WITH cash-strapped families already struggling to cover their children’s education, the current university admission system has made their financial woes even worse, a survey has found.

With the new direct admission system, students who can afford to pay application fees and cover travel expenses to sit at every entrance exam will have a bigger chance of making it to their favourite educational institute. This means, if parents cannot pay, their children will become victims of educational inequality.

A survey by the Quality Learning Foundation (QLF) found that more than half of poor families were relying on loans to cover their children’s schooling.

The survey also revealed that students from poor families spent Bt2,359 per month, or 26 per cent, of their household income on schooling, while those from well-heeled families spent Bt2,886 a month or 5 per cent of the household income.

“In relation to household income, the amount spent on education by a poor family is five times [as much as for] those who can find it affordable,” the survey report said.

On average, students spend up to Bt61,199 on making preparations for higher education during their years in Grades 9 to 12.

Dr Sompong Jitradub, a board member of the QLF, said parents regardless of their financial status would want their children to complete their university education.

“Some parents even seek loans to make this possible,” he said.

According to the QLF, even though government policy aims to provide 12 years of free education, parents still have to pay some cash to cover their children’s schooling.

Hence the current university-admission system aggravates the problem of inequality in the country’s education sector.

“The direct admission system has only increased inequality, though it may have given some students more choice,” Patcharapan Prachuaplarp said in his capacity as the chairman of a youth network.

Ittipol Chimngarm from Samut Songkhram province said some fathers had to work as motorcycle taxi drivers during their free time so as to earn extra income for their children’s education.

The QLF conducted the survey among senior secondary students and their parents in March and April in a bid to assess the children’s preparation for higher education.

According to the finding, students feel “tired from studying hard and taking so many exams” when it comes to preparing for university admission.

Of the 1,564 respondents, 60 per cent said they took tutorial classes in order to get a good grade and boost their chances at getting admitted to their favourite university. Some said they took extra classes to keep up with lessons at school.

Pongsatorn Nampila, a student in Beung Kan province, said he wanted to take tutorial classes but could not afford them. “Plus, there are no tutorial schools in my province,” he said, adding that he was the son of a farmer.