Put Niche Students Ahead Of Education Power Struggles

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL

Put niche students ahead of education power struggles

By The Nation

Conflict between Ohec, Mahidol over music courses points to lack of effective evaluation criteria

The Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec)'s refusal to approve two of seven programmes in music offered by Mahidol University should prompt a much-needed debate about the Thai higher-education system's oversight of specialist and technical schools in the future.

The news raises questions about the criteria for evaluating specialist colleges. Should Ohec use the standard it applies to non-specialist schools to accredit music schools? Or should these specialist schools enjoy autonomy and total freedom in deciding what to teach?

The associate dean of Mahidol's College of Music, Krit Buranavitayawut, said the programmes were based on international curricula. And Dean Sukree Charoensuk was adamant that Ohec staff were not qualified to evaluate the content of the programmes. For their part, Ohec officials said they were simply doing their job: ensuring that students are awarded degrees that reflect what they have actually learned at the performing arts school.

The programmes in question are Music Business and Music Industry Technology. The commission said it rejected the programmes because they offered too few credits in music practice. Sukree insisted he had chosen courses of the highest standard. Refusing to change them, he said he would resign if the programmes were not approved.

The issue lays bare tensions between the higher-education body and the specialist colleges, which strive to retain a degree of autonomy. The conflict should be sorted out in a credible manner that does not make hostages of students and graduates.

After all, it is the students who are most affected. Ohec's rejection of the programmes leaves graduates of them with degrees in liberal arts, instead of musical arts. As a result, some might have difficulty pursuing higher degrees in music or finding jobs in fields that require a music degree.

So far, however, most of Mahidol's College of Music graduates have managed to land respectable jobs in music-related fields both domestically and internationally.

The irony is that Mahidol University's College of Music is widely recognised as one of the best in its field. Dean Sukree has played a key role in turning the performing arts - which

used to be seen as simply an entertainment field - into a respectable educational pursuit. Mahidol students have earned recognition and international awards for their marvellous performances.

If this was a case of Ohec rejecting courses proposed by some mediocre educational institution, it would not have attracted so much attention from the public.

This issue should serve to illustrate the ways in which Thailand's education system needs to be improved if it is to keep up with the rest of the world. Specialist schools should be promoted; they serve the unique interests and talents of specific groups of students. The question is: How will the higher-education system's governing body come up with credible criteria to evaluate programmes to keep similar conflicts from happening again, and safeguard students from falling victim to power struggles between the colleges and their governing body?

Students these days are aware of their right to access to good teachers and practices. Over the past few months, college students have rallied at numerous events to show their disappointment with the state of their education.

Last month, around 200 students of the Faculty of Mass Communication at Chiang Mai University demanded that the faculty's dean step down following her alleged poor management. ABAC's music students recently protested against what they claimed was the school's failure to provide them with sufficient music-training infrastructure.

These students are not looking to Ohec simply to ensure that their colleges provide them with properly designated educational programmes. They want the higher-education governing body - or whichever agency is in charge - to see that they receive a quality education and effective evaluation. And these evaluations must offer more than simply monitoring the way programmes are labelled.

-- The Nation 2011-09-04

[SomTumTiger]

Reposting what I wrote on this topic in the Teaching Forum. I have worked at the Mahidol College of Music for several years. My dean, Dr. Sugree is one of the most innovative and impressive music educators in the world, and has been honored as much (recently received a huge award from the Goethe Center as one of the Arts leaders in the world).. This was a case of "This is all I can stands, and I can't stands no more". Sugree calls the Ohec a "little mafia" because decisions are made without criteria, without transparency, and with bias, in many cases. Here's hoping something good will come out of this, reform wise.

Reposted - On Thursday a group of 400 faculty, staff, and students staged a protect in front of Ohec. Full on with song singing, speeches, grievance lists, and tv and reporter crews from everywhere. I was great. A Dept. Sec. Gen came down, and invited the entire group to come to the large indoor lecture room, and talk.

The official was alone for a while, trying to defend the actions of the commitee.

Basically, there is very few highly educated musicans in Thailand. And those who don't work at my university, are rather jealous of my boss's success at developing his programs, and building an amazing looking campus to help provide learning facilities for students. These same jealous lecturers (from Chula and Kasetsart) were the ones blackballing the program for lacking "Sufficient quality". One only has to come visit the Mahidol College of Music to know that they are full of crap.

The Deputy Sec. Gen. was facing about 50 senior Thai and International professors, and he was way out of his depth. I call him a "bookmark" because he didn't really do anything, and was only holding the room until the decision makers arrived.

After an hour, the Minister of Education, the Sec. Gen. of the Ohec, and MP Adisorn (yes the red shirt), arrived. Adisorn, it seems, is a music lover, and has been keeping the minister abreast of what was going on. The minister of ed was softspoken, and difussed the angry students. He assumed complete oversight over the accreditation process, removing it from the biased subcommitee, and promised to make a review and decision in 2 weeks. It looks as though my Dean will be victorious, but he is still going, on Thai tv, encouraging wholescale changes in the system than produce such a lack of transparency.

It was a stressful week, but seems to be heading in the right direction. Many many stories and tv programs on this, in Thai, for those that are interested. Cheers!

Edited September 4, 2011 by SomTumTiger

[zydeco]

Yes, this dean and his music program are in the process of putting Mahidol and Thailand on the world map. It is happening right now. I hope the bureaucrats however don't turn around and sabotage him from the other end with TQF.

[thaicbr]

What i find amazing in Thailand is how the university's can run a degree course but not get it approved until the end when the students are finishing.

That to me sounds whole fully inadequate. You see it happen time and again not just in this instance.