The Education Deans Council of Thailand (EDCT) will petition Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin to revise his policy of allowing university graduates who do not hold a degree in education to become teachers in public schools and vocational colleges.
Speaking at a seminar held Monday by Kasetsart University's Faculty of Education, EDCT's president Prapansiri Susoarat said the relaxed rules violate Section 43 of the Government Teacher and Education Personnel Act, as well as regulation No.6 of the Teachers Council of Thailand (TCT).
Ms Prapansiri said that under Section 43, being a teacher is considered a noble profession similar to that of a doctor or engineer, meaning teachers must be well-trained.
Moreover, regulation No.6 indicates every teacher in training must spend at least 12 months as a trainee teacher at a school before they can be legally certified.
"Students majoring in education have to spend five years at university studying how to engage with students of all age ranges on a psychological level," she said.
During this time they must also learn "how to design the right learning activities, or develop strategies to obtain feedback on student learning", she said.
"But now the ministry is allowing people who lack a proper understanding of teaching to freely become teachers," she added.
Ms Prapansiri said if the ministry wishes to solve the shortage of teachers in some subjects or rural areas, it should allow university graduates who do not hold a degree in education to become teachers on a case by case basis.
She also denied rumours the EDCT is seeking 50,000 signatures on a petition to oust Dr Teerakiat, but said the council does plan to submit a petition of some kind to the Education Ministry.
"We can't tell the press yet what our next move will be if the education minister refuses to respond to our request," she said.
"But EDCT members will convene at Srinakharinwirot University on April 1, so I think everything will be cleared up then."
Sumit Suwan, associate dean at Kasetsart University's Faculty of Education and Development Sciences, expressed concern that if teaching standards are relaxed, fewer students may choose to go to university in Thailand.
Meanwhile, Dr Teerakiat said the planned change is aimed at solving the shortage of teachers with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and maths, collectively known as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects.
"Many public schools are having a hard time finding specialist teachers in STEM fields as the numbers of people coming forward to teach those subjects have been declining over the past few years," he said, adding: "Many such teachers are also facing retirement."
Those who pass the exam but lack a degree in education will be allowed to teach in schools on a temporary basis for two years, the minister added.
Within that period they must join the necessary training programmes to meet the teacher-licensing requirements so they can acquire a permanent teaching licence later, Dr Teerakiat said.