Primary and secondary schools in Thailand will be encouraged to offer Chinese language lessons, said a senior Thai education official. Khunying Kasama Varawan Na Ayuthaya, secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, noted that more resources have been set aside to expand Mandarin Chinese language programmes across the country. About 20 Chinese language teaching centres would be established to develop standards of teaching this year. Meanwhile, local educational authorities have been asked to provide education support programmes in schools and assistance in teacher training and professional development. They aim to churn out between 500-1,000 qualified Chinese language instructors per year. The move reflects a growing interest in the Chinese language in Thailand; enrollments in private Chinese language tuition have skyrocketed in recent years. China's increasing economic and political influence in the world is seen as one reason for increased interest in the language. -- SPA
