New minister's talk of integration has created massive confusion
Anyone planning to pin their hopes for better education on the new government, shouldn't waste their time. Under the new minister, education policies are expected to introduce huge confusion to the alreadyconfusing education circle.
Education Minister Worawat Auapinyakul repeatedly used the word "integration". He strongly believed that his initiative would revolutionise the education circle, amid complaints from the private sector and educators over its inefficiency.
To deliver "integration", he pondered the power segregation with his two deputies in regard to geographical areas. His constituency is in Phrae, therefore he would be in charge of the North.
Then he pondered the establishment of 19 strategy committees for different areas. Each committee will comprise officials and representatives from each area, so they can come up with the right strategies for each area. He would chair the national strategy committee, but there is no clear plan whether the 19 other strategy committees can come up with their own plans or whether they would need consent from the national committee.
Given that education policies deal mainly with three units - like the Office of Basic Education Commission, the Office of Higher Education Commission and the Office of Vocational Education Commission - it is unclear whether these units would need to split their teams into 19 teams to correctly respond to the strategy committees' requirements.
While Worawat said that the "integrated" initiative would help the government answer the main goal to ensure all graduates find jobs - it is unclear how decisions from the 19 strategies would be integrated.
It would have been better if Worawat said he would create a national committee and he and his deputies would brainstorm with the offices above, with educators, the business sector and regional representatives for the right strategies under a clear timeframe.
Then, action plans and implementation timeframe would follow.
Such a committee should draw diverse proposals, but if all want to ensure that our kids get jobs upon their graduation, voices from the business sector would carry the greatest weight. What kind of workers do they want?
The business sector has cried foul over the shortage of engineers and researchers, but for years there has been no change in the ratio of students enrolling in sciencerelated fields and those in social fields.
Will the 19 strategy committees close this gap? I doubt it.
Universities have been working hard responding to demands in their areas. What they should be encouraged to do is respond more to national demand. Strategies for each region also seem sufficiently advanced for Thailand to prepare a workforce for the Asean single market.
Strategies to deal with market demands should come from a central committee, which can work with other related government units not limited to just those under the Education Ministry.
The Board of Investment is revising its incentive packages, with some industries being highlighted and others being dropped from the incentive pool. This is one example of how labour demand would change. Has any policymaker from the education circle known that, let alone come up with a strategy?
If Thailand is heading towards a higherwage but higher productivity society, I wonder if there is concrete cooperation between the ministries of Education and Science - aside from assistance on science teacher training and budgets for schools to carry students from provinces to the annual Science Fair in Bangkok?
Cooperation with the Industry Ministry is vivid through the training of vocational students at industrial plants. That kind of cooperation should be promoted. That is what "integration" is like.
Worawat is hopeful that free computer tablets would also promote education. Yet, he is not clear on "how". And with the lack of clarity, what we can expect is chaos, adding to chaos from other areas surrounding the government.
Worawat has so many plans, as seen through interviews he has been giving since he was appointed Education Minister on August 3. Weeks have passed and we only hear him say, not act. Yes, we're desperate for action, which must be thoroughly designed through a really "integrated" means.
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation