Education Council rejects low Asean ranking, says finding not supported

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Education Council rejects low Asean ranking, says finding not supported

According to OEC’s personal assessment, Thai education is in the top 99 % of the world.

PUBLISHED: 24 Mar 2025 at 13: 49

Students gather at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi on March 6 to sit the entrance exam for Mathayom 4 (Year 10) at Triam Udom Suksa School in Bangkok. The school admits upper-secondary students and claims to have the country's largest yearly enrolment.(Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)
On March 6 at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi, students will take the entrance exam for Mathayom 4 ( Year 10 ) at Bangkok’s Triam Udom Suksa School. The school claims to have the highest annual enrollment in the nation and admits upper-secondary students. ( Photo: Nutthawat Wichieanbut )

A report that placed Thailand’s educational system among the majority of Asean nations was rejected by the Office of the Education Council ( OEC ), claiming the ranking did not provide any additional information or reflect the current situation.

Thailand is ranked in 107th place internationally among the 203 nations reviewed by World Population Review, a statistical information website that compiles statistics for demographics. It is also in the bottom tenth place among the 203 nations. Just Cambodia and Myanmar were placed lower.

South Korea came in second place, followed by Denmark and the Netherlands. &nbsp,

The rating, according to Assoc Prof. Prawit Erawan, OEC secretary-general, contradicts information that the review claimed was derived from the annual&nbsp, Best Countries Report by US News and World Report, BAV Group, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Thailand was 48th in the world, ranked fourth in Asean, behind Singapore, 22nd, and Malaysia, 37th, according to that review, which included 73 nations. Brunei and Laos were not included in the listings.

According to Mr. Prawit, the World Population Review’s lack of other information regarding the position may be false and needed to be carefully considered and interpreted when claiming that Thailand was near the bottom.

He claimed that additional information displayed on the website included the literacy rate of each country and the population in each region that used data from 2021, which did not account for the current situation.

The OEC had been analyzing Thais ‘ literacy rates for the past 15 years and beyond. The initial literacy score was 99 %, which is the highest reading score in Asean, he claimed. The last findings will be made accessible later this month. &nbsp,

According to Mr. Prawit, each organization had its own function and concentrate. People should pay attention to the education rate because it better explains each nation’s comparative strength and weakness.

But, the World Population Review ranking did indicate that Thailand should be vigilant and committed to improving the country’s educational program and expanding it, according to Mr. Prawit. &nbsp,