Last week’s announcement that the national university admission exams will be held over Feb. 23-26 isn’t sitting well with some people, in particular, young people who’d like to, y’know … vote.
The fact that the testing days overlapped with the Feb. 24 election promised by junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha seemed to slip under the radar of most until now, but public complaints from the youth-oriented Future Forward party suddenly have people asking an obvious question: should Thai high school seniors may have to choose between voting and higher education?
The February poll scheduled by the military government, will be the first Thailand has see since early 2011, when Yingluck Shinawatra was voted in as prime minister, only to later be ousted in the May 2014 coup.
If the election is held as planned, about 6.4 million young people will be eligible to vote for the first time.
The overlapping dates with the university admission exam has been a hot topic online since yesterday, with some suggesting the overlapping dates might have been an intentional move to keep younger voters from the polls.
“Are you that afraid of the new generation?” asked one popular comment on Facebook.
Given that Prayuth has postponed the election four times, some sarcastically suggested high school students likely wouldn’t be missing anything.
“Wait a minute. Are you sure the election date will no longer be postponed?” another said.
There has been no comment from PM Prayuth Chan-ocha or the National Institute of Educational Testing Service.
Leader of Future Forward Party Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, among the more high-profile, youth-oriented parties to emerge ahead of this election, has demanded that the government change the exam dates.
“I just found out that the dates for the GAT/PAT exams will fall on Feb. 24, the election day. The Future Forward Party would like to demand the exam dates to be adjusted to not overlap with the election and allow all Thais to exercise their rights equally,” he tweeted, along with a photo of himself with high school supporters.
“Do not make students choose between the exams that will determine their own future or the election that will determine the country’s future.”
เพิ่งทราบข่าวประกาศวันสอบ GAT/PAT ซึ่งตรงกับวันเลือกตั้ง 24 ก.พ. 62 พรรคอนาคตใหม่ขอเรียกร้องให้มีการปรับไม่ให้วันสอบตรงกับวันเลือกตั้ง ให้คนไทยทุกคนได้ใช้สิทธิ์อย่างสะดวกเท่าเทียมกัน อย่าให้นักเรียนต้องเลือกระหว่างการสอบเพื่อกำหนดอนาคตตัวเอง กับการเลือกตั้งเพื่อกำหนดอนาคตประเทศ pic.twitter.com/4FuaKQ0i54
— Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (@Thanathorn_FWP) October 23, 2018
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