For the past 15 years, the Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) has been the target of criticism. Introduced to test the academic proficiency of students nationwide in 2005, it has been attacked for its failure to improve their knowledge and skills.
In addition, every year there are complaints — even ridicule — from students, parents and media about the test’s irrational questions. Some have been known to provide more than one answer.
Recently, the Education Ministry was reported to be considering replacing the O-Net with more “relevant” academic proficiency tests.
Academics also questioned the quality of education at the national level and O-Net’s ability to assess students’ academic proficiency.
Athapol Anunthavorasakul, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s (CU) Faculty of Education, said he wondered whether O-Net could help nourish critical thinking,…
