Thailand's school evaulation results

Locally run schools pass with flying colours

By: SIRIKUL BUNNAG
Published: 20/03/2009 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post, Newspaper section: News

Five tertiary institutes, including a university, failed the recent education standard assessment set by the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment.

The office recently conducted educational assessments of universities, vocational colleges and schools, both private and state-run, across the country and found a number of institutes at all levels provided a substandard education, said ONESQA director Somwang Piriyanuwat.

Of the 258 universities and higher education institutes nationwide, 199 so far have been assessed.

Of the 199 evaluated institutes, five failed the assessment. Another nine are pending a final evaluation although their standard of education was generally rated as poor.

But they still have the capacity to improve, Mr Somwang said.

The assessment results were posted on http://www.onesqa.or.th, the office's website.

The five institutes that failed the test were Stamford International University in Phetchaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima College in Nakhon Ratchasima, Yala Islamic College in Yala, Samut Sakhon Community College in Samut Sakhon and Trat Community College in Trat.

Also, 463 of the 808 vocational colleges nationwide have been assessed.

Of the colleges, 59 failed the evaluation and 27 were given six months to improve their education standards.

As for primary and secondary education levels, a total of 20,184 of some 30,000 schools across the country were scrutinised. About 20% failed.

The ONESQA said it was interesting that the majority of schools which sailed through the assessment were those run by local administrative bodies.

About 95% of schools run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration were given a pass, followed by 92% of schools managed by municipalities, 90% of privately run schools, 89% of demonstration schools and 79% of schools run by the Office of the Basic Education Commission.

Substandard education in schools was less of a worry than at universities or vocational colleges, he said.

He reasoned that with primary education, the authorities had more time to boost the quality.

As long as standards of higher education institutes remained in dire straits, hopes were dim of producing quality graduates who would enter the workforce, Mr Somwang said.

The office found problems with the quality of instructors at higher education institutes. At most substandard institutes, less than 3% of the teaching staff were PhD holders. Normally, institutes that provide tertiary education should have at least 30% of their lecturers holding PhDs, he said.

Several institutes that failed the assessment hired bachelor's degree holders to teach their students. Vocational colleges were also found to have the same problem, he said.

Tutors with bachelor's degrees accounted for 74% of their teaching staff. Some colleges were found to hire teachers whose qualifications were even lower than a bachelor's degree.