Chitralada School, Chinese embassy sign new initiative

THANKS TO a partnership between the Chinese Embassy and Chitralada School, students at the school will have the opportunity to intern at Chinese companies in Thailand, while teachers will be able to go to China for training in language and culture. 

The initiative will also open the door to many educational and capacity-building opportunities for the students and teachers. 

The agreement – marking HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th birthday and the 40 years of Sino-Thai ties – was signed on Tuesday by Chinese Ambassador Ning Fukui and Chitralada School principal Thanpuying Angkab Punyashthiti. 

The school, the Princess’s alma mater, is located inside the compound of the Chitralada Palace. Under the initiative, computers and projectors will be donated to the school’s vocational section and maths experts from China will give lessons to senior secondary students, the envoy said. Teachers will also be invited to China for training in Chinese and maths. 

The ambassador said the embassy would be happy to pursue long-term cooperation with the school. 

Chitralada School offers both general and vocational education programmes. In 2002, HRH Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn introduced Chinese-language classes and in 2009, Hanban – an institute for Chinese language and culture affiliated with China’s Education Ministry – helped the school set up a centre for Chinese language and cultural studies called the Confucius Classroom.

“The ‘Confucius classroom’ was set up in response to the Princess’ keen interest and investment in the development of education,” Ning Fukui said.

He believes cooperation between the school and China will become a window of opportunity for teachers and students to learn and understand Chinese language and culture. 

“It’s also a move to promote and strengthen ties between the two countries,” he said. 

Chitralada School has 2,026 students, 1,400 of who are taking Chinese classes, Chitralada deputy director of academic affairs (secondary level) Ratana Wichyanrat said. The school offers Chinese classes from kindergarten to high school, including high vocational certificate level.

Ratana said her school had engaged in many programmes of cooperation with China.

“For instance, we have already had an exchange programme between Chitralada and demonstration schools in Guangxi and Beijing,” she said, adding that each year up to nine teachers from China also come to Chitralada to hold language and culture classes under another scheme.