New policy review reveals core challenges in Thailand’s competency-based education reform

Competency-based education has become a global trend, promoted by international organizations such as the OECD and UNESCO, to equip students with skills for future careers and societal participation. Thailand began its reform in the late 2010s, aiming to shift from a long-standing standards-based curriculum to a competency-based model. However, the transition has faced conceptual and implementation challenges, revealing tensions between global aspirations and local realities.

In a study published online on April 9, 2024, in ECNU Review of Education, conducted by Jatupol Sangwanglao of The University of Hong Kong, publicly available policy documents from Thai education authorities between 2017 and 2022 were analyzed. The study examines the development and ideological foundations of Thailand’s competency-based education reform. The study finds that while the reform has been systematically developed over several policy cycles, it lacks a coherent ideological vision and clear communication about its driving forces. This ambiguity potentially causes confusion among stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, and the public.

“The development of competency-based education reform in Thailand has changed over time in response to government direction and societal conditions. However, unified ideologies for developing competency-based education are lacking, potentially leading to confusion among the various stakeholders involved,” states Jatupol Sangwanglao. He further notes, “Although Thailand’s competency-based education system has been developed systematically, it lacks clear communication regarding the driving forces behind the curriculum.”

The study traced the historical development of competency-based education in Thailand through key policy documents, including The National Scheme of Education B.E. 2560-2579 (2017–2036) and Thailand’s National Strategy B.E. 2561-2580 (A.D. 2018–2037). These documents identified gaps between graduate competencies and labor market needs, positioning education as a primary tool for economic and social development. This diagnosis set the long-term agenda. Subsequent frameworks have evolved from broad, aspirational categories, like “Literate Thais” and “Happy Thais,” to more specific skill sets, such as Communication, Higher-Order Thinking, and Collaboration for Teamwork in later versions. This evolution reflected an attempt to reconcile local values with internationally influenced competency discourses.

A detailed examination of the 2022 draft competency-based curriculum for primary education, released by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), reveals specific implementation concerns. The draft outlined core competencies (e.g. citizenship, collaboration) and subject-specific competencies, with a 10-level achievement scale ranging from beginner to beyond expectations. However, the study noted that the curriculum lacks detailed content guidance and may set unrealistic expectations for teachers and students in large-class settings. For instance, the detailed behavioral indicators for competencies like teamwork and collaboration at the lower secondary level might be impractical to assess in crowded classrooms.

The review also noted a significant ideological foundation of the draft curriculum. Using Morris and Adamson's (2010) framework, the analysis found the curriculum blended multiple ideologies but was predominantly driven by social and economic efficiency, aiming to meet the needs of the Thai economy. Elements of “child-centered” learning and “orthodoxy/ideological transfer” were also present, creating a hybrid but not fully coherent vision. The reform path forward remained uncertain. The researcher highlighted the ongoing debate within Thailand about the necessity of replacing the existing standards-based curriculum. In May 2022, the Thai vice prime minister paused the rollout of the new competency-based curriculum, arguing that the current standards-based approach already addressed student competencies. This suggested potential resistance to systemic change and underscored the need for clearer policy rationale. The study suggested that Thailand’s competency-based education reform might follow two paths: integrating competency elements into the existing standards-based curriculum, or revising and implementing the 2022 draft with a stronger focus on the ideology of social and economic efficiency to align with national economic strategies.

“This policy review contributes to international discourse on competency-based education by providing a detailed case study of Thailand’s reform process. It offers insights for policymakers, curriculum developers, and educators in Thailand and other countries undergoing similar educational transitions,” concludes Jatupol Sangwanglao.

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Reference
DOI: 10.1177/20965311241240486