Experts raise questions over parties' education policies

General News - Saturday December 15, 2007

RACE TO PARLIAMENT

Experts raise questions over parties' education policies

Parent networks and education experts have questioned the free education policies declared by all the country's political parties which they say pay little attention to upgrading education quality. Free education plus free study materials have become part and parcel of the populist policies launched by every political party, they said at a seminar yesterday.

''Parties have mapped out their education policies based on the patronage system, with promises to give. Such policies would do very little to strengthen communities and boost freedom of thought,'' said Kissapong Kiratikorn, former secretary-general of the Higher Education Commission.

He stressed a need to move from ''dependent'' to ''independent and lifelong'' learning.

His view was shared by Uthai Dulyakasem, dean of Walailak University's Institute of Liberal Arts.

''Few parties have delved into education quality, which is the fundamental problem society is suffering from,'' he said.

He pointed to the alarming unemployment situation and the need to boost the thirst for learning.

''To solve joblessness, classroom content should be made more relevant to social settings,'' he said.

Instead, the seminar called for solutions to the problem of the almost 20,000 small schools in the country that have poor education quality, setting teachers' promotion standards, and ensuring fair education opportunities for students in the deep South.

They also pushed for the establishment of an education technology fund, a national institute to oversee pre-school programmes, and schools and education institutions for talented children.

Education policies should be carefully mapped out, Chulalongkorn University lecturer Amornwit Nakorntap said.

''The parties have yet to complete their homework. Their policies are not what Thai society wants.

''They are short-sighted, giving free education and free handouts only to get elected,'' he said.

He said a long-term policy required input and cooperation from all parties in order to open up education opportunity and promote independent and lifelong learning.

Bangkok Post