Thailand training teachers in coding.

Teaching the digital generation requires new and advanced skills, and so the Thai government plans to train 400 teachers from 78 schools across the country in digital coding so they can instruct their students on this essential skill for the new economy.

“By the end of this year, we target to have 9,300 students, or 120 students per school, taking part in the coding courses through this program,” said Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President of the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, or DEPA.

The Royal Thai Government founded DEPA in 2017 with objectives to promote and support the development of digital industries and innovation, including digital technology adoption. It is a key actor in the Kingdom’s goal to build a digital economy. The government is prioritizing the development of digital industries in its investment plans and the incentives it offers to foreign investors.

The DEPA project will train teachers in primary and secondary schools, and schools that want to participate can apply. It is designed to upgrade digital coding skills for teachers, so they will have the necessary knowledge to pass on to students.

The Agency is partnering with Microsoft Thailand and other private sector firms to offer financial support for school infrastructure to provide coding programs and develop coding platforms and curricula for digital literacy.

“The pandemic and economic slowdown mean digital literacy and assistance for digital transformation are fundamental to help people and enterprises survive in this difficult situation,” Nuttapon said.

DEPA is also engaged in funding digital startups. It recently chose eight local startups to fund this year. The ventures are in the fields of education technology, fintech, healthcare and big data platforms.

Photo courtesy of https://www.depa.or.th/th/article-view/Make-the-Future-coding-thailand