OBEC, OVEC, IPST, ETDA, and Microsoft Collaborate to Empower Teachers Nationwide with Future-Ready AI Skills Through ‘AI for Teachers’ Program
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Microsoft Thailand, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC), the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), and the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), is driving the advancement of Thai education in the digital era. The ‘AI for Teachers’ program aims to cultivate Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills among educators nationwide, offering online training courses accessible to teachers across all affiliations, grade levels, and subjects. This initiative is designed to equip teachers with essential future-ready skills and elevate teaching and learning methodologies, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the 21st-century’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. This effort will directly contribute to enhancing the learning potential of students across the country.
The ‘AI for Teachers’ program stands as a cornerstone initiative within Microsoft Elevate strategy, building on the proven success of the THAI Academy project. Its ambitious goal is to prepare 150,000 primary, secondary, and vocational teachers within a single year. This program is an essential channel for disseminating AI knowledge and skills to millions of students nationwide, fostering a comprehensive understanding of AI technology, its underlying principles, ethical considerations, and effective applications. Teachers will gain proficiency in developing AI-powered lesson plans and educational materials, crafting appropriate assessment tools, and leveraging AI for their professional growth and administrative tasks, such as creating Performance Agreements (PA). This represents a significant stride in empowering teachers with skills relevant to today’s evolving world and enhancing educational quality, ultimately driving positive outcomes for Thai youth.
The initial phase of the ‘AI for Teachers’ program, launched on 15 October 2025, for primary and secondary school teachers, received an exceptional response, with over 36,000 educators from diverse affiliations and levels nationwide participating in the online sessions. This enthusiastic engagement underscores the commitment of teachers to integrate AI technology into their teaching practices. For those unable to attend the live sessions, self-paced video learning is available until 20 November 2025, with certificates of completion still awarded to participants who register by 7 November 2025. Beyond this, between November 2025 and January 2026, the program is set to expand its reach, providing training to an additional 100,000 vocational teachers and educators, thereby amplifying the impact of future skills development across the broader education sector.
The ‘AI for Teachers’ program is structured around four strategic dimensions: 1) Collaborative Curriculum Development: Designing a robust and practical AI skills development curriculum tailored for effective teaching and learning. 2) Nationwide Teacher Training: Delivering comprehensive training to teachers across OBEC, the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC), and vocational education institutions throughout Thailand. 3) Innovation Competition: Providing avenues for teachers to apply AI in their classrooms and submit their innovative projects for competitive evaluation. 4) Showcasing Best Practices: Collaborating with government entities and Microsoft to establish a platform for teachers to present their work, highlighting how AI effectively enhances teaching and learning.
The program’s training curriculum is meticulously designed, encompassing foundational knowledge, ethical considerations, practical application, and assessment methodologies. It is organized into three core modules, each requiring approximately 6 hours of dedicated training:
- AI Fundamentals and Governance: This module aims to instill confidence, safety, and informed decision-making in AI usage. It covers ‘AI Fundamentals and Literacy’ and ‘Responsible AI Governance’.
- Developing Performance Agreement Processes with AI: Focused on professional advancement and self-assessment, this module includes ‘Smart PA with AI for Self-Assessment’ and ‘Smart PA with AI for Research and Innovation’.
- AI for Teaching and Assessment: Designed to facilitate the confident integration of AI into classroom practices, this module addresses learning management, assessment, and providing constructive feedback to students. It features topics such as ‘AI for Classroom Learning Management’ and ‘AI for Measurement and Assessment’.
Teachers who successfully complete the training and pass each module will receive a certificate. Those who complete and pass all three modules will be awarded a project diploma. Additionally, participants will be eligible to attend a two-day ‘Clip Media’ workshop to develop their own AI-powered learning materials and will have the opportunity to participate in a national AI media creation competition and showcase their work. For the latest news and activities related to the ‘AI for Teachers’ program, please visit: http://msft.it/6182ssMQj