Schools in Northern Thailand teaches English actively

BANGKOK, February 19 (TNA) - With only three more years left before members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) embark on forming the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), many educational institutions, both public and private, in northern Thailand have actively taught English and languages spoken in the grouping countries to their students. Pimonmas Photong, director of British International School in the Northern Province of Lampang, said she had decided to change the name of her school formerly called Nawattaphume International School to make it easier for foreigners to read and also to cater to the implementation of AEC. Several educational institutions in Lampang have become enthusiastic in changing curriculum as well as teaching languages spoken among ASEAN members, Mrs. Pimonmas said. Thailand along with Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam are ASEAN members. Presently, British International School is adopting a British school syllabus and has neither problem in accepting foreign students nor plans to change its syllabus, she said. Besides teaching Thai and English, the school also teaches Chinese to its students which have now increased to more than 200, Mrs. Pimonmas said. (TNA)