that really wasn't a major surprise, considering the countries students came from. thailand, not getting in the top 10, with almost half the teams competing is a bit of a surprise.
but with number like these below, and sorry, no link, but from nation, dated in article. couldn't find the link, and another link to different article.
apologize for hijacking thread, but may interest some. 'they', everyone involved with a child, need to pay more attention, send them to school, train and pay teachers enough to know what they are doing, incentive to actually do. too many kids don't attend, and those that do, too many on their own. obviously this isn't just a thai problem, buddy of mine, teacher in usa, retiring early, can't take it anymore. he refers to it as the 'dumbing down of the education system', nobody seems to care, and he is tired of banging his head against the wall, next may, he's finished.
Test scores fall for med school
The Nation April 7, 2009
Test scores for medical school slid slightly this year, due to the Advanced National Educational Test, which accounts for 70 per cent of admission criteria.
"This year, the Anet scores are rather low," Dr Boonmee Sathapatayavongs, chairwoman of the Consortium of Thai Medical Schools' direct admission panel, said yesterday.
"However, we've seen just a slight drop among our successful applicants."
The consortium posted the list of successful applicants in the evening on its website, www.cotmes.org, and its member medical schools' websites.
Of 22,000 test-takers, only 1,491 will go to the next step - an interview with a consortium medical school.
Sit Assawaworarit from Triam Udom Suksa School emerged as the top scorer, with 79.12 out of 100 points. He has applied to Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine.
The lowest score accepted by the consortium was 52.77 for Rangsit University's Faculty of Medicine.
___________________________________________________
Grade-12 students perform poorly across the board in all main subjects
The Nation April 7, 2009
'Easy' test, which weighs heavily in the university-admissions system, seems to be stumping high-school seniors
Grade-12 students have performed badly in the Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet) with their average scores from the past four years below 50 per cent in all main subjects.
"The statistics show most schools still have low standards," National Institute of Educational Testing Services (NIETS) director Utumporn Jamornmann yesterday said.
NIETS has held Onet for Grade-6, Grade-9 and Grade-12 students. The Onet scores for the 2008 Academic Year have just been announced via www.niets.or.th and some other web sites.
To Grade-12 students, the Onet scores are very important because they count in the university-admission system.
However, NIETS has found most students could not perform well in the Onet.
From 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 academic years, the students' average scores in Thai-language subjects were 49 out of 100. In social studies, the average scores stand at just 38.25 and students on average have scored only 30.28 in mathematics. The students' average scores in English language are also at a mere 32.12, and the average scores in science as low as 34.28.
"Onet is rather easy. Still, students can't do it well," Utumporn said.
A total of 343,859 Grade-12 students sat in the Onet in the 2008 Academic Year.
Utumporn said the Grade-12 students' Onet average scores during the past four years showed schools did not improve their services based on what Onet scores had reflected.
"Actually, school directors and teachers must make some improvements," Utumporn said, "We will send a full analysis to each school so that all schools know about their strengths and weak points. Onet scores are effective indicators".
Utumporn added that the schools would also be informed of their ranking in the country, based on their students' performance in Onet.
At the Grade-6 level, students' average scores in Thai-language, mathematics and science subjects stand at 42.02, 43.76 and 51.86 respectively for the 2008 Academic Year.
At the Grade-9 level, students' average scores in Thai-language, social studies, mathematics, English-language and science subjects are at 41.03, 41.36, 34.56, 32.63 and 39.38 respectively in the same academic year.
_______________
some more happy test scores, thai's own evaluation, as above is thai's own assessment, so no foreign prejudice, locals trying to point out the obvious, and falling on deaf ears.