Affiliated learning centres under scrutiny
SIRIKUL BUNNAG
University-affiliated learning centres are preparing for tough assessments by the quality control agency on education, which says it will punish slipping standards.
Starting in 2010, the Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (Onesqa) will refuse to accredit the parent university if any of its learning centres are found to be below par.
"The 2010 assessment will be tough. If any centre fails the assessment, the main campus will not be accredited. The aim is not to pressure them to close the centres, but to stress quality," said Onesqa director Somwung Pitiyanuwat.
In 2006, a survey by the Office of the Higher Education Commission found there were 250 to 300 learning centres nationwide, mostly run by Rajabhat universities, which serve around 150,000 students. One province would typically have four such centres.
Education Ministry regulations require centres to offer consistent quality, a suitable location, adequate research facilities and at least five full-time lecturers per programme, said commission secretary-general Sumeth Yamnoon.
Rajabhat Rajanagarindra University, with its main campus in Chachoengsao, has 20 learning centres.
After being assessed by the agency, the university plans to cut its branches to 12.
One centre to be axed is its Samrong learning centre, better known as the Super Safe branch, which was set up in the now-defunct Super Safe shopping mall.
It stopped enrolling new students in May. About 90% of its students are full-time.
The centre, which offers undergraduate programmes on weekends, will continue to operate until all 900 students graduate, and then close.
Students taking courses at the centre have mixed views on the programmes it offers.
"It is not worth the money. The classroom is in an abandoned building. I have to watch my step every time I climb the stairs," said one 24-year-old student.
"The place is no good for studying. The library is smaller than my studio apartment. Books are old and the internet rarely works. I attend a lecture, then go home," she said.
She pays 2,500 baht extra to study in an air-conditioned classroom. The college collects about 1,000 baht for classrooms with fans.
But another student, 27, said she did not care what the centre offered. She picked the centre because it is close to her home and the tuition fee is less than at other Rajabhat sites.
She pays 8,100 baht per semester. Elsewhere, she might have been charged as much as 12,000 baht for the same programme.
"I don't care about the quality. My goal is to get a degree. My friends and I are happy that of the 15 courses we have taken so far, our lecturers have never given us fail grades."
University rector Anek Thepsupornkul said he invited the Onesqa to run a pilot assessment of the Samrong centre, which is said to be riddled with problems.
The assessment deemed it to be unsatisfactory in terms of its management, building, academic content and teaching materials.
"The findings prompted us to rethink the future of our education centres.
"Rather than catering to student needs, we have shifted our focus to quality," he said.
The learning centres were borne out of intentions to extend learning opportunities to non-degree holders from working families.
For learning centres near the main campus, half the lecturers were part-time, but the amount of guest lecturers could increase to as much as 80% at more remote centres.
Guest lecturers were not required to hold any education degree or have any teaching experience, so long as they have undergone teacher training.
The rector said the university offers weekend undergraduate programmes to 10,000 students, 6,000 of whom study at learning centres.
Despite strict regulations on learning centres imposed by the ministry, Mr Somwung doubted many centres measured up in practice.
Poor lecturers failed to instruct students in analytical thinking.
They offered "training" courses more than undergraduate study, he said.
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