Education is vital for the growth of individuals, society and the nation. Effective educational management, which yields tangible positive results qualitatively and quantitatively, however demands substantial resources including budget, personnel, time and technology.
Recognizing the importance of education to national development, True Corporation has developed “TruePlookpanya” project with the aim to enhance access to educational opportunities via technology and innovation. This year, TruePlookpanya is turning 17.
True Blog just spoke with three students, each with different educational background, about how they have lit up their educational path with “TruePlookpanya.”
Pillar during Transition
Jinnapa “Jaja” Yana, a third-year student at the Thammasat University’s Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education, revealed that she was a product of two educational systems. While she attended a primary school, she later shifted to a home-school mode. Section 12 of the National Education Act B.E. 2545 (2002) grants individuals or organizations the right to provide basic education. Pursuant to this stipulation, a home school is possible with children’s home used as a learning base and their learning plan developed mainly based on their interest under the guidance of state educational supervisors.
“During my elder brother’s transition from primary to secondary education, he showed immense interest in computers. So, he was looking for an educational system that best aligned with his passion. I was still very young at that time. Yet, I kind of thought that there were lots to learn beyond textbooks. That’s why I decided to embrace a home school as well,” Jinnapa recounted.
She admitted that she struggled with curriculum preparations at first because she could not yet develop her learning style. While a home school offered much freedom and flexibility in terms of learning topics and time, learners were required to be highly responsible. As the home-school system treats learners as the owners of learning activities, she needed to take the matters into her own hands. Her mother, a former teacher, advised her to check out https://www.trueplookpanya.com/ to help her overcome the challenge.
“Every semester, I had to compile a report on my performance to a local educational service area office for credential equivalency purpose. My credentials must be compared against the country’s central curriculum. Thanks to TruePlookpanya, I found my own way and style,” she added, “Quality teachers on this platform enabled me to relate knowledge to social context. A summary was also provided at the end of each online classroom. I could also print out the summary. TruePlookpanya even handed out assignments for learners to recheck if they have really understood the content. These assignments could also be used in my report to the authority.”
Jinnapa spent seven years at her home school, during which she immersed herself in a very expansive classroom. She could study things around her truly based on her aptitude, using various learning processes. For example, she teamed up with others to participate in creative-media contests, made gaming application proposals, and learned embroidery – now her favorite hobby.
“Thanks to home schooling, I got countless opportunities to explore various branches of knowledge without being restricted by official curriculum. The whole world was my classroom,” Jinnapa said.
After completing secondary education via home-school system, Jinnapa decided to jump into the mainstream educational system and successfully enrolled in the Thammasat University’s Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education. She likes this faculty because it provides a multidisciplinary program.
Passionate about learning new things and mental power, Jinnapa concluded that, “Education is a tool for self-development. So, we should provide equal access to this tool to everyone. This should apply to learners of all educational systems and even to those without access to formal education. TruePlookpanya is doing its job remarkably well on this front. It is a trove of knowledge and quality learning materials. Its content is so comprehensive and expansive that it can fulfil the diverse needs of various groups of learners, some appreciating briefs and some looking for insightful lessons. TruePlookpanya also gives ultimate flexibility, allowing us to learn anytime, anywhere.”
Discovering Inspirations from Educational Interest
Warathep “Prite” Chuenta, who studies at the Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, said social values and stereotyping affected his decision to choose the “Science-Math” program at his high school. Advised by his parents and several other adults, he thought it would be “safer” for him to go with the choice because he could always switch fields later. Looking back, Warathep felt many students decided just like him even when they clearly loved social sciences more than Science and Math. To him, such practices have exposed the fact that Thailand’s structural educational problems has restricted students’ learning scope.
“I like social sciences because they foster analytical thinking, reasoning and a deeper understanding of how related factors affect social phenomena. But because of widespread social value about education and adults’ advice, which came with pressure, I jumped into the Science-Math Program. I also ended up suffering from Physics and Chemistry during high-school years. I felt extremely bitter because then I realized I had long hated arithmetic stuff,” Warathep said.
As there was no U-Turn for him. He could only look ahead and plan well for his next educational step. While in high school, he carefully pondered what academic fields had interested him. The Faculty of Education then emerged as one of his favorite choices. To enroll in such faculty, he had to take the TPAT5 – the Thai Professional Aptitude Test assessing test-takers’ potential to be teachers. To minimize any burden on his parents, he explored means to develop such potential himself. Then, he came across “TruePlookpanya”. On this website were old TPAT5 test questions and he could also virtually take the tests with these resources. Practices allowed him to “understand” key concepts and finally “guess” what TPAT5 intended to measure and how it evaluated test-takers. During his preparations, he could determine the level of TPAT5 difficulty and scope of test topics. He also understood that TPAT5 helped test-takers identify their own weaknesses and strengths and got the idea of their future studies.
While browsing TruePlookpanya, Warathep read digital books and watched VDO lessons on the website too as revisions of what he had learned at school. Often, he came to the website to get information needed to do his homework or reports. He has found TruePlookpanya very useful, especially where Thai Language and Social Studies are concerned. Supported by TruePlookpanya, Warathep is now studying at his dream faculty.
“I think education is boundless. Learners can keep enhancing their potential and capabilities, when driven by thirst for knowledge – not grades on school reports. TruePlookpanya is a trove of knowledge or a platform for all of us to start exploring our aptitude,” Warathep added.
Soul Searching & Setting Goals
Siwat “Wee” Suchakree, a Mathayom 6 student in the Science-Math program at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School, said he and his friends believed the central curriculum was too broad and too deep. It, moreover, has failed to address learners’ aptitude. Siwat said while diverse learning content was good, the curriculum should become flexible. Rather than forcing learners to study everything it covers, it should serve like an “academic market” where learners can come and shop for what they want to learn. Students should have the right to learn based on their interest or aptitude. When mandatory curriculum is in place, a lot of students struggle with stress.
“In my opinion, school systems do not answer learners’ needs well enough at the time information and knowledge are already all around. Today, schools still focus more on rote-learning than on understanding,” this schoolboy commented.
Siwat said tests required for university admission had still been the “turning points” of so many children’s lives. Students therefore have devoted much of their time and energy to preparing themselves for the tests. But while some have chosen their field of study based on their interest or aptitude, some others have done so based on social value or labor market’s needs. This fact underlines “the tip of iceberg” in Thailand’s educational system.
To avoid getting carried into the field of study or occupation he does not really like, Siwat has searched for and found himself a “guidance” – Plook Explorer. Integrated into https://www.trueplookpanya.com, Plook Explorer helps users know more about themselves and pursue the best version of themselves. It also offers information on various occupational fields, including their pros and cons, so that users know which faculty they should choose during the Thailand Central Administration System’s (TCAS) process. Siwat has already gone deep into a guidebook about engineering occupations in the hope that he will be able to plan activities and skills needed to enter this job.
“Education is about boundless learning. All branches of knowledge are in fact related. You can always learn more if you are eager enough,” he said.
