Boost underfunded Thai schools by floating entry fees
While I condemn the practice of offering school places in exchange for “tea money” (“Samsen school director admits being in video”, National, yesterday), the fact is that a quality education costs a small fortune in paying for quality teachers, small classes, equipment, etc.
Thai schools and universities are tremendously underfunded. Per student, a Rajabhat university gets something like 12 per cent of the public funds that, say, a Chula or Thammasat does, the Thailand Development Research Institute reports. Yet we expect the education system to turn out graduates who are creative, critical and eager for lifelong learning, all on a shoestring?
I suggested to a former university rector that, (a) each school float its fees according to what the market would bear, (b) each school’s average O-NET and other national test results be posted online so parents would know what they were paying for, (c) admission be independent of each candidate’s financing needs, and (d) a given school should have enough financial aid available for full scholarships for half of each enrolling class if needed. In short, the wealthy would subsidise the poor.
My friend said that my proposal was workable, so perhaps the junta should consider it.
Burin Kantabutra
