ALIGNING WITH INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS: THE IMPACT OF THAILAND’S CHINESE CURRICULUM REFORM ON CHINESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION
Keywords:
Chinese education in Thailand, curriculum policy, language standards, HSK, CTCSOL, bilingual educationAbstract
This study investigates Thailand’s recent efforts to institutionalize Chinese language education through the 2024 Guide to Opening Special Chinese Classrooms, issued by the Office of the Basic Education Commission. Using qualitative document analysis and policy evaluation, the study examines how the Guide establishes national curriculum standards, aligns learning benchmarks with international frameworks such as HSK, HSKK, and CTCSOL, and introduces governance mechanisms intended to enhance program quality. The findings show that while the Guide represents a significant advancement toward structured and standards-based bilingual education, its long-term effectiveness will depend on addressing several systemic challenges, including gaps in teacher qualifications, disparities in regional resources, and variations in school-level implementation capacity. This research provides timely insights for policymakers, educators, and curriculum designers engaged in Chinese language education reform in Thailand and across the broader ASEAN region.
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