As stipulated in Section 81 of the 1997 constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, a national education law is required; hence the drafting of the 1999 National Education Act, which became effective on August 20, 1999. Chapter 6 of the Act on Education Standards and Quality Assurance mandates establishment of the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment(ONESQA), enjoying the status of a public organization. The announcement for establishment of The Office was subsequently published in the Government Gazette, Vol.117, Section 99A on November 3,2000. The Office therefore became operational on the following day.

Similar to the operation of other concerns, education provision needs administrative and managerial principles for the entire cyclical functioning. It has been well recognized that evaluation is indeed and essential step for feedback information, which provides us with the basis for assessing the extent of target achievement. It also enables us to identify weaknesses or problems for which remedial measures are needed so as to facilitate subsequent planning and actions required to achieve the goals effectively and efficiently.

It is hence crucial that the importance of evaluation be recognized, particularly quality assessment by an external and neutral body. Such mechanism will provide meaningful assessment. It also gives all agencies responsible for education provision from those at the national level to the smallest - i.e. educational institutions and classrooms, the incentives for self-evaluation so that the quality of education will be continuously enhanced.

Reasons for establishing the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment

Similar to the operation of other concerns, education provision needs administrative and managerial principles for the entire cyclical functioning. It has been well recognized that evaluation is indeed an essential step for feedback information, which provides us with the basis for assessing the extent of target achievement. It also enables us to identify weaknesses or problems for which remedial measures are needed so as to facilitate subsequent planning and actions required to achieve the goals effectively and efficiently.

It is hence crucial that the importance of evaluation be recognized, particularly quality assessment by an external and neutral body. Such mechanism will provide meaningful assessment. It also gives all agencies responsible for education provision - from those at the national level to the smallest - i.e. educational institutions and classrooms, the incentives for self-evaluation so that the quality of education will be continuously enhanced.

Why a public organization?

Quality education is in fact a public service required of the state, which will have to provide such education to all people. The state therefore entrusts the responsibilities of offering education responsive to the needs of direct beneficiaries, i.e. students and parents, as well as those of indirect beneficiaries, i.e. enterprises, the public and the society as a whole. For such provision, the state necessarily has to assess how far it complies with the national education policy, and how far it serves the needs of the customers or different groups of beneficiaries.

An external quality assessment agency needs to be a public organization, enjoying the status of a state body, which is neither a government office nor a state enterprise, in order to achieve highest efficiency. With complete autonomy and power in decision - making for its administrative, managerial and financial affairs, it has the flexibility to carry out the assigned tasks more efficiently than through the bureaucratic line of command.

Besides, not being under the obligation of reporting to the agencies in charge of education, ONESQA enjoys complete neutrality and integrity, since there is no outside pressure to distort the assessment, resulting in a genuine check and balance. External quality assessment is a public service for capacity-building to check how far the quality of education required by learners, the society and the state meets the desired standards and efficiency