Lack of certification ‘stranding students’
Universities failing to comply with professional councils leave pupils unemployable, writes Damrongkiat Mala
Agrowing number of university graduates are finding themselves unqualified to practice their intended vocations because their courses are not certified by professional councils. Many have found their years of intensive studies and training have amounted to nothing.
Such cases illustrate a chronic problem shrouding higher education i n the country.
An example came in 2008 when five institutes opened medicine courses and let students enrol although the institutes had not yet been certified by the Medical Council of Thailand. This caused graduates to be barred from sitting an exam to obtain licences to become doctors.
The latest case, involving Western University in Pathum Thani, saw the Dental Council last month decide to disqualify the curriculum of the university’s faculty of dentistry for the 2016 academic year, saying the lecturer-student ratio failed to comply with the council’s criteria.
Council president Paisan Kangvonkit said Western University launched the dentistry course in 2009, but the curriculum was only certified in 2014.
The council then agreed to retroactively certify the curriculum to help senior students after the university upgraded its curriculum to meet the council’s requirements.
“In the first period, there were 20 to 30 dentistry students at the university, which is not a lot. After the council certified its curriculum, the university expanded with the number of seats for students jumping to 120 each year, which is too many,” said Mr Paisan. “This does not comply with the teaching resources and number of lecturers. The council limits the number of the students at 80 per year.”
Following the council’s decision to disqualify the curriculum last month, students who enrolled in dentistry courses this year, starting in August, would be denied sitting for exams to obtain dentistry licences, Mr Paisan said.
“This means the graduates can’t become dentists,” he noted, adding the problem stems from the different regulations of university-related laws and those regulating the professions.
Private universities stick to the Private University Act, which underlines only broad curriculum requirements, inappropriate for certain courses such as medicine or dentistry, he said.
“We consider the medicine curriculum needs high standards as it is a matter of public health. The lecturer-student ratio should not be higher than 1:4 to ensure close monitoring,” said Mr Paisan, adding students need at least 2,000 hours of training before they can be allowed to take care of patients.
Mr Paisan said allegations have emerged that professional councils are trying to interfere with curriculum arrangements in universities in a bid to gain benefits with “students being held as hostages”.
“I want to make it clear that the dental council plays a role in protecting people who receive dental treatment and the matter has nothing to do with seeking benefits,” Mr Paisan said. “Therefore, the service providers must be qualified under certified education for the sake of safety.”
King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) rector Suchatvee Suwansawat, who is also a board member of the Council of Engineers, said he understood the viewpoints of both universities and professional councils.
Universities think each professional council has no intention to fine-tune criteria used to certify courses, which are sometimes difficult to comply with, he said.
For example, the Veterinary Council specified that universities which want to open veterinary courses must establish an animal hospital first to accommodate the training of students. Mr Suchatvee said this is unnecessary because the universities can form an arrangement with other animal hospitals where students can receive training.
On the other hand, councils are concerned about the teaching standards of universities, particularly private ones, which are seen to solely focus on making money, Mr Suchatvee said. Councils fear universities will accept too many students, causing the quality of tuition to fall short.
“A way to tackle the problem is to bring both sides to talk and work on the rules which can ensure each curriculum can be acceptable to all parties,” the KMITL rector said, adding various councils are likely to be called to discuss the matter soon.
Permanent secretary for education Kamjorn Tatiyakavee said the Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) earlier tried to make a deal with 13 professional councils to work out rules to certify university degrees, but no agreement has been reached.
He said a new law governing higher education is being drafted and this would ensure course content would be agreed upon by Ohec and the councils.
Under the new law, Ohec would be in charge of academic work and professional councils would be obliged to certify the degrees, he said.
Councils will not be involved with the course arrangement.
The councils expected to be called to meet are: the Medical Council of Thailand, the Dental Council, the Nursing Council, the Pharmacy Council of Thailand, the Medical Technology Council, the Physical Therapy Council, the Veterinary Council, the Federation of Accounting Professions, the Council of Engineers, the Architect Council of Thailand, the Lawyers Council of Thailand, the Professional Tourist Guide Association and Khurusapha.
We consider the medicine curriculum needs high standards as it is a matter of public health. PAISAN KANGVONKIT DENTAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT