Some 80,000 Prathom 3 students - out of one million nationwide - were illiterate or had difficulty reading Thai, Office of Research and Educational Standards director Benjalak Namfa said yesterday.
Two reasons were given for children who were "illiterate" or had difficulty reading Thai. They either had learning disabilities or did not speak Thai at home. Many spoke local dialects such as Isaan or Khmer and thus shied away from reading or even speaking Thai at school, she said.
Many Prathom 3 students also did very poorly in reading. So the Office of the Basic Education Commission would provide materials for teachers to teach them, and promote reading via library development and as a national priority. Obec wanted all Prathom 3 students to be able to read, or read for main ideas, this year.
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