Chaiwuti wants universities to stick to central system

"The central admission system saves time and cost for the children," he said, adding that direct enrolment would only have students scurrying around submitting applications.

"I understand that direct admission will suit each institute's academic needs, but keeping so many seats open for direct enrolment may be a big burden on the children," Chaiwuti said.

The minister was speaking in response to reports that some institutes, such as Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering, were planning to allocate about 80 per cent of the seats to students enrolling directly in the 2010 academic year.

However, Chaiwuti admitted that he had no power to force universities to abide by his suggestion. "I'm asking for co-operation," he explained.

Chaiwuti said he believes 50 per cent of the available seats should be given to students via the central admission system, and will be airing his views tomorrow at a forum on admissions for the next academic year. The forum has been organised by the University Presidents' Council of Thailand.

Assoc Prof Athikom Roeksabutr, who chairs the Council of Engineering Deans of Thailand, said ever since the new central admissions system was introduced three years ago, engineering faculties at all universities had detected a drop in academic performance, especially in mathematics and physics. Since mathematics and physics are key subjects for engineering, he said the new admissions system is not as effective is direct enrolment.

"We have also found that engineering students' grades in social-study and Thai-language have risen," Athikom said.

Under the new admission system, engineering schools are made to enrol students based mainly on their Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet) and Advanced National Educational Test (Anet).

"Now that the Professional Aptitude Test has been launched [in place of Anet], we will meet in May to see how effective it is for the engineering field," Athikom said.

Assoc Prof Somchai Hiranvarodom, who heads the Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi's Faculty of Engineering, said his faculty also found new students to be weak in mathematics and physics.

"We have to organise intensive mathematics and physics tuition courses for new students," he said.