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Education Minister Worawat Ua-apinyakul has encouraged schools of all grades to offer students intensive English courses in preparation for the distribution of tablet PCs.
Since the English language is widely used on the devices, students from all grades should learn more English before the tablets are delivered, planned to be in the next academic year.
During its election campaign, the Pheu Thai Party promised to give a free tablet PC to each Prathom 1 (Grade 1) student under its One Tablet Per Child project.
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Red-shirt supporters have expressed dismay over ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's call for them to set aside their anger and frustration over social and legal injustices for the sake of national reconciliation.
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Discussion 4 : 16/08/2011 at 03:41 PM4
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Learning English should be an absolute priority for all Thai kids regardless. But I don't see why English is necessary to operate a tablet PC. And I would love to know what benefit the PTP feel handing out these tablets is going to bring.
Post : 10
Discussion 3 : 16/08/2011 at 09:02 AM3
I hope that the government will study the Android operating system and stay away from Windows powered Tablet PC. Developing educational software for Android OS is straight forward and some universities in Thailand could do those type of projects. Agree with Isanfarang that the quality of English teachers in Issan is terrible. They even hire French speakers to become English teachers in Issan and that says a lot on the quality of teaching in Issan.
Post : 157
Discussion 2 : 16/08/2011 at 06:25 AM2
My son is 15 and they teach him computers at his school. I am impressed with his computer knowlege as we finally were able to get internet in are area I bought a PC for home use. My daughter is 3 and a half and has learned to operate the computer to find her ABC educational videos on youtube. She has been doing this since she turned 3. Just because most older Thai parents cannot grasp how to operate a computer some will criticise this program. Kids pick up computers at an amazing pace. Don't under estimate your kids. Holding back on their education is holding back on their promising and bright futures.
Post : 80
Discussion 1 : 16/08/2011 at 06:02 AM1
This is just the beginning of the mess that this policy will end up being.There are not enough teachers that are anywhere near qualified to teach English in Thailand and in Isan,at the local high school,they take on wandering farang travelers who can speak English as their teachers.Handing out tablets to those that can't read the programs,can't read the instructions,etc will just be the first of the hairbrained schemes Pheu Thai will come up with. I'd also be keeping an eye on the Companies that will be supplying these tablets to make sure that any well known names,who ran the Country in the past, whilst doing deals to benefit themselves,are not,once again,up to their old tricks.
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