Ovec plans to waive school fees for farmers' kids

Ovec secretary-general Chaiyapruek Serirak yesterday said he has instructed 421 vocational colleges nationwide to consider providing a grace period or waiving the study-term registration fees for farmers’ children.

While most vocational certificate level students are subsidised for education, some colleges still collect Bt500-Bt600 fees per term. Ovec has asked them not to collect the fee this time from the farmers’ children, he said.

At the advanced vocational certificate level, which requires Bt3,000-Bt5,000 in tuition fees per semester, institutions were also asked to provide a grace period or to waive the fees, he added.

Ovec also assigned 51 agricultural colleges to send experts to train farmers on fertiliser-making, in order to help reduce rice-growing costs ahead of the May-June rice growing season, Chaiyapruek said.

Ovec and the Agriculture Ministry would help produce appropriate rice seeds for distribution to farmers for free, or at a cheaper price.