Private Sector to Reduce Electricity Use during the Gas-Suspension Period

(27/03/2013)

The Ministry of Energy has asked for cooperation from the private sector to reduce electricity use from 5 to 14 April 2013, when Myanmar temporarily suspends its natural gas supply to Thailand for maintenance work. The Cabinet, during its meeting on 26 March 2013, acknowledged a report on preparations for minimizing impacts from a possible electricity shortage during the gas-suspension period. According to the report, the Ministry of Energy has received good cooperation from the Federation of Thai Industries and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand in reducing power consumption. Members of the Federation of Thai Industries agreed to reduce electricity use by 408 megawatts during the period. The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand reported that its members would cut power consumption by 83 megawatts. When combined with an electricity cut of 56 megawatts from four large industrial plants, namely Thai Asahi Glass Factory, PTO Cement Mixer, and two Siam City Cement plants, power consumption by the private sector will drop by 547 megawatts. Regarding the campaign for energy saving, the Ministry of Energy told the Cabinet that it had worked out a plan to raise awareness about energy conservation for three periods: before, during, and after the emergency situation. A media plan has also been mapped out in cooperation with relevant agencies, so that the general public would be provided with useful information about energy saving. The Ministry of Energy will launch activities as part of the campaign at Government House on 4 April 2013, with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presiding over the launching ceremony. As for the reduction of electricity use in the public sector, the Cabinet has instructed relevant agencies to monitor the reduction in electricity consumption in various government offices. The measure will set a good example for the general public. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy has prepared bunker oil and diesel to replace natural gas for electricity generation during the temporary disruption of the natural gas supply from Myanmar. Both bunker oil and diesel have been sent to power plants under the supervision of the Electricity Authority of Thailand and large private power plants. Small power producers have been asked to increase their electricity generation by 110 megawatts, as well. The report indicated that preparations for the gas-suspension period would lead to an increase in Thailand’s electricity reserves to 1,424 megawatts. At the same meeting, the Cabinet also approved the development of power transmission systems in the northeastern provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon, and Amnat Charoen, in preparation for the purchase of hydropower from Lao PDR, with a combined investment fund of 7.3 billion baht. The project will help diversify Thailand’s energy sources and reduce its heavy dependence on natural gas for electricity generation in the future.

Do not Underestimate Students from their O-Net: Chinnapat

(27/03/2013)

On 25 March 2013, the Secretary General of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Dr. Chinnapat Bhumirat, talked about the results of the Ordinary National Education Test or O-Net of the Grade 12 students in the academic year 2012. He reported that some students had scored an average lower than 50% in each subject. Then, he suggested that the score did not measure how able a student was but we should consider how far educational quality has progressed. Dr. Chinnapat said that the scores in O-Net's eight core subjects had increased, especially in five of them: Thai, Social Sciences, English, Art, General Sciences and Health Studies. From now on,  OBEC will analyze the reason why students had very low scores and improve their learning.

"I don't want anyone to interpret that the lower the marks the students score, the lower their learning ability will become. We'd be better to consider their development more than their scores because I'd like the learning achievement to be a part of educational quality mobilization. This will reflect different things for the better and won't affect Thai education in a negative way," concluded Dr. Chinnapat.

TU Plans for ASEAN Studies Network

(27/03/2013)

The director of the ASEAN Studies Center of Thammasat University, Mr. Praphas Thepchatree, said at an academic conference to initiate ASEAN studies networks that one of the main challenges for the ASEAN Community lay in the vague understanding which might later result in overreaction and unnecessary fear. Therefore, Thai universities should build an ASEAN Studies network with other universities in the ASEAN region.

Serving as a mechanism for cooperation between universities in ASEAN to strengthen educational foundations, the ASEAN Studies network aims to develop human resources and create accurate knowledge of the ASEAN countries and their people.       

The TU's ASEAN Studies Center will serve as a resource hub for ASEAN Studies because it coordinated with many database centers and worked as an in-depth knowledge warehouse of ASEAN Studies materials.

"To successfully build the ASEAN Studies network, we should begin with creating local networks which link information together before expanding them regionally and inter-regionally," said Mr. Praphas.

Ms. Chadarat Singhadechakul, the director of the Foreign Higher Education Strategy Bureau to the Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), said that, at the end of this month, a meeting of ASEAN Network Universities would be organized to discuss credit transfer between ASEAN universities. In actual fact, credit transfer is already used in student exchange programs.

Currently, 26 universities from 10 countries have become members of the AUN. Thailand has four AUN members: Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Mahidol University and Burapha University.

Creating Good Scientists should Start at Primary Level: Phongthep

(27/03/2013)

The Minister of Education, Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, recently stated that the creation of innovative scientists should start in primary schools. In other words, students should gain the skills and knowledge at a very young age.

Mr. Phongthep chaired the opening of the 8th Conference on Science and Technology for Thai Youths organized by Silpakorn University's Faculty of Sciences and the National Institute of the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology. This event showcased scientific innovations by many gifted creators in Thailand and aimed to encourage Thai children to study the sciences according to the government policy of creating more Thai scientists. Although the National Institute has produced over 2,000 scientists, the country still needs more to improve, create and develop innovations useful for national development. Realizing that other countries are more advanced scientifically, Mr. Phongthep suggested that teachers should teach scientific knowledge to their students at as early an age as possible.

The Conference featured a lot of educational activities for the participants, namely poster and oral presentations of research projects, exhibits of research and over 400 scientific projects by Thai students.