Education Minister Narong Pipatanasai has instructed the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) to review a language programme at schools in border areas and special zones, saying a number of students are unable to communicate in Thai.
Speaking yesterday after meeting with senior Education Ministry officials, Adm Narong said many students who participate in the language courses, in which regional dialects and Thai language are used, were unable to communicate in Thai while some students could speak but their level of communication was poor.
He said a survey found that proficiency in Thai reading and writing among students, particularly in Prathom 3 (Grade 3), was severely lacking as the students mainly use local languages because learning Thai is not seen as a priority.
Adm Narong said a large majority of students only speak their own regional languages such as Akha, Karen, Lisu and Mong.
Obec has been ordered to study the strengths and weaknesses of this type of course to work out if it is necessary to continue the programme. "The programme has not been revoked, I have just asked Obec to review and reconsider its necessity,” Adm Narong said.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer, Surapong Kongchantuk, chairman of the Lawyers Council of Thailand's human rights subcommittee on ethnic minorities, yesterday urged the minister not to cancel the language programme.
“It will create a security problem and bring conflict between the state and ethnic groups,” he said. “This is certainly discrimination.”
He pointed out that if the programme is cancelled it would violate international and national human rights principles including the 2010 cabinet resolution to protect the Karen culture.
“Ethnic languages are part of the Thai culture. It’s important for the educational system to encourage people to speak their mother tongue,” he said.
Mr Surapong said that the students' problem with the Thai language is not because they speak with their mother tongue, adding the weakness stems from the poor structure of language classes and inadequate teaching.