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Published on August 27, 2007

An experimental project for selected students countrywide hopes to create excellence in the teaching of science and mathematics, the Basic Education Commission says.

The science project involves Mahidol Wittayanusorn School and the 12 Princess Chulaporn Schools for Science.

Mahidol Wittayanusorn is the country's first specialised science school for the "full development of exceptionally gifted and talented students".

The Chulaporn schools for gifted students mentor junior researchers for national science and technology development.

Together they aim to improve the quality of science teaching. Starting soon, the Nakhon Pathom-based school will open classrooms at each of the Chulaporn schools.

Class sizes will be limited to 24, according to commission deputy secretary-general Som-kiat Chobphol. Each class will receive Bt600,000 a year.

"Mahidol Wittayanusorn will provide much-needed teaching personnel. This should help the Chulaporn schools advance more quickly in science teaching," Somkiat said.

The schools are for Matha-yom 1 to Mathayom 6 students and are located in 12 upcountry provinces.

Mahidol Wittayanusorn will recruit the students, who will receive scholarships for the duration of their studies.

They will be taught the same curriculum as Mahidol Wittaya-nusorn and sit similar exams.

"Gifted students in the provinces do not need to come to Bangkok. We hope to mentor these students to further their studies in science for national science and technology development," said commission secretary-general Khun-ying Kasama Varavarn na Ayudhya.

The classrooms will re-ceive new Infor-mation Techno-logy equipment.

Teachers fresh from scho-larship study will be appointed, too.

In mathematics, the Pro-motion of Tea-ching Science and Technology Institute will take 1,750 schools under its wing.

Teachers will be trained and provided with handbooks.

The commission is promoting techniques such as "brain-based learning" - or teaching with an awareness of how the brain learns - and methods employed at schools that uses the Montessori concept for teaching and learning

Montessori techniques are now applied in 60 state schools. A fewer number is trying brain-based techniques and the widely praised practices of the Kumon private-tuition institute.

"We have observed different techniques and we are open to other initiatives. Tests at the end of the school year will tell us which are the better," Kasama said.

The commission is emphasising language teaching, too. More schools are now offering English as the medium of instruc-tion. This means there is less need for classes in learning to speak English and more time for other subjects.

About 500 schools offer Chinese and China has sent 1,000 teachers here. "It's global education. We need to know who we are in the global community," Kasama said.

Chularat Saengpassa,

Achara Deboonme

The Nation