Thailand’s education ministry has been tasked with improving English proficiency in the country after it was ranked “very low”.
Thailand came in last place among ASEAN nations tested as part of the Education First English Proficiency Index 2023 and was ranked “very low” on a global scale.
PM Srettha Thavisin has responded by ordering the Education Ministry to implement measures that will improve the standard of English among Thais, with a particular focus on students.
Out of 113 countries tested, Thailand was ranked 101st, behind every other ASEAN country tested.
According to a Thai PBS World report, it was also noted that there has been no improvement in Thailand’s average score since the introduction of the index in 2011, with the exception of a slight increase seen in 2017.
Even the 3 Thai provinces that stood out for their scores – Chiang Mai with 464, Bangkok with 457, and Phuket with 456 – remain far below the global average.
Opposition MP Parit Wacharasindhu from the Move Forward Party, has also proposed measures to improve the standard of English among Thais.
These include redesigning the English curriculum, introducing new teaching methods with an emphasis on communication over grammar, improving the standard of English among teachers, redistributing funds to provincial schools, promoting afterschool learning, and introducing exchange programmes that allow teachers to improve their English overseas.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
