Student Cries Foul Over Thai Uni Tests

[webfact]

EDUCATION

Student cries foul over uni tests

By The Nation

A high-school student has submitted a complaint to the Association of University Presidents of Thailand after educational authorities disqualified him from taking the test for the central university admissions system.

Meanwhile, the Private University Association said it had places for more than 60,000 students at private universities nationwide.

The student went to the Office of the Higher Education Commission to submit the complaint as he had been disqualified from the central university admission test.

He said he had already given up his chance to take direct admissions tests at Chiang Mai and Kasetsart universities but the educational agencies had not allowed him to take the central test, even though he had presented all relevant documents to the authorities.

Chiang Mai University confirmed the student had turned down his chance to take its admissions test, but Kasetsart University has not yet replied.

After admissions test results were announced on Wednesday, more than 100 students phoned the educational authorities about alleged mistakes that took place. Educational staff insisted that this year's admissions test had no problems.

Council of University Presidents of Thailand president Prasart Suebkha said the admissions test at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Sport Medicine was popular among students as they could get good jobs when they graduated.

However, Prasart said 412 educational fields were not selected by students for the admission tests, such as social science and the Arabic, German and Japanese languages.

Those students who failed admissions tests should not worry about their future. They can study at private universities across the country, as there are more than 60,000 seats available for them, Association of Private Higher Education Institutions of Thailand president Mattana Santiwat said.

-- The Nation 2011-05-06

[wpcoe]

Okay, *why* was the complainant disqualified from taking the central university admission test?

[Derifo]

Okay, *why* was the complainant disqualified from taking the central university admission test?

I am also wondering about it. I believe it was deliberately omited.

[FOODLOVER]

I think they forgot to put in a paragraph or two.

[Garry]

Anyone hazard a guess what the missing information says about the competency of the applicant?

[thunder30101]

Or just maybe he is just wanting a little justice from a corrupt system.

[TheyCallmeScooter]

Testing make smartness morer may bee even mostest tested bester.

But what would be the alternative? To "a make or break, bad luck if you wake up ill, sucks to be poor or tired on the day of the"....cramming a decade of education, into a single day of 'testing' it.

What, oh what, other options are there?

Anyone. Anyone?

If only there was a solution to this madness?

Anyone. Anyone?

Say this guy seems to have strong opinions, let's see what he has to say.

Dr Dilaka Lathapipat, a research specialist at the Thailand Development Research Institute, wanted to force students who failed the Ordinary National Educational Test to repeat their classes for a whole academic year. This would force them to pay more attention and improve their quality. "If basic-education students perform poorly, they won't be able to do well when they become higher-education students."

An argument for why politicians should consider Cambodian solutions, to the problem of academia (in some instances)

?

We should make the most retarded aspect of the Thai schooling system (for reasons surely too retarded to - actually - outline, I hope)...and make it even - more - retarded.

Gotta be worth a shot? He is a doctor, after all. His opinions are worth considering, surely?

He also suggested awarding teachers based on their students' achievements.

Oh, no scratch that. No, lol. They're actually...not.

I see potential for complexities to arise, if teachers were scoring - their own paychecks. ?

There was a guy, who had problems with academics and wanted to return his nation to a country of agrarian peasants. Or something like that. Fairy tale I read at school, I think. I'm not big on the agrarian stuff, but heck, if this doctor's opinions get a national airing, I think the full range...of opinions...might be brought to bear on the issue. I'm just joking, of course.

But in all seriousness, this doctor should be sentenced to some hard time in a rice paddy somewhere, away from the debate.

[Ijustwannateach]

I like the slimy implication that it's ok if the student can't make it into the public (and cheaper) university system, as if he's willing to pay a LOT more there are plenty of willing private schools... no problems here... everyone move along, now.... Grrrrr.....

[TerryLH]

There are several levels of tests for uni entrance.

I believe if a student takes the quota test, and then accepts a position, they are no longer eligible for some of the other tests/positions.

In some ways that's not fair to the students, but is fair to the schools. That way they can plan on what they need each school year and not have a lot of dropouts because some students kept testing and trying to get a better deal up to the last minute.

Those rules are, in my experience, well known to the students trying to get into uni.

Since it looks like a lot was left out of the story, I wonder if this might be part of the reason??