Thailand’s National Legislative Assemble has passed bills to grant autonomy to four major public universities, a move which is being regarded as a step towards privatisation. However, students and teachers have criticised the move saying that it raises concerns about the universities losing transparency in management and becoming more commercial. Thammasat University, Kasetsart University, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and Khon Kaen University previously came under the Education Ministry and received benefits such as State subsidies.
Now, they will receive an annual block grant from the State but have the autonomy to manage their finances, programmes and curriculum design.
Exam stressDo you get butterflies in your stomach whenever exams get closer? Take heart. You’re not the only one. According to a report by child protection campaigners NSPCC, the number of students in Britain seeking counselling to tackle exam stress has increased by 200 per cent in recent years. The major themes that came up included — students not wanting to disappoint their parents, fear of failure and general pressure linked to academic achievement.
Branching outAberdeen University is set to become the first higher education institution from U.K. to open a campus in South Korea, according to reports. The new campus of the university is being created with South Korean government’s “establishment funding.”
Increasingly, colleges and universities from the U.K, such as Lancaster University and Leeds Metropolitan, have been setting up their campuses overseas to boost their income.
