Education Minister Nathapol Teepsuwan’s recent decision to call off the Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) for Prathom 6 (Grade 6) and Mathayom 3 (Grade 9) in the 2020 academic year was noteworthy. However, more needs to be done if the minister truly wants to improve the education system.

It remains unclear as to what will replace the test. But no matter what, Thai students shouldn’t be used as guinea pigs in this experiment.

In his instruction to the National Institute of Educational Testing Services (NIETS), O-Net for Prathom 6 and Mathayom 3 students were scrapped this year. O-Net for Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) will still take place, since the test scores are required for university admission. That said, it is expected to be scrapped in the next academic year.

Mr Nataphol cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason for his decision, saying forced school closures and the introduction of online learning, which highlighted disparities in the system, has rendered many students unable to prepare for the tests properly. He also said the O-Net overlaps with other tests.

It is well-known that national standardised testing hasn’t yielded good results since it was adopted about 15 years ago.

In principle, the O-Net was supposed to be a part of an earlier education reform package, which proponents hoped would lead to improvements in the curriculum and teaching standards. Unfortunately, the result of these tests show no substantial improvements in either.

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According to the 2019 test results for Mathayom 6 students, the average score across four subjects tested was well under 50%, with mathematics averaging the lowest at 25.41 points out of 100. English and science were tied at 29.20, while Thai fared better at 42.21.

Many Mathayom 3 students also failed, with average scores in mathematics averaging at 26.73, followed by science (30.07) and English (33.2). Again, students fared better with Thai, which they marginally passed at 55.14.

O-Net has repeatedly come under fire, as it comes in a multiple-choice format, the answers to which are often confusing and without a correct answer. In addition, the test overlaps with other examinations which Thai students are required to sit. This causes unnecessary stress for students.

Each year, Thai high school students have to do the O-Net and nine-subject examinations. In addition, they have to sit the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and Professional Aptitude Test (PAT) for university admission. These exclude school tests, which are also important as GPA scores are among the key element required for university admission.

The exams can be stressful for students, who have to prepare themselves for continuous exams throughout an entire year. This contradicts the government’s policy to have students spend less time studying textbooks and more on critical thinking.

The low performance of Thai students can also be seen in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which is conducted every three years. It found Thai students consistently performed below the international average in three core subjects, namely reading, mathematics and science.

There have been frequent policy changes in Thai education system. But since none were really student-centred, they have yielded no success. The minister must give a guideline to educators, so they can free students from the highly-centralised and authoritarian education system, and invest more time and effort in pursuing genuine education reform.