Improving Education Quality in Thailand Five Stylized Facts

1
Improving Education Quality in ThailandFive
Stylized Facts

• Kevin Macdonald, World Bankkmacdonald1_at_worldbank.
  org

2
TIMSS Math Performance
3
TIMSS Intermediate Math Benchmark
Students who achieve the international benchmark
can apply basic mathematical knowledge in
straightforward situations.
4
Intermediate Benchmark Attainment
Percentage of students attaining the TIMSS Math
intermediate benchmark
5
Thailand Attainment
10 percent increase in number of grade 8 students
Number of Students
6
Thailand Attainment
45 percent of students in 1999 attained the
intermediate math benchmark
Number of Students
7
Thailand Attainment
Number of Students
34 percent of students in 2007 attained the
intermediate math benchmark
8
Thailand Attainment
Number of Students
17 percent decrease in the number of grade 8
students who attained the intermediate math
benchmark.
9
Five Stylized Facts

1. 17 percent fewer grade 8 students in Thailand
   attained the intermediate math benchmark from
   1999 to 2007, and the quality of education, not
   enrolment, is to blame.

10
Wealth Group Differences
PISA Reading Achievement for above median wealth
group
PISA Reading Achievement for below median wealth
group
11
Urban Rural Distribution Differences
Distribution of PISA Achievement
12
Urban Rural Distribution Differences
Distribution of PISA Achievement
13
Five Stylized Facts

1. 17 percent fewer grade 8 students in Thailand
   attained the intermediate math benchmark from
   1999 to 2007, and the quality of education, not
   enrolment, is to blame.
2. There are large gaps in achievement between rich
   and poor and urban and rural peoples in Thailand.
   Thailand has an education system as good as that
   in the United States, but so far only in
   Bangkok.

14
Urban Rural Differences
438.28
The difference in PISA 2006 reading performance
between urban and rural areas is 44.11 points
Total
44.11
394.17
15
Urban Rural Differences
438.28
13.54 points owe to differences in student
background characteristics
Total
44.11
30.57 points owe to differences in the lower
ability of rural schools to transform student
characteristics into learning
394.17
16
Five Stylized Facts

1. 17 percent fewer grade 8 students in Thailand
   attained the intermediate math benchmark from
   1999 to 2007, and the quality of education, not
   enrolment, is to blame.
2. There are large gaps in achievement between rich
   and poor and urban and rural peoples in Thailand.
   Thailand has an education system as good as that
   in the United States, but so far only in
   Bangkok.
3. If the education system in rural areas were able
   to convert student background into learning as
   well as the education system in urban areas, the
   urban-rural difference in learning outcomes would
   be small.

17
Top Performers
Percent Increase in Number of Grade 8 Students
Attaining the Math Intermediate Benchmark.
18
Importance of Improving Quality
Attributed to changes in the proportion of grade
8 students achieving the intermediate math
benchmark
Attributed to changes in the number of grade 8
students
19
Importance of Improving Quality
Attributed to changes in the proportion of grade
8 students achieving the intermediate math
benchmark
Attributed to changes in the number of grade 8
students
20
Importance of Improving Quality
Attributed to changes in the proportion of grade
8 students achieving the intermediate math
benchmark
Attributed to changes in the number of grade 8
students
21
Five Stylized Facts

1. 17 percent fewer grade 8 students in Thailand
   attained the intermediate math benchmark from
   1999 to 2007, and the quality of education, not
   enrolment, is to blame.
2. There are large gaps in achievement between rich
   and poor and urban and rural peoples in Thailand.
   Thailand has an education system as good as that
   in the United States, but so far only in
   Bangkok.
3. If the education system in rural areas were able
   to convert student background into learning as
   well as the education system in urban areas, the
   urban-rural difference in learning outcomes would
   be small.
4. Improvements in the quality of education were
   crucial to almost all top performing countries .

For the Top Improving Countries
22
Top Improvers
Percent Increase in Number of Grade 8 Students
Attaining the Math Intermediate Benchmark.
23
Importance of Reaching the Disadvantaged
Contribution by rural areas
Contribution by urban areas
24
Importance of Reaching the Disadvantaged
Contribution by rural areas
Contribution by urban areas
25
Five Stylized Facts

1. 17 percent fewer grade 8 students in Thailand
   attained the intermediate math benchmark from
   1999 to 2007, and the quality of education, not
   enrolment, is to blame.
2. There are large gaps in achievement between rich
   and poor and urban and rural peoples in Thailand.
   Thailand has an education system as good as that
   in the United States, but so far only in
   Bangkok.
3. If the education system in rural areas were able
   to convert student background into learning as
   well as the education system in urban areas, the
   urban-rural difference in learning outcomes would
   be small.
4. Improvements in the quality of education were
   crucial to almost all top performing countries .
5. Rural areas contributed significant portions of
   the increases in students achieving the benchmark
   for most of the top performing countries.

For the Top Improving Countries
26
Implications

• Improving the quality of education is crucial to
  improving learning output in Thailand
• Thailand knows how to have an education system as
  good as a high income country since it already
  exists in Bangkok. The problem is expanding it
  outside Bangkok.
• Any discussion on improving learning output in
  Thailand would include targeting disadvantaged
  populations including the poor and those in rural
  areas.

27
Top 10
Producers of Grade 8 Students Attaining the TIMSS
Intermediate Math Benchmark
TIMSS 2007 TIMSS 2007 TIMSS 2007
1 United States 2,294,799
2 Japan 1,001,308
3 Russia 877,924
4 Korea 614,195
5 Indonesia 563,946
6 England 401,723
7 Turkey 358,817
8 Italy 295,725
9 Thailand 275,708
10 Taiwan 264,648
28
Thank You!

• Kevin Macdonald, World Bankkmacdonald1_at_worldbank.
  org