Students angered at exam overload

A student network wants changes to the Ordinary National Educational Test, or Onet, postponed until 2010.

It has demanded the scraping of a plan for the Onets to cover eight subjects between 2007 and 2009.

It asked for an explanation to the exam changes and said failure to respond to its 10-point statement would result in it rallying and delivering a 10,000-signature objection to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on August 14.

On Saturday, the group gathered at the October 14 Memorial Monument where its exhibition questioned the sincerity of education reforms.

The group issued a second statement objecting to an increase in Onet subjects from five to eight.

The original subjects are mathematics, Thai language, social science, English and science. The new subjects are arts, vocational skills and physical education.

Onet scores are the main criteria in determining grade-12 graduates positions at higher-education institutions.

Leading member, grade-12 student Napat Channuan, of Wat Nairong School, said the network's first statement on June 19 was ignored.

Napat said the network gathered 10,000 student names via the website sornorsor.com/onet2550.

If the network does not receive an explanation within seven days it will carry out its threatened protest and Surayud application.

Of the 10 points, the first is a postponement of the increase in exam subjects until 2010 so "schools and students can prepare for change".

It wants the National Institute of Educational Testing Service to scrap a "still-unclear policy" for Mathayom-3 students to take Onets next year and to cancel them in three subjects for Pathom-6 pupils.

The network also asked the institute to make public how much its spends arranging examinations.

It called for the Cabinet to make education reform a priority for national development.

Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an was called on to accept responsibility for abrupt changes to exam procedure and to give three-years warning of future policy changes.

Before implementing new policies the ministry should seek student opinion as well as that of parents and teachers "according to their constitutional rights".

The group sough a solution to university-entrance exam difficulties - including those facing students wanting to shift to other disciplines, those failing in previous years and those who did not sit Onet exams during their graduation year.

It demanded a fair system that allowed access for all to higher education.

The Nation