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Published on December 13, 2007

"This is the first problem about education that Thailand should tackle," Sheldon Shaeffer, director of the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, said at an international conference.

The conference on "Reinven-ting Higher Education: Toward Participatory and Sustainable Development" attracted over 300 educators from 33 countries.

On ways to improve higher-educational institutes in Thailand, Shaeffer suggested they should improve quality assessment and research, reduce the number of unemployed graduates, and provide adequate libraries.

He felt Thai higher education institutes should reach out more to communities.

"By working closely with local people, the staff and students in these institutions can increase their understanding of the world around them.

"Educators need to change their way of thinking and style of teaching to encourage greater interaction with people outside the walls of the classrooms and lecture halls so that everyone can have an equal say in the things that affect their lives," Shaeffer said.

Educators, higher-education institutes, non-profit organisations, independent agencies and communities should be aware that universities had an important role in shaping the future.

Shaeffer also pointed out that higher education took up a large portion of education funding in most countries.

According to UNESCO's Education for All Global Monitoring Report last year, in 2003 donors contributed almost US$200 million (Bt6 billion) to post-secondary education world-wide, compared to $90 million given to secondary education. Post-secondary education funding has increased every year since 1999 and doubled over the five years to 2003.

 The Nation