Service industry / Others / Education : University Entrance Preparatory Schools

Overview
- Preparatory schools, while outside the official education system, offer curricula and employ teaching methods that are approved by the Ministry of Education. Their purpose is to summarize the material and to review the ordinary subjects, to increase knowledge and impart memory and test-taking techniques that will enhance performance in school and on entrance examinations.
- There have been such schools in Thailand for many years. They remain popular among students, especially those who wish to increase their knowledge so as to compete successfully in entrance examinations for leading tertiary institutions with limited admissions. While admissions remain limited at these institutions, the number of applicants has been rising continually. Thus, the competition has been stiff. Students graduated from M6 measure 360,000 each year, of which 300,000 students will take entrance examinations. However, state and private universities offer only 120,000 admissions. Preparation of students for the examinations and admission system, thus, are crucial issues.
- There is a variety of teaching styles among university entrance preparatory schools, including both direct teacher contact and combinations of direct teacher instruction and instruction through video or the Internet. Most subjects offered are standards, for example, mathematics, English, science (physics, chemistry, biology), Thai and social studies.