Eyeing economic, tourism leg-up, Thailand to push English classes in schools
With just one hour of English classes per week in primary schools, it’s no surprise that most Thais have little to no ability to speak the language. The government wants to change that.
The Ministry of Education has embarked on a programme to ensure that all primary schoolchildren are able to speak enough English to handle everyday situations within 10 years.
We picked 350 teachers who are considered to be the cream of the crop for English boot camp training
Deputy Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin unveiled a plan this week that calls for drastic changes to the English language curriculum in schools, including more classes, new textbooks and an intensive training programme for top teachers who will become “master trainers” for other teachers.
A ministry official confirmed the details of the plan, published in Thai media. The official cannot be identified under government rules. Teerakiat was not immediately available for comment.
“We picked 350 teachers who are considered to be the cream of the crop for English boot camp training,” said the official.
From there, the best 28 teachers will be chosen as master trainers and will be spread out around the country to 18 English-teaching facilities where school administrators and educators in the nearby area can receive training from the centres.