Thai Education Council challenges global ranking, cites flaws
Thailand’s education system has found itself at the centre of controversy after being ranked 107th out of 203 countries in a global education survey.
The ranking, published by the World Population Review, has raised eyebrows among Thai officials, who argue that the methodology behind the ranking is flawed and misleading.
“These rankings are based on subjective opinions, not measurable, concrete indicators,” said Professor Dr Prawit Erawan, Secretary General of the Office of the Education Council (OEC).
The report, which placed Thailand 8th in ASEAN, has sparked a backlash, with education officials questioning the credibility of the data.
According to Dr Prawit, the World Population Review’s ranking methodology is problematic because it is based on surveys of opinions from 78 countries rather than using clear educational metrics.
“It reflects perceptions more than actual educational quality.”
Dr Prawit also criticised the assumption that a country’s educational quality is directly tied to its economic status, claiming this gives an unfair advantage to wealthier nations.
The OEC pointed out that Thailand’s literacy rate is around 99% for individuals aged 15 and over, which the council believes should significantly improve the country’s global ranking.
“If we consider this indicator, Thailand’s position would improve considerably, potentially ranking first in ASEAN.”
While acknowledging the ranking’s shortcomings, Dr Prawit admitted that Thailand does need to improve its educational database to provide a more accurate picture of its education system.
“A robust, up-to-date database is essential for ensuring that our education system is accurately represented in future global rankings.”
Despite the discrepancies in global education rankings, Dr Prawit recognised that there is a strong correlation between the quality of education and a nation’s social and economic progress.
He added that while disparities in educational development do exist across nations, improvements to Thailand’s educational system and data collection could help elevate its standing in future evaluations, reported The Nation.
The top 10 countries in the World Population Review’s global education ranking include South Korea, Denmark, and the Netherlands, while Thailand ranked 8th within ASEAN, just behind Laos and ahead of Myanmar and Cambodia.
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