Mooted education changes are timely, welcome

Using a visionary blueprint plan to construct a solid foundation for life-long learning, interlocking building blocks must be held together and reinforced with a durable concrete mortar mix. Safety first empowering tool pre-requisites include: functional literacy; free oral expression; communicative competence; digital savvy; problem-solving logic; creative/abstract thinking; ethical humanistic values; and positive can do, will do attitudes in order to accommodate discovery task self-sufficiency, coping with real-life situations.

A one-size-fits-all mentality narrowly interprets and mandates top-down imposed rules and regulations rather than allowing for greater bottom-up decision-making flexibility, local autonomy and individual community school responsibility. The emphasis should be less on restrictive theory, more on "thrill of the drill" applied practice, practice - and more practice, turning on bright light sparks of experimental know-how. Ex-spurt academics and MOE policy-makers must actively involve, listen to and hear the wants, needs and innovative ideas of concerned individual students and their parents, cooperatively working together with mutual respect to revitalise learning opportunities for all children. Failure to dare to act now puts the future of our next generation of leaders at risk.

DR CHANCHAI PRASERTSON

BANGKOK

Reasoned debate to find constitution answers

I agree with Democrat MP Chanchai Issarasenarak, who strongly opposes amending the Constitution because the proposed amendments were designed to serve political expediency instead of the public interest.

As Albert Einstein noted, "Perfection of means and confusion of goals seem…to characterise our age." Here, our stated goal in doing the amendments is to promote reconciliation - but the six changes proposed have all to do with vested interests and nothing to do with reconciliation, eg, allowing MPs to be secretaries to ministers

I admit to being totally at sea about the merits of the main article of our Consitutions. For example, dear reader, tell me, which of our 18 charters mandate single-seat constituencies, what has been the impact of that article under each constitution, and how does the issue impact reconciliation?

PM Abhisit, follow Khun Anand Panyarachun's seven pillars of sustainable democracy, ie, elections, political tolerance, the rule of law, freedom of expression, accountability and transparency, decentralisation and civil society. Hold regional public hearings, encouraging freedom of expression and tolerance of opposing views, specifically inviting the voluntary civic and social organisations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, including the Law Society, human rights bodies, etc. The hearings should aim for calm, reasoned discussion on (a) what articles, if any, to amend, and (b) how to change any articles so selected. I suggest that the faculties of political science nationwide would be suitable organising and moderating bodies.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK

So why does Iran need nuclear weapons?

If, as Ali Lotfi says in his letter of October 17, "no Islamic countries will ever use [nuclear] weapons", perhaps he could explain why (to take one obvious example) it should be necessary for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to possess a nuclear arsenal.

CITIZEN JANE

BANGKOK

National law should prevail in Polanski's case

Ref: "Show compassion and let Polanski go", Letters, October 18.

I also believe in "let bygones be bygones," like the writer's plea.

However, based on civilised principles, there is another requirement - the rule of law of each country, otherwise anarchy could result. Under the US rule, taking flight allows law enforcers to pursue for a life-time to bring a fugitive back. The French law does not leave room for Polanski to be repatriated back to the US. I would also be happy to look forward to his next film. But once he enters the Swiss jurisdiction, then the Swiss law applies.

SONGDEJ PRADITSMANONT

BANGKOK