Don't make our universities autonomous, plead students
Standing firm on their stance against an Education Ministry policy to grant autonomy to state universities, a group of student representatives yesterday released a formal statement calling on the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to withdraw bills seeking the change.
Speaking at a press conference at Chulalongkorn University, Student Organisation of Thailand president Thana Suksinranon called for the complete withdrawal of all bills, including two already accepted last week by the NLA. Student representatives attended from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology North Bangkok and Chulalongkorn, Kasetsart, Mahidol, Ramkhamhaeng and Burapha universities. Thana suggested the government provide a clear explanation about the issue before conducting a public hearing involving members of the public and selected university students. This would educate taxpayers about the issue before a referendum sought final approval for the change. In his statement, Thana also proposed a joint investigation by the Office of the Auditor-General and the Commission on Higher Education into the universities' spending in the past 10 years to determine whether they were transparent. The student activists also want the government to set up an independent entity to inspect the universities after they become autonomous. Currently, the NLA is in the process of considering six bills for the transformation of six state universities into being independent from the bureaucracy. These universities are Srinakharinwirot, Burapha, Chulalongkorn, Naresuan and Thaksin and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok. Ninnete Surarat The Nation
|
