Bangkok: The government is inviting Thais to participate in shaping the future of their children's education and designing a new Education Act through an online forum on July 4th. The initiative aims to reform education by gathering opinions from educators, students, and the public on a new National Education Act.
According to Thai News Agency, Lieutenant Colonel Patthadarasmi Thongsalooykorn, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, unveiled that the Ministry of Education, via the Office of the Secretariat of the Council of Education (OSCE), in collaboration with the Council of Consumer Organizations, is accepting applications for participants to submit comments on the draft National Education Act. This initiative is to gather opinions on 10 key principles of the draft law, which will guide the long-term direction of Thai education.
The deputy spokesperson emphasized that Thailand currently relies on the National Education Act of 1999 as its primary education law, despite significant changes in global context and learning methods. Previous attempts to draft a new education act failed due to concerns about public participation. Hence, the government and the Ministry of Education are proceeding with drafting a new National Education Act based on participation, continuously soliciting opinions from all sectors and establishing a special subcommittee for formal drafting before submitting it to Parliament.
Captain Patradarat added that the public hearing will occur on Saturday, July 4, 2026, via Zoom Meeting, split into two sessions: a morning session from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for student representatives from all regions, and an afternoon session from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM for teachers, educational personnel, representatives from local administrative organizations, and interested public members. The government urges public participation to exchange opinions, suggestions, and perspectives on the 10 key principles of the draft law to collaboratively design an education system that responds to global changes and future learners' needs.