Uni students give U-Net thumbs down (updated)

Thai university students say do not need another examination, especially the one being launched by the National Institute of Education Testings Service (Niets) known as U-Net. Now they have some prominent support in their opposition to the test.

Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

As of Monday morning, this anti-U-Net Facebook page had over 90,000 likes.

Tuesday morning update

Opposition to the proposed U-Net exam continued to grow yesterday, including criticism from a high-ranking education official.

Ohec chief takes aim at new uni test

Students sit enough exams, academics say

The Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) has criticised the controversial graduate examination, the University National Educational Test (U-Net).

Tossaporn Sirisampan, secretary-general of Ohec, said U-Net's purpose should be reviewed.

"We are concerned the U-Net exam could become a problem as graduates' skills and competencies vary widely depending on their study programme," he said.

Student networks from 27 state universities have declared their opposition to the U-Net exam, saying it will place more burdens on already-overloaded students. Professors have also questioned the exam's necessity.

Monday's story

Uni students give U-Net thumbs down

Thai university students appear to have one thing they agree on.

They do not need another examination, especially the one being launched by the National Institute of Education Testings Service (Niets).

Known as the University National Educational Test (U-Net), it is designed to assess university graduates' basic competence in Thai and English communication skills, media literacy, critical thinking, moral reasoning and specific professional skills.

Niets announced that the U-net exam is designed to evaluate all graduates at bachelor, master and doctorate levels.

The plan prompted an immediate outcry and soon unhappy students were organising social media campaigns against it.

A Facebook page called NO!! U-NET launched last Thursday already has 90,000 "likes" and the page says that 50,000 names will be collected and sent to Niets to show their disagreement. (https://www.facebook.com/WeareAntiunet)

A campaign on the website Change.org to "halt the U-NET examination" has also attracted more than 40,000 supporters.(http://chn.ge/1ikqXtI)

Wittawat Loadae, a fourth-year student of Rajamangala University of Technology Krugthep’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, disagreed with U-Net as many tough examinations to evaluate students’ academic performance were already in place.

“There are a lot of exams that we have to face,” he said.

Mr Wittawat insisted that each major already has its own tests to ensure all students meet academic requirements.

Siripitch Siranyathawat, a fourth-year student at Mae Fah Luang University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, also said the U-Net exams would place an unnecessary burden on students.

“I disagree with this idea," Ms Siripitch said.

"My university has already has exams like U-Net, called an exit exam.

"All students of all majors must undertake this exit exam to assess their academic performance before graduating.”

Niets board chairman Somwang Pitiyanuwat insisted on moving forward with the U-Net amid disagreement.

“Niets is duty-bound to develop the tool to assess quality of education at all levels including basic schools, vocational education and non-formal education," he said.

"But we do not yet evaluate graduates’ standards at university level.”

Adapted from a story by Lamphai Intathep and Wirin Chookaew. You can read the full story here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/406820/new-graduate-exam-a-pain

สามารถฝึกอ่านออกเสียงและดูคำแปลได้ที่ : http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/407013/uni-students-give-u-net-thumbs-down