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14 Oct, 2014

Thai province plans to boost English, Lao language skills to prepare for ASEAN Community

UTTARADIT, 13 October 2014 (NNT) – Director of Uttaradit Primary Education Service Area 1 Amornsak Pinthong has indicated that the office will spend the allocation from the 2015 educational budget on preparing school executives and students for the upcoming ASEAN Community by giving them knowledge and understanding about the new regional bloc.

Under the policy, students, in particular those of primary schools, will be trained as ‘Students of ASEAN’ who possess such traits as innovative, creative, and communicative, with teamwork spirit, information proficiency, critical thinking and problem-solving readiness.

Accordingly, Amornsak remarked that the enhancement of English language skill was set as a priority mission by the Ministry of Education since English was the official language of ASEAN.

However, he pointed out that Lao language should be incorporated in compulsory curriculum as a third language for students because Uttaradit shares a 135-kilometre long border with Laos, resulting in an increasing number of Lao migrant workers in the province. Therefore, he said, students of Uttaradit should be able to communicate in Lao in everyday life.