Mr. Weeraphat Bundarik, Deputy Governor of Yala Province, said Yala is one of eight educational innovation areas. Developing teachers to encourage children to think, analyze, and act will build a crucial foundation for the youth's future.
Dr. Saksin Rojrarnrom, PPAQ Executive Chairman, views Thailand's educational challenge reflected in PISA results as the urgent need to develop analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. This requires shifting learning from content memorization to independently creating knowledge and innovation.
Especially in the southern border provinces, which have abundant economic resources such as rubber, palm oil, fisheries, and fruits, training children from a young age as innovators will enable them to leverage these resources to add value and develop the local economy.
Dr. Saksin is confident that improving education quality in the five southern border provinces can succeed faster than the planned three-year timeframe because administrators and teachers are seriously engaged. Changing their mindset will transform the entire student body and help reduce educational inequality.
PPAQ's learning innovations have attracted international attention, with Japan translating the activities into Japanese and Singapore expressing interest in investment. However, PPAQ emphasizes the priority is to enhance Thai students' education quality before expanding knowledge internationally.
Mr. Ameen Kadasa, Director of the Private Education Office of Yala Province, pointed out that the key to improving education quality lies with teachers. Continuing traditional teaching methods makes it difficult to change student quality, but if teachers understand active learning management and allow students to think and practice, it will concretely improve student outcomes.
Meanwhile, Dr. Muhammad Ridwan Lenu, President of the Private Islamic Schools Association of Yala Province, reflected that local administrators and teachers are highly enthusiastic about new learning approaches, especially integrating digital technology in teaching. They apply knowledge from training to expand benefits in schools so southern border children keep pace with global changes.
This movement is more than teacher training; it is an effort to transform the future of education in the southern border—from classrooms focused on knowledge reception to classrooms that create thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators who can apply knowledge to develop their communities.
Driving society forward Central Pattana Public Company Limited, Thailand's leading sustainable real estate developer under the vision “Imagining better futures for all,” has partnered with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to promote preventive healthcare. Continuing the 'Bangkok Free Health Check Season 2' project, the service points have expanded to 10 Central shopping malls across Bangkok, making free health check-ups more accessible. Medical teams from BMA-affiliated hospitals provide age-appropriate health screenings, risk assessments for various diseases, and free influenza vaccinations under specified conditions, reinforcing shopping centers' role as Centers of Life that contribute to community well-being.