Innovative Secondary Education For Skills Enhancement

For a school, the principal/school council can make a
choice on how many streams and which stream(s) to
be applied after reporting and getting approval from the
director of the Provincial Department of Education and
Training. For those schools operating the basic stream,
they may also organize teaching advanced subjects in the
two other streams of natural sciences (and mathematics)
and social sciences and foreign languages in order to
widen the students’ subject selection options. In addition,
the government has set a target to provide Internet access
to more than 90 percent of upper secondary schools during
the next planning period.
Innovations to Transform
Existing Systems
Distance Learning for Vocational
Training (Thailand)
Vocational education and skills development were carried
out in many parts of Thailand through distance learning
programs, especially for schools in rural areas that do not
have qualified teachers. Innovative elements of this model
include the following: the best teachers are selected;
teacher manuals and student workbooks are provided
in advance; students can repeat each module when they
want; and cost saving. Key success factors included attitude
toward distance learning of school administrators
and teachers; readiness of teachers and students; wellmaintained
equipment and technical system; and 24-hour
TV programming and Internet. Limitations of the distance
learning programs included problems with electrical
power and the technical system that were not always able
to be resolved promptly.
Innovations through
Multi‐Stakeholder
Partnership
Thailand hosts two public–private partnership models
that draw upon industry expertise to enhance youth learning
and increase employment outcomes. The programs
bring together training institutes and local enterprises to
incorporate on-the-job training into traditional class-based
training, which enhances existing curricula, provides
youth with practical experience, and ultimately creates
opportunity for employment upon completion.
Business Adopted-School
Program (Thailand)
This program supports skills delivery at secondary schools
through cooperation and coordination between schools
and local businesses. Assistance from businesses includes
financial contribution, equipment, staff development, experts,
and other resources that are provided on agreement
between the partners. One school may work with more
than one business, and each business may work with
more than one school. For example, the Kanjanapisak
Goldsmith College provides training in goldsmithing and
jewelry making to young students studying at the same
time for academic qualifications.
The program provides a combination of work-based learning,
a competency-based curriculum, and job opportunities
for students. Key success factors of the program are
the active relationship between businesses and schools,
partnerships built on mutual benefit, and providing opportunities
to teachers for training in the workplace.
Industrial-Lead Program (Thailand)
One of the most successful programs in skills development
in secondary education in Thailand is the Industrial
Owner-Led Program designed and organized independently
by the CPall Company. The training is provided by
the Panyapiwat Techno Business School, which developed
a three-year vocational secondary education program for
7-Eleven convenience stores throughout the country. The
curriculum framework and structures are based on Ministry
of Education qualifications, but students are given
specific workplace skills training. Students who complete
this program receive a vocational certificate equivalent to
those from other schools.
Work-based learning is emphasized. Students spend three
months in school and another three months in the workplace,
or 7-Eleven convenience stores. Students become
employees on the first day of enrollment in the school.
Students earn income during their practical experiences at
the workplace. An important innovative strategy of this
program is the distance learning program for those students
who enroll at 20 centers and 70 networked schools.
They receive the same quality standard of theory subjects
as those at the school. Practical training is provided by
well-trained and experienced staff at the workplace. This
strategy has increased the number of students to 10,000
instead of only 1,800 at the school only. Key success factors
of this program are an active administrative team and
teachers, continuous improvement of the program, attractive
practical experiences, and concentration of required
attributes for the retail occupation.
56 Innovative Secondary Education For Skills Enhancement (ISESE)