Article 44 may be used ‘to rein in errant universities’

Education Minister General Dapong Ratanasuwan has threatened to use Article 44 of the interim constitution to tackle private and state universities that operate programmes without proper permission, writes Keskarn Boonpen for The Nation.

The latest scandal surrounds Bangkok Thonburi University. Though permitted to run a masters degree programme in educational management for 500 graduate students each year, the university has recruited 2,500 students to its programmes annually.

Article 44 of the interim constitution gives National Council for Peace and Order chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha, also Thailand’s prime minister, the power to issue binding orders deemed necessary for urgent problems without the need to propose a law via the time-consuming legislative process. Dapong said use of Article 44 would not single out any specific university because the move would be done to help the higher education sector.
Full report on The Nation site