) and Mathayom 4 (Grade 10) in the next academic year, according to the Ministry of Education.
Permanent secretary for education Supat Champathong said the Covid-19 crisis was the main reason behind the ministry s decision to change the criteria as the pandemic had prevented schools across the country from providing sufficient lessons to students.
Recently, the Education Ministry asked the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Niets), which organises the O-Net exams, to cancel the national tests for students in Grade 6 and Grade 9 at the end of this academic year.
Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan
Prathom 6 and Mathayom 3 students will not have to sit the Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) for the 2020 academic year, according to the Ministry of Education.
The written letter regarding the cancellation of O-Net has been submitted to the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Public Organisation), and was signed by Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan.
In the past, O-net was administered annually to measure students basic knowledge in four key subjects mathematics, English, Thai language and general sciences.
All Prathom 6 as well as Mathayom 3 and 6 students must take the test to assess their academic proficiency.
Mr Nataphol said it was due to Covid-19 that the test was cancelled as students have not been able to study properly. Mathayom 6 students still have to sit the exam.
Education budget to be held to account
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published : 19 Dec 2020 at 04:00
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A new accounting system has been launched to track education spending and investment and tackle the problem of inequality in Thailand.
The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) has created the National Education Accounts (NEA) in collaboration with the Research and Accounting Institute, Thammasat University and it will be headed by Assoc Prof Chaiyuth Punyasavatsut, a TU economics lecturer.
Assoc Prof Chaiyuth said Thailand had invested more in education than many other countries in the past 10 years. In 2018 alone, the country spent 816.46 billion baht, or 5% of its GDP, on education compared to 4.9% on average by the 17 member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Key test one step closer to cancellation
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published : 15 Dec 2020 at 04:00
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Permanent secretary for education Supat Champathong has ordered an impact study in the event the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-Net) were to be cancelled, amid talk of universities planning to replace it with their own tests.
Mr Supat said yesterday that he had ordered the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) to look into the ramifications of such a cancellation as well as possible alternative tests.
O-Net measures students basic knowledge in four key subjects: mathematics, the sciences, plus English and Thai.
Mr Supat said he had discussed the cancellation with the Council of University Presidents of Thailand, which organises university admission examinations and the Office of the Basic Education Commission, which runs the curriculums for primary schools and high schools.