Bring back teacher-trainee scholarships, consortium of education deans says

“The scholarship budget should also go directly to the education faculties, not to the [general budgets of the] universities, to prevent any attempt by institutes to boost the number of students solely to raise income,” consortium president Assoc Prof Prawit Erawan said. 

He said the revival of scholarships was among the first steps needed to attract quality human resources to the teaching profession. 

Prawit, who also serves as the dean of Maha Sarakham University’s Faculty of Education, pointed out that medical students at state-run medical schools also received scholarships in such a manner. 

He said relevant government agencies should also make clear how many teachers were needed in each field. 

“Then, teacher-training institutes can plan accordingly,” he said, adding that an oversupply would not be a good outcome. 

Prawit also emphasised that the Education Ministry should efficiently assess and improve the abilities of teacher-training institutes. 

“Graduates from the teacher-education programmes, even the five-year programmes, should be required to undergo a qualification test to determine whether they have the actual abilities needed to teach children,” he said. 

He said he opposed the automatic granting of teaching licences to graduates. 

Prawit was speaking in response to Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang’s policy on teacher reforms.