The third session of the Asia Education Leader Course (AELC) Pre-Study Series 2026 was held on Friday, July 17, 2026, and attended by more than 30 students from five AELC partner institutions.

 

Associate Professor Dhirapat Kulophas, of the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, provided a comprehensive overview of Thailand's education system in an insightful lecture titled “Education in Thailand: Current Landscape, Challenges and Future Directions.” Prof. Kulophas argued that Thailand's education is at an important crossroads, facing significant challenges related to educational equity, quality, and the alignment of education with labour market demands. The lecture further examined Thailand's policy responses through the lens of the country's Three Digital Crossroads, illustrating how digital transformation, competency-based education, and lifelong learning have become central to educational reform. By connecting Thailand's reform agenda with international frameworks such as the WEF Global Risks Report 2026 and the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026, the lecture demonstrated how national education policies are being shifted to address challenges while promoting a more equitable and sustainable education system.

 

During the question-and-answer session, students discussed teachers' ICT professional development. Prof. Kulophas highlighted Thailand's efforts to strengthen teachers' digital competencies through online professional learning, school-based collaboration, and the integration of AI into teacher education programs, while acknowledging challenges of unequal access to professional development opportunities in remote areas.

 

In the second half of the session, Prof. Kulophas posed two guiding questions, which were discussed by students in breakout rooms: 

 

Thailand and Japan are both experiencing declining birth rates and an ageing population, but their education systems face different challenges.

 

If you were advising the Thai Ministry of Education, what is ONE policy or practice from Japan or another country that Thailand could realistically adopt? What challenges might arise when transferring that policy across countries?

 

The group discussions brought forward a range of thought-provoking perspectives from across Asia, with AI-assisted learning, service-linked scholarships, alternative learning pathways for out-of-school students, responses to demographic decline, and the transformation of rural schools emerging as key themes. Drawing on experiences from diverse national contexts, participants reflected on how educational policies could be adapted to Thailand's context while addressing common regional challenges related to educational equity, sustainability, and innovation.

 

The AELC Secretariat would like to express its sincere gratitude to Prof. Kulophas for sharing his expertise and inspiring participants to reflect critically on educational reform from comparative and international perspectives.

 

Following the completion of the third Pre-Study Session, students will attend the AELC 2026 Summer Course in Bangkok from August 10 to 19, 2026.