Schools aim for foreign students

Somkiat Chobphol

The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) is to invest Bt500 million in including an international curriculum in its secondary schools as part of the Education Ministry's policy to promote Thailand as the region's education hub, according to Somkiat Chobphol, deputy secretarygeneral of the Obec.

The ministry has provided totally Bt3 billion budget to run the education hub project in secondary, vocational and higher education, and set a goal to have at least 100,000 foreign students in international education systems in Thailand by 2014.

"We hope to encourage foreign parents working in Thailand and neighbouring countries to let their children study in 14 pilot schools with international curriculum of Obec as well as Thai parents," said Somkiat.

He said there were many foreigners working in Thailand and neighbouring countries currently, such as Japaneses and Americans, which would be an important target group. Another target group is highincome local people in the neighbouring countries, for instance in Laos.

The international curriculum is designed to teach Matthayom 16 or grade 712 students.

In addition, under the scheme 'Asian Studies' curriculum will be put in 54 other schools to educate Thai students in neighbouring countries' languages, such as Khmer, Burmese and Vietnamese languages, so that Thais will understand the cul¬ture and languages of those countries more, which will help Thais make relationship with them easier. 

"We focus on educational quality as our key strategy to draw the target groups' attention to further their studying in Thailand. We're planning to improve the international curriculum of these schools to reach the international standard so that students having completed their secondary education here in Thailand will be able to further higher education aboard," he added.

"Cheaper educational fees than other private international schools is another selling point expected to help more students afford the international curriculum."

The 14 schools joining the scheme will be officially chosen soon.

The Obec is considering qualifications of schools to be chosen to provide such a special curriculum if they are prompt.

"It's expected that the curriculum will be available at all the pilot schools in 2010 academic year. If the budget is handed in to the schools, they will be able to start developing the curriculum in July," Somkiat said.

Outsourcing personnel will be hired to oversee the administration of the international curriculum at these schools. The Obec will also study private international schools' curriculum to develop one of Obec's.

"We'll be doing public relations to promote the international curriculum among expatriates."

Pathumthepwittayakarn School in Nongkhai province is among chosen schools. The province located in the upper Northeast of Thailand and shares border with Laos.

School director Chairatn Laiwatcharakul said Thai, Loa, Vietnamese and Chinese people lived and work in Nongkhai. A few Lao and halfcaste students enrolled in the school's English Program every year, and he believed more foreign students would decide to study at the school when the international curriculum available at the school.

Chairatn said apart from the up to par international curriculum, the school would provide enough instructional media and technological media.

Thai culture and way of life will be taught under the international curriculum at the school.

"Some interested and qualified foreign pupils will probably be given scholarships to study at our school. This is one of our strategies to lure more foreign students," Chairatn said.

"The scheme will strengthen local educational management and I hope my school will inspire other schools to try to improve their quality," he said.