Despite many positive changes to the national education sector recently, Abhisit Vejjajiva's government needs to do more if Thai children are to receive quality schooling.
For as long as schools in remote areas lack capable teachers and adequate facilities and the university-admission system remains confused, the incumbent administration will have a record with little to boast about.
But, the one-year-old government has made a fair start, through its determination to introduce 15 years of free schooling available to all children nationwide.
Families are not only spared tuition fees, their hcildren are also eligible for free textbooks, uniforms and learning materials. It is through such moves that educational opportunities are opening for underprivileged kids.
Education Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who hails from the ruling Democrat Party, has also worked really hard for a second round of educational reforms.
Jurin's goal is to help create capable citizens who also have sound moral values, and are happy and proud to be Thai.
In order to achieve these goals in the next 10 years, the Education Ministry wants to attract hard-working and capable people to the teaching profession. It reasons that good quality teachers will improve the quality of Thai students.
On top of this, it has prepared many other projects to enhance the quality of educational services in the Kingdom, such as raising the ratio of computers to students from 1:40 to 1:10, as well as providing well-equipped libraries for at least 30,000 schools. The ministry has also launched a television channel - "Tutor Channel" - through which well-known teachers tutor students.
"In terms of education, I think the incumbent administration has scored four out of five for its efforts, but they only get three out of five for overall performance," Dr Varakorn Samakoses said. Varakorn was deputy education minister with Surayud Chulanont's government in 2007 and is a former dean of Thammasat University's Faculty of Economics.
He pointed out that though the Education Ministry had good intentions, its many plans had yet to deliver results. "The development of teachers has not really started yet," Varakorn noted.
To many critics, the 15 years of free schooling may not mean much to children in remote areas where educational services are not up to city standards. The Tutor Channel, though good, also reflects that tutorial sessions are needed as students aren't taught well enough in general classes.
The critics also lamented that relevant authorities, despite receiving many complaints, have failed to improve the university admission system, which has become increasingly confusing. There are now so many factors for university applicants to consider, such as grade point averages, plus the General Aptitude Test and Professional Aptitude Test.
Deputy Education Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat, who oversees the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec), has vowed to tackle this issue. However, his efforts have been rather fruitless to date. Most universities have ignored his plea that more seats should be earmarked for the central admission system than for direct admissions.
Dhurakij Pundit University's Paitoon Silarat also pointed out that the Education Ministry still has yet to raise the salaries for vocational graduates.
"We have been talking for a long time about how salaries should be based on skills and experience, yet this does not exist in the labour market," Paitoon said.
Deputy Education Minister Narisara Chavaltanpipat has long pledged to develop Thai Vocational Qualifications (TVQ) as a solution. So far, this solution is not yet in sight.
Chaiwuti is also criticised for failing to curb the dominance of state universities in the higher-education sector.
According to Paitoon, in the first round of educational reform it was agreed that private universities should cover between 20 and 30 per cent of students pursuing higher education, however only 10 per cent are with private universities these days.
Yet, Paitoon praised Jurin for his leadership and decisiveness.
"However I think he is focusing on too many things, which is why some main things have not received adequate attention," Paitoon said.
To ensure projects move on the right track, Chulalongkorn lecturer Dr Sompong Jitradub suggested the government listen to various parties on how to implement the second round of educational reforms.
He said the collapse of the ambitious plan to set up a national education institute clearly highlighted flaws in the country's educational system.
"Don't let just four or five people dominate reform otherwise it will be mired in flaws," Sompong said, adding that the first round required a huge budget but achieved little because just a handful of influential figures in the education sector were being listened to.
"For instance, offering pay raises to teachers for doing academic research has diverted attention from students," Sompong explained, insisting that issues such as this should be addressed immediately or state funding would be wasted.
For the 2010 fiscal year, the Education Ministry has been allocated 3.87 per cent of the country's gross domestic product and will get another Bt40 billion as part of the government's Thai Khemkhaeng scheme.
quote http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/12/28/national/national_30119303.php
