New Equitable Education Fund ‘must break with past and collaborate’

[webfact]

New Equitable Education Fund ‘must break with past and collaborate’

By CHULARAT SAENGPASSA 
THE NATION 

 

 

A PROMINENT education expert has cautioned the Quality Learning Foundation (QLF) against sticking to its old mindset and work approach, when it transforms into the Equitable Education Fund.

 

“Its roles, after all, will change,” commented Asst Professor Athapol Anunthavorasakul, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education and director of the Thai Civic Education Centre.

 

He was speaking yesterday after the Equitable Education Fund Act was promulgated in the Royal Gazette on Sunday. Under the act, QLF operations, assets, rights, liabilities, obligations and staff will be transferred to the Equitable Education Fund. The QLF board and manager will operate as the fund’s and board manager until they are replaced by a new selection process. 

 

The Equitable Education Fund is being established with a Bt1 billion start-up fund and core mission of reducing educational inequality in Thailand. It is also set to receive an additional annual budget from the government plus money from the Government Lottery Office, as deemed appropriate by the Cabinet. 

 

Among its founding objectives are to provide financial help to underprivileged children and youth; to help the underprivileged acquire vocational skills for their livelihood, to conduct research for teacher and learner development, and to conduct research in support of human-resource development. 

 

Athapol said QLF, which is now operating under the Thai Health Promotion Fund, must stop working alone entity once it becomes a part of the Equitable Education Fund. 

 

“It must then work in collaboration with government agencies,” he said. 

 

He added that it would also be necessary for the Equitable Education Fund to prepare clear data for decision making. 

 

“It should be noted that at present, several agencies have different sets of data regarding children in need of help,” he said. 

 

According to Athapol, since the Equitable Education Fund will have to reach out to underprivileged children and deliver help, its approach is different from the Student Loan Fund Office. 

 

“That’s why it needs to have really clear information. The Student Loan Fund Office differs as it can check children’s information when applications arrive,” he said. 

 

Dr Pumsaran Tongliemnak, an analyst at the Education Ministry, said the fund would operate on top of work done by his ministry. 

“I believe the fund will need to focus on monitoring to ensure efficiency,’ he said. 

 

QLF manager Supakorn Bua-sai said the fund’s board would convene its first meeting on June 19. 

 

“It will have to prepare a budget plan for the Cabinet to consider,” he said, “So, I think the fund will start its operation in the 2019 fiscal year”. 

 

The 2019 fiscal year starts on October 1 this year. 

 

Asked about the QLF’s role in the fund, Supakorn said the QLF would for now help in preparing for the fund’s launch. 

 

“For example, apart from the budget plan, we will also draw up its strategies,” he said. 

 

He said the Cabinet was expected to establish the board for the fund within 60 days. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30345385

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-15

[YetAnother]

52 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Equitable Education Fund is being established with a Bt1 billion start-up fund and core mission of reducing educational inequality in Thailand.

equitable education is a subservient goal to that of advancing the educational quality across the board

[greenchair]

Just another education  committee set up with highly paid officials that do nothing of substance. 

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Equitable Education Fund

One for me; one for you; one for the students.  Sounds pretty equitable to me.

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Equitable Education Fund is being established with a Bt1 billion start-up fund

One billion baht and that's just for the start-up. You can just about hear the cogs of the senior administrators whirring away as they mentally use their creative skills to find ways redirect some of the money away from education into their own pockets. This is Thailand and that's the way things are done.

Does anyone really really believe the Thai education system will improve as a result of this vast expenditure? I hope it does but history suggests the scheme will be rorted to the hilt by experts and little will be achieved. Corruption in Thailand is a way of life.

[sawadee1947]

Good man, but too late I suppose

[Srikcir]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

we will also draw up its strategies

How about merging the Government Pawnshop under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security into the QLF? GP's funding requirements are in the range of Bt500-800 million so not a significant financial burden to QLF's planned final budget.

Then rather than the GP making interest-bearing loans to people seeking cash in exchange for valuables to pay their children’s tuition fees and other related expenses, QLF can issue grants to qualified participants, ie., low-income.