In a Matichon Online report on 24 April 2023, Amporn Pinasa, Secretary-General of the Basic Education Commission, discussed the purpose behind the design of the Ministry of Education (MOE)’s Thai-language textbook Pasa Patee for fifth-grade students after criticism of its content. 

The controversy started with a Facebook post from a blogger known as “Madam Kashmir” about the content of Pasa Patee, which sparked an outcry among Thai netizens over malnutrition.

The content is about a girl from a privileged family whose perspectives on privilege change and who becomes overwhelmed with gratitude after eating a plate of rice containing half a boiled egg with fish sauce and stir-fried water spinach. This has led to public questions about child malnutrition. Amporn argued that the MOE’s main goal is to emphasize children’s language-learning process leading to self-learning.

He said that the reading exercise is presented through an attractive narrative, containing dialogue, opinions, and emotions in relation to language learning. Amporn also stated that the blogger read only part of the content, which may lead to misunderstanding and damage the book’s credibility.

Asst. Prof. Athapol Anunthavorasakul from the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, said that the book, designed by the MOE, is not compulsory for every school as was the case in the past. Teachers no longer use Pasa Patee because the narratives in the book are outdated and involve unexplainable issues.

Athapol believed that the public has the right to question what ideas the government wants to cultivate through the book. The MOE should realize that the book is not fit for purpose. He added that the textbook promotes a value contradictory to its teaching about health, which emphasizes the importance of consuming all five main food groups. Instead, the Thai textbook teaches students to eat a plate of rice with half a boiled egg and fish sauce. 

“The MOE should not deny their responsibility on this issue and must acknowledge that the book is not doing its duty of teaching language but is inculcating certain adult and abstract values like the happiness of life. I think the MOE should instill another set of values compatible with children’s development, such as self-esteem and respect for others. And the MOE should go back and ask whether these sets of ideas are what is OK with society, or are they values that the government wishes to inculcate,” said Athapol.

Athapol also said that the officials in the MOE are out of touch with schools and society. For 3-4 years, the MOE has launched unrelated policies. History classes, for example, do not encourage students to raise questions. Instead, students are inculcated with misleading nationalism. In many countries, teachers who understand children’s limitations are involved in designing textbooks instead of outsiders being hired. Atthapol raised a concern regarding whether Thai teachers are included in the process of designing textbooks.