Bangkok: The Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) has announced that the entrance exams for Mathayom 1 and Mathayom 4 were conducted smoothly.
According to Thai News Agency, OBEC has disclosed that the list of schools with available seats will be released on April 11. In addition to managing the exams, OBEC is also focusing on assessing and repairing school buildings damaged by a recent earthquake and integrating a disaster-resilient curriculum into classrooms.
Lt. Col. Thanu Wongchinda, Secretary-General of OBEC, led the 14/2568 OBEC executive meeting, emphasizing the directives of Education Minister Pol. Gen. Adul Saengsri to expedite these efforts. The meeting saw the participation of OBEC senior executives, including Mrs. Kesthip Suphawanich and Mr. Pattana Pattanathawidon, and was conducted both in-person and via Zoom.
Lt. Col. Thanu highlighted that the survey report, updated as of April 8, 2025, revealed 2,944 educational institutions affected nationwide. These were categorized into three groups based on damage levels: green (slightly damaged/no damage) with 2,512 institutions, orange (moderately damaged) with 353 institutions, and red (severely damaged) with 66 institutions. The top five affected provinces were Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Lampang, Phichit, and Kanchanaburi. OBEC is collaborating with around 200 volunteer engineers to prioritize assessments of orange and red group institutions, ensuring safety and planning repairs before the semester starts on May 16.
Despite the challenges posed by the earthquake, the entrance exams, postponed to April 5-6, 2025, were completed without issues. Schools conducted virtual earthquake response drills, which were well-received by students and parents. OBEC plans to implement monthly emergency response drills covering various disaster scenarios. Students who did not pass the exams can check for available seats online by April 11, apply from April 17-22, and await results on April 24, with registration on April 27.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra has instructed the Ministry of Education and OBEC to enhance the disaster prevention curriculum. The current curriculum, established in 2008, includes disaster response topics in social studies, health and physical education, and science and technology. However, OBEC aims to incorporate practical exercises into the curriculum to better prepare students for emergencies.
