Over 60 British volunteers to teach English to Thai students

[News Bandit]

BANGKOK, July 11 -- Sixty-seven volunteer students from leading universities in the United Kingdom will teach English to Thai students nationwide later this month, as Thailand’s Ministry of Education has targeted that 80 per cent of the students will be to successfully communicate in English.

Permanent Secretary for Education Sasithara Pichaichannarong together with British Ambassador to Thailand Asif Ahmad and British Council Thailand's Country Director Chris Gibson on Wednesday announced the Thailand English Teaching Project 2012 (TET) on purpose to improve English skills for young Thai learners in 100 schools countrywide.

The cooperation between Thai Education Ministry, the British Embassy and the British Council, from July 23 through the end of September, is being done in the hope that Thai students with better English skills will be competitive in regional and international communities.

The eight-week classes will be run by the 67 volunteer students from renowned British universities under the topic of the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games, hosted by the city of London.

Ms Sasithara said that the ministry targeted that 80 per cent of the Thai students from both private and state schools will be able to speak English fluently in the near future.

Initially, 100 schools country were selected to join the pilot project, the permanent secretary for education explained. If the project is successful and well received, more joint projects will be held next year.

Meanwhile, the British envoy said that English is the international language which was introduced as core curriculum in the ten-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Not only will it benefit the two nations and help strengthen bilateral ties, the project will give opportunities for Britons to work outside the kingdoms and explore Thai culture as well as connect Thailand to the global community, the ambassador said. (MCOT online news)
 

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[El Cata]

Good grief.

 

Do they really think 2 months of English teaching from untrained teachers will make up for a lifetime in a broken education system?

 

 

 

Ms Sasithara said that the ministry targeted that 80 per cent of the Thai students from both private and state schools will be able to speak English fluently in the near future.