At approximately 375 million native speakers, English is the third most widely spoken language in the world. However, if combined with the number of speakers who have it as a second language, then that number easily exceeds that of Mandarin and Spanish speakers.

English is widely considered to be the lingua franca of communication in the business, trade, science and almost every other sector that requires people to exchange or convey thoughts and ideas.

It therefore makes sense that, if one wishes to succeed in Phuket ? or anywhere in this global society ? to be able to speak English is a valuable skill. But what is the metaphorical and literal cost of obtaining this skill? And, if it is a valuable skill to have, then surely everyone should have it.

To equip our children with the necessary skills to prosper in this world is a natural desire and there are many ways in Phuket that this can be done, if of course you have the
means to choose. But which one is right for you as a parent and for your child?

The first option available to all little boys and girls in Thailand is to attend a state-run Thai school in which students will be taught English three periods a week by a Thai teacher who was probably taught in a state-run school. The class sizes your little nipper will be in will be between 40 and 50 students.

A headmistress of one such school is Supaluck Kemthakul. She believes a stumbling block placed in front of her students is that state-run schools are unable to employ native English speakers as teachers, because they require higher salaries than the schools can afford.

The Thai education system has nationally recognised English exams at the end of each of the education system?s four key stages. The Mathayom Six (M6) exam ? taken at 18 years old ? is arguably the most important one in the state education program. The tests involve reading, writing and listening exercises, but they do not have a spoken section.

The average marks for these tests have been decreasing of late, with results of Stage Two
examinations, taken when students are 12 years old, falling from an average of 49.56% in 2001 to 37.34% in 2006 and with the results for the final M6 exam at a low 32.45%.

The results suggest that sending your child to a state-run school is gambling with the youngster's ability to attain a good level of English and possibly miss out on a better future. As Bhakorn Koyvanich, managing director of the www.phuketdelights.com, explained: ?English is essential for communication; all of our employees have to learn English.?

International schools, such as the British International School, are able to provide first
class English education as the majority of the classes are taken in English and follow the British curriculum; International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), administered and assessed by the University of Cambridge, and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the most widely recognised pre-university examination course worldwide.

All lessons are taught in English, with the majority of the teachers being native English speakers. To stroll around the campus, one would think one had returned to the era of Victorian England as one is accosted by floppy haired foreign children running hither and thither to participate in English/international activities.

With the examination structure set up to provide the children with such an international education it?s natural that a lot of the children go on to study abroad, in the USA or UK for example, however that is not to say that they could not theoretically remain and study
in Thailand, as the Thai language is taught at International schools, in fact according to the requirements of the Thai Ministry of Education, Thai Studies is a compulsory subject in education for Thai and foreign students in an international school.

However, the fees are substantial; understandably high because they need to pay native
English speakers in order to assure the parents that their children are being taught to an international level, but also too high for the pay cheques of the majority of Thai and expat residents.

There are a number of other private international schools on Phuket island, including the QSI International School of Phuket (pictured), which adopts a standard American curriculum accredited by Thailand's Ministry of Education. Mathew Zandstra, the director of instruction, is aware of the responsibilities of an international school.

?It is wise for any international school to keep in mind the surroundings in which it is
set. A high percentage of QSI students have a blended heritage,? he told the Post. ?This dual instruction system allows them to develop both skill sets without sacrificing important Thai culture and language needs.?

State-school headmistress, Khun Supaluck, concurs: ?International schools are good but the children should not forget that they are Thai and be proud of being Thai and learn about their culture.?

Since 1999 the Thai government has allowed some private Thai schools to run English
language programs. Permikiat Ketkul is the manager of one such school, Kajonkietsuka School. ?The government would like to call us an English program school, but we classify ourselves as a bilingual school,? he said.

Bi-lingual schools run an English program alongside a Thai program, allowing parents the choice. Students enrolled in the Thai program will follow almost exactly the same curriculum as can be found in Thai schools, while students enrolled in the English program are taught every subject in English by native speakers.

However Khun Permikiat is quick to point out, ?We follow all the Thai traditions and customs here. We have a quite clear idea on these issues and if people are looking
for Western culture then they won?t find it here.?

Few could argue that, it is important to become integrated into that society and feel connected. If you want your child to speak English at a comprehensive level aas well, then you must still be earning a reasonable income.

This is, unfortunately creating a type of linguistically segregated society, and a division between those who can afford to send their children to an ?international? school ? a euphemism for rich ? and those who cannot.

?To overcome the English limitation in Thai schools will be a long term process.? K Supaluck believes. ?The government and private agencies have to make it clear how important English is at work.If people see that English is used regularly, they will see the need and push themselves and their children to move forward to learn English."


But how are Thai people of a relatively modest background ever going to be able to compete in a global market or even with the foreign markets here in Phuket if they are unable to learn the ?international language of communication??

"The rich have always had better opportunities than the poor," K Supaluck admits. "But there are exceptions for those who work hard. There are scholarships for disadvantaged students to study abroad and many have benefited from this. Moreover, there are now many government schools coming up with bilingual or international curriculums. This gives students a good chance to study in English at a lower expense.?

K Permikiat believes in and has suggested what he calls a ?sustainable solution? to the government. ?This is a technique they use in Malaysia. They send a thousand teachers to England a year to learn English, I believe this would cost about a million baht per teacher here, but if you think about how many students that can be taught correct English
with the right accent, then it makes sense.?