Politician slams education council for inequality in Thai education

Pol Colonel Tawee Sodsong, Prachachart Party’s secretary-general, pointed out that not a single Thai university had made it to the list of top 500 universities in the world. He pointed out that two universities in Singapore and one in Malaysia were included in the list, while only four Thai universities made it to the 501-1,000 list. The four universities are Mahidol, Mae Fah Luang, Chulalongkorn and King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.

“This data has created uncertainty over whether the National Higher Education Science Research Innovation Policy Council is working at its fullest,” he said recently.

He said that now with an ageing population, universities will have to provide education to older people instead of children. He also advised the council to reduce inequality, so everybody has access to higher education.

He pointed out that the Equitable Education Fund allocates 6 billion baht per year for people with regular income, but those at the poverty line are forced to take student loans.

Plus, he said, the government allows the Student Loan Fund to collect up to 25 per cent in interest and penalties from borrowers, he said.

“Hence, I would like to ask the National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council what it has done so far,” he said.