Jurin aims to bring about qualitative change

The new education minister recently said the freeeducation policy could be implemented like the government's universal healthcare scheme.

"The government will provide subsidies to schools. Then, if parents want higher quality in education, they will have to pay for the extra cost," Jurin said.

Although the government had promised free medical care to the jobless and elderly, they were required to foot their own bill if they requested a private hospital room or other special treatment.

Some schools would have to charge extra fees from parents given their better educational services.

"But I intend to ensure that children get free textbooks and uniforms," he said.

"The previous administration had offered just 12 years of free education but I will make education free for up to 15 years."

The government has been long criticised for confusing the public with socalled "free education" while this policy was mainly about the exemption of tuition fees.

Parents say they still have to pay something for their children's education because so many schools require Internet, electricity and cleaning fees.

"We will see what fees the schools can collect from parents," Jurin said.

However, he did not mention why the government did not consider limiting subsidies to just state or specialised schools, so the government would have adequate funds to provide quality educational services.

In fact, parents who send their children to private schools are wealthy and do not need state assistance.

On the country's second round of education reform, Jurin said he was waiting for information and recommendations from the Education Council.

The council, which has already held a brainstorming forum, will submit its report in March.

"Authorities should be able to kick off the reform blueprint in April," Jurin said.

While the first round of reform focused on the studentcentred approach, the second round looks set to concentrate on teachers.

"The production and empowerment of teaching staff are among the key measures," Jurin said.

It is hoped that Jurin will not entirely change the course of reform because some current projects are quite good.

For example, the labschool project has boosted students' performance on university admission exams.

The lab schools have also provided good alternatives for children in the provinces, who would have otherwise rushed to Bangkok to enrol in wellequipped schools.

Although the lab schools were blamed for some shortcomings such as racking up huge debts, this project should be improved - not abandoned, he said.

Former education minister Wijit Srisaarn said the second round of reform should follow the pattern of the previous round.

"The old guidelines will be largely useful. The new government just needs to do some revision and prioritisation," Wijit said. "The development of teaching staff will be a key."

Privy Councillor Kasem Wattanachai said reform was about adjusting national educational policies to keep up with recent developments.

"We have to adapt to new changes," Kasem said.

For example, China's vocational education focused on producing graduates for jobs offered by businesses.

"Thailand is preoccupied with encouraging students to vocationaleducation programmes," he said.

The country's education policies should deal less with ideology and more with practicality or else tangible, impressive results will hardly emerge.

Top education officials should not let their political affiliations sway their policies.

There is no need to keep changing policies simply because they do not want to follow their predecessors who came from different political camps.

Just do what's best for the country's education and Thai children. These children, after all, will shape the country's future, he added.