Some Universities Plan To Push Back Opening Dates In 2014: Thailand

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Some universities plan to push back opening dates in 2014

Saowanee Nimpanpayungwong

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The opening of school terms at some universities in Thailand will be postponed in 2014, so it is in line with back-to-school dates in European and Asean countries, Somkid Lertpaitoon, head of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand, said yesterday.

The CUPT meeting yesterday also resolved that all universities should recruit students via direct admission in January, instead of the usual October. As a result, Mathayom 6 graduates keen to go to university can take advantage of the two-month gap in the adjustment.

Somkid said that because the government had hiked civil servants' salary to Bt15,000 a month from January 1, CUPT would ask it to give a pay increase to university personnel and ensure their salaries continued to be 1.7 times more than civil servants - as they were previously.

This excludes new university employees who already receive a starting salary of Bt15,000. He urged the government to support the move, because the hike would be expensive, and could cost an institution such as Chulalongkorn Bt400 million a year.

CUPT also heard the Admission Forum team's proposal for two admission system options for the academic 2014 year.

It assigned the team to further analyse pros and cons before tabling the proposal again on August 26, Somkid said.

The first option was to hold the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and Professional Aptitude Test (PAT) in October 2013, and then the general seven-subject exam in January 2014.

The central admission exam would sell its handbook from May 15-28, 2014; gather applications from May 18-28; collect fees from May 18-30; check scores from June 4-6; announce those qualified for interview and physical tests on June 13; conduct interviews and physical tests from June 23-25; and announce the final result on June 30.

Second option would be to hold the general seven-subject exam in January 2014, then the first GAT/PAT exam in early March and the second GAT/PAT in early May.

The central admission exam would sell its handbook from May 5-18, 2014; gather applications from May 8-18; collect fees from June 8-20; check scores from June 28-30; announce those qualified for interview and physical examination on July 4; conduct interviews and physical tests from July 14-16; and announce final results on July 24.

-- The Nation 2012-07-02

[MaxLee]

So that's why I don't see the traffic jams that were supposed to happen in this month... Did University start late this year due to the floods? Mine has begun two weeks ago...

[Scott]

So when exactly are Universities scheduled to begin?

[KhaoNiaw]

A couple of universities have already changed their academic calendars. Bangkok University and KMUTT will start in mid-August this year.

[chotthee]

Longer holidays?

Great.

[KhaoNiaw]

Longer holidays?

It won't mean longer holidays. Just shifting the whole calendar.

[thunder30101]

This has been in the plan since the aec agreement in 2008 to synchronize thailands school schedule with the rest of the world, they plan to do it in stages so as to not totally disrupt the school system. Asean companies like others in the world make plans for hiring/recruiting interns-employees in march-june. When I first came here i couldnt believe they were graduating in december lol. Now if they could just figure out that no one else knows what the hell the year 2555 means.

[sprq]

Yes, let's have Thai students studying in March, April and May when it's baking hot and taking holidays in July and August, when it's not. Great idea.

Or perhaps the CUPT also has a plan to import a temperate zone climate into Thailand. That would be it, excellent thinking.

[thunder30101]

How lame an excuse, so only thailand is hot in march april and may lol ??? you must be thai. Sorry but unless thailand wants to fall even further behind in education than they are compared to their peers in asian this change must happen. Oh wait thailand is the education hub everyone else must revolve around and emulate how foolish of me.