Repeat Onet candidates to submit objections
The Supreme Administrative Court will allow a group of repeat Onet test-takers to submit their written objections against an appeal filed by the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) over an Onet-score injunction.
Ohec's appeal against the Khon Kaen Administrative Court's temporary injunction has already reached the Supreme Administrative Court. "Whether the Supreme Administrative Court will accept to rule on the appeal and to revoke its lower court's injunction, will depend on written information submitted by both sides," a source revealed yesterday. Earlier this month, the Khon Kaen Administrative Court issued the temporary injunction barring Ohec and the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) from using university-admission criteria issued by the University Presidents Council of Thailand (UPCT) - pending its review into the case. In the court case, the criteria surrounded the Onet (Ordinary National Educational Test) scores. According to the UPCT, only Onet scores from first-time Grade-12 graduates who sit the test will be used to determine their chances of enrolling at their favourite universities. However, a group of repeat Onet test-takers want their scores from their second attempt to be used for this year's university admission. Ohec is scheduled to announce the university admission results on May 15. Currently, Ohec, Niets and UPCT have stood by the decision to recognise Onet scores from the first test only. They said Onet was a measure of a student's academic performance upon completion of Grade 12. Education Minister Wijit Srisa-arn, however, said proper plans were in place no matter how the Supreme Administrative Court ruled on the case. "But we can't disclose them at this point," he said. He said the ongoing problem would have minimal impact if the Supreme Administrative Court ruled on the appeal before May 15. If the ruling came later than that, he said the impact would be immense. "But if it's sorted out in no later than six weeks, we should be able to cope," he said. According to NIETS, there were 541 students who took Onet test twice. Onet has been used as one of the main university-admission criteria since last year. Of them, 25 lodged the complaint with the Khon Kaen Administrative Court leading to the ongoing court battle.
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