Concern Over Drop In Enrolments For Agriculture

[Lite Beer]

Concern over drop in enrolments for agriculture

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK:-- Fewer students have enrolled in agricultural fields over the past few years - and the drop in enrolments in such fields could cause Thailand to fall behind other countries, an academic said recently.

Kasetsart University (KU) president Assoc Prof Vudtechai Kapilakanchana revealed he was worried that the number of students applying for agriculture-related fields through the central university admission system had dropped over the past few years.

The decline had been seen not only at KU, but also at other universities with faculties of agriculture, he said.

"We found that many who enrolled in agricultural courses did not intend to study in those fields but chose them because the required scores for admission were low. They just wanted to have a place to study at universities - then in the next year when they joined for admission again they could enter a new faculty. They decided to enrol with the new one," the president said.

Assoc Prof Amphaiwan Pharanuwat, deputy dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at KU, said the low number of agriculture-related careers had probably caused the decline in students.

She said there were not many agriculture-related careers available for graduates. Most compete for jobs at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives or apply to work with agricultural businesses, but there were few companies running such businesses in Thailand.

However, some whose families owned land decided to go home and make use of their property. Before they were able to go into business on their own lands. However, most had to work as employees first for four or five years, Amphaiwan said.

She added that since science was among the main subjects taught in the agricultural field, many students who were not good at it might choose other fields instead.

Although Thailand was a mostly agricultural country, the number of agricultural graduates who could help improve the country's industry had dropped, Vudtechai said.

"Now Vietnam is able to produce 1,000 kilograms of rice per rai while Thailand is able to produce only 800 kg per rai on average. Thailand will probably be less competitive compared to other Asean countries, especially when the Asean Economic Community takes effect and agricultural produce will be needed to help the country survive," he added.

Vudtechai said he wanted all universities to focus on promoting educational fields for the country's needs, including agriculture, to lure more students.

-- The Nation 2012-05-20

[OzMick]

Or maybe they're smart enough to realise not only are the entry standards low, so is the pay when you graduate.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

If the government is concerned maybe they should fund research programs that have high status and pay well, attracting students to those careers. Just telling the service providers they must do their duty won't be very effective will it?

[geriatrickid]

If the government is concerned maybe they should fund research programs that have high status and pay well, attracting students to those careers. Just telling the service providers they must do their duty won't be very effective will it?

Funding research projects requires money. The military gobbles up a large part of the spending. Once health care and education take their share, there is not much left over for discretionary spending. Science is always the low entry on the spending priority list. Politicians would rather have their photo snapped with a big bosomed starlet than with some guy that has discovered something unsexy like a pest resistant seed.

[Tywais]

Science is always the low entry on the spending priority list.

That may be true with the current government but it certainly wasn't with the previous ones. Our university research facility was getting significant government support but started drying up with the new government under the guise of 'flood costs'.

[MEL1]

Students who graduate, after hard studies, including the ones from farming families, really want to go back to till the land; with little pay back?

Me thinks not!

-mel.

[ratcatcher]

Until Thailand, like many other developing nations, can drop the stigma attached to being a "farmer", there will be less interest in careers in the agricultural sector. Farming is one of the most important businesses. No farmers, no food. Politicians and lawyers we might be able to do without, not so farmers.

Thai farmers in mosty cases are subsistence and small scale, but at least they can earn money. In the west, the farms are in the hands of multinationals. Most students want to study the 'clean' careers like business, law, medicine etc. In those sectors the rewards can be high.

Not so in agriculture.

However, there should still be plenty of opportunities if the government, particularly the PTP, pays more attention to this sector, as this is, after all, where their voter base is located to a large degree.

[mayday49]

and who could afford to go broke farming with the cost of decent equipment and high cost for supplies up and down the supply chain? go shop for half kilo of broccoli...

[MEL1]

Until Thailand, like many other developing nations, can drop the stigma attached to being a "farmer", there will be less interest in careers in the agricultural sector. Farming is one of the most important businesses. No farmers, no food. Politicians and lawyers we might be able to do without, not so farmers.

Thai farmers in mosty cases are subsistence and small scale, but at least they can earn money. In the west, the farms are in the hands of multinationals. Most students want to study the 'clean' careers like business, law, medicine etc. In those sectors the rewards can be high.

Not so in agriculture.

However, there should still be plenty of opportunities if the government, particularly the PTP, pays more attention to this sector, as this is, after all, where their voter base is located to a large degree.

I agree, and half-agree. The PTP does pay attention to this sector; and yet controls the prices for mafia and top dog purposes I think you would agree? Their vote base has to acknowledge soon, that despite the bought votes, they are in the losing position?

Hence, the small quandry who wish to return home, after graduation, to milk non-bosomable intakes?

-mel.