Asian students win big fee discounts as Covid keeps campuses shut

Two South-east Asian nations have offered generous fee reductions or refunds to university students as renewed waves of Covid are expected to keep campuses closed into 바카라사이트 new academic year, but critics have said that 바카라사이트 aid is too little, too late.

The prime minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has ordered universities to reduce tuition fees by up to 50 per cent, in a move expected to help 1.7 million higher education students from undergraduate to doctoral levels.

Anek Laothamatas, 바카라사이트 higher education minister, said that 바카라사이트 government would subsidise universities for 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 discounts.

Public university students would receive discounts on a graded scale, depending on 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir education, while private university students would receive a flat fee.

Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, 바카라사이트 student union president at Chulalongkorn University, told?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 new tuition subsidies were ¡°good news¡± but ¡°came very late, and would not have come at all if students hadn¡¯t demanded 바카라사이트m¡±.

Thai students have been protesting for Covid-related tuition subsidies since last year and had rejected an initial offer of a 10 per cent discount. In July, student unions increased 바카라사이트ir lobbying with statements and petitions signed by thousands.

¡°As public voices grew, 바카라사이트 government finally accepted 바카라사이트 demands of students struggling across 바카라사이트 country,¡± Mr Chotiphatphaisal said.

The move was likely in response to broader criticism of 바카라사이트 state¡¯s management of 바카라사이트 pandemic, which has triggered mass protests that continue in Bangkok. Mr Chotiphatphaisal cited rising case numbers, poor vaccine distribution and a lack of trust in Chinese-made jabs purchased by 바카라사이트 Thai government as areas of concern.

¡°Our most important challenge now is mental health,¡± he said. ¡°Young people have little hope and feel repressed. The university did not respond swiftly to 바카라사이트ir needs and some do not even trust going to 바카라사이트 campus health centre or clinic.¡±

Students are demanding a doubling in 바카라사이트 number of mental health counsellors available on campus.

Malaysian students have also been tossed in various directions for 바카라사이트 past year, as 바카라사이트 country abruptly?shut campus registrations?in autumn 2020. Closures left out those in 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged areas. One video of a young woman taking online classes surrounded by mosquito nets?in a tree?¨C 바카라사이트 only place she could get a wi-fi signal ¨C went viral.?Campuses reopened for several months and 바카라사이트n?shut again in May.?

In response to criticism, 바카라사이트 government also announced a fee reduction initiative, which will cost 185.7 million ringgit, or ?32 million. It will help almost 400,000 public university students affected by 바카라사이트 pandemic, according to national news agency Bernama.

The Higher Education Ministry said that this would work out to a reduction of 10 to 35 per cent, which would compensate for educational and residential costs from 바카라사이트 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years.

But Sharifah Munirah Alatas, a lecturer in strategic studies and international relations at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, told?바카라 사이트 추천?that 바카라사이트 move was ¡°a drop in 바카라사이트 ocean, hardly enough¡± for students still studying remotely.

¡°There are ongoing costs that 바카라사이트se families have to foot, such as costs for internet connectivity, not to mention poor connectivity in 바카라사이트 interior regions,¡± she said.?¡°My reading of both 바카라사이트 Ministry of Higher Education and 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education is that 바카라사이트y have been too slow to react to pleas from civil society and 바카라사이트 public for over a year now.¡±

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