English teachers face test
THE 46,000 English-language teachers in government schools are set to undergo an international-level proficiency test - the first of its kind in nearly a decade.
It will be conducted this month and next month, Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC) secretary-general Kamol Rodkhlai said yesterday.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) test was last conducted in Thailand nearly 10 years ago, and will cost almost Bt25.5 million – or Bt350 per head for the 46,682 teachers.
The test is part of an Education Ministry policy to enhance Thailand’s integration into the Asean Economic Community by lifting the country’s English-speaking standards, Kamol said.
This means the standard of Thailand’s English-language teachers needs to be improved, which will happen after the result of the test are known, he added.
“We don’t know the skill levels of Thai English-language teachers because large-scale evaluations and tests were conducted a long time ago,” he said.
There are 33,811 teachers in government primary schools under 183 area offices and 12,871 teachers in secondary schools under 42 area offices.
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