Wannapa Khaopa
The Nation September 29, 2011 7:04 am
Languages, especially English - a typical problem challenging Thai people - have to be solved in practical way. The idea was agreed by Education Ministry's executives, academics and private sector's representative.
Also, industrial agriculture and culture-based innovations as the country's strong points should be promoted to improve its competitiveness among ASEAN countries, they urged.
"Our students should learn and absorb English from natural methods, similar to the way we learn Thai language. The way Thai teachers have taught for a long time is impractical as pupils are forced to start learning English from writing then reading, speaking and listening skills while children naturally learn a language, like Thai, from listening first then speaking, reading and writing."
"We don't learn to use English automatically unlike Thai. We learn from writing so we have to translate it when we use the language. That's the reason why most of Thais are not successful in English, including me although we have to study it for about ten years at school," said Thavorn Chalassathien, deputy secretary general of the Federation of Thai Industries.
He urged the ministry to seriously change the way methods of teaching English, starting teaching English to children when they were infants and using natural methods and arouse they to communicate automatically not from translation.
Kasama Varavarn Na Ayuddhaya, former secretary general of Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), urged the government to have students absorb valuable Thai culture and resources and create culture-based innovations, while teachers did not use their experience to limit students' creative ideas and imagination.
Since, industrial agriculture is among Thailand's strong points, Thavorn said he wanted the government to push forward it to reach its goal of becoming kitchen of the world and produce personnel to drive the country's different industries.
Education Minister Woravat Auapinyakul said he had assigned local education executives to survey resources and prominent things in their own areas. Then, he would have universities in different areas of the country pass on their research-based knowledge to local people, including students. They would utilise the knowledge to add value to what they had.
Sompong Jitradab, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University?s Faculty of Education and member of the education reform policy committee said "The education minister has had many meetings with relevant agencies over the past two months after he took the position to shape the education. He should take only one more month to discuss and then start implementing his educational plans. Also, in preparation for the coming AEC, the ministry should act as soon as possible otherwise Thai people will lose opportunities."
Chinnapat Bhumirat, Obec's secretary general, suggested Obec to create ASEAN literacy curriculum with help from universities to educate students in ASEAN and encourage them to learn how they could enjoy benefits from ASEAN.
They were speaking at a discussion on Thailand's education development and preparation for the AEC held yesterday at Kasetsart University.
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