Considerable progress has been made in Higher Education
between 2009 and 2013 with 57% increase in student enrolment from 137,253 to
216,053. The number of students in public higher education institutions (HEIs)
who received scholarships has doubled from 9,097 to 18,906. However, the share
of all scholarships in the total enrolments in public HEIs is actually modest:
16.4% in 2009 and 18.7% in 2013 (an increase of 2.3%). The Directorate General
for Higher Education team and HEIs have built their capacity to strengthen
planning and monitoring, manage research grants and scholarships and so absorb
more funds for programs expansion. A research culture has begun to emerge
through the implementation of an innovative research grant program and there is
now stronger regional cooperation, collaboration and jointly implemented
activities. A number of key policy actions have been taken including the
approval of the Research Policy Master Plan, a Royal Decree on Professor
ranking and the preparation of the Higher Education Vision 2030. The
establishment of the Higher Education Technical Working Group has been an
important milestone in establishing a forum for debate and discussion on higher
education issues.
The Government has recognized the importance of providing
opportunities in higher education and the importance to assuring relevance and
quality. ASEAN integration will provide opportunities for collaboration between
institutions, joint research and quality standard setting.
Higher education development program is to undertake
systematic reform of the higher education system to bring higher education into
line with regional and international standards, enforce the quality
implementation of the system; teaching and research in science, technology,
engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) subjects
The education reform plan is to strengthen the management of
public institutions of higher education and control private higher education
institutions to develop high-skilled human resources to respond to the trends
of economic development and better link public and private university
institutions with industry.
Three policy objectives has been stated for higher education
reform (1) Increased percentage of scholarship and opportunity for eligible
students, especially disadvantaged group, to access to HE, (2) Improving the
quality and relevance of higher education and (3) Higher education systems are
fully functional to support HEIs to meet national and regional standards by
2018.
Policy 1: Ensuring equitable access for all to education services
- Prepare national policy on scholarship, subsidy and loan scheme at higher education in 2014.
- Prepare a plan for increasing student at science, technology, engineering, creative arts and mathematics in 2014.
- Prepare guideline for entrance and exit exams by 2014.
- Prepare a plan for increasing regional HEI services and resources in 2016.
Policy 2: Enhancing the quality and relevance of learning
- Prepare guideline on Tracer Study by 2014.
- Prepare operational manual for research proposal by 2015.
- Prepare a guideline on regular class room evaluation in 2015.
- Prepare a policy on human resource development at higher education in 2015.
- Prepare guideline for Practicum Program Development by 2015.
- Prepare a standard and guideline on internal quality assurance in 2015.
- Prepare a guideline on curriculum development in 2016.
Policy 3: Ensuring effective leadership and management of education staff at all Levels
- Establish faculty of education at RUPP in 2014.
- Prepare operational manual for Library Management by 2014.
- Prepare operational manual for Laboratory Management by 2014.
- Prepare a structure and mechanism to implement a policy on research and development in 2014.
- Prepare a result-base HE plans in 2014.
- Improve accreditation system for the establishment of HEI in 2014.
- Prepare a regulation on the HEI autonomy in 2014.
- Prepare a mechanism to implement Royal decree on professor status in 2015.
- Prepare a guideline on result-base monitoring and evaluation system in 2015.
- Prepare a sample of Development Plan and Business Plan by 2016.
- Prepare a policy on governance and financial management at higher education in 2016.
- Prepare a guideline on minimum learning cost by subjects at higher education in 2017.
- Prepare a master plan on establishment of national university in 2018.
