The National University of Laos (NUOL) it reemphasising its existing policy to boost student numbers studying agriculture and French language.
With the two subjects attracting falling enrolments the university policy gives students a second chance to be accepted even if they failed the entrance exam.
If the two subjects fail to attract their required quota of enrolments NUOL authorities will then select for the next best performing students from the entrance exams even if they received a fail grade.
Conversely, increasing numbers of applicants have been registering each year to study in the university’s faculties of Economics and Business Management, Law and Political Science, Letters, Social Science and other fields, while only a small number have registered to study in the Faculty of Agriculture and French language department under the Faculty of Letters.
President of National University of Laos, Prof. Dr Somsy Gnophanxay told Vientiane Times this week the enrolment policy for agriculture and French language students was in response to government policy and Ministry of Education and Sports requirements.
Meanwhile, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture under the NUOL, Associate Prof. Dr Fongsamouth Southammavong said under the policy the faculty had for some years issued scholarships to students according to demand from various sectors such as for veterinary science and dealing with crop pests.
“But we haven’t been issuing all the scholarships because the faculty still lacks course lecture rooms and dormitories to accommodate students,” he said.
NUOL has plans to construct about 8 buildings to be used as lecture rooms and dormitories aiming to increasing their enrolment numbers in the near future.
Each year, the faculty received about 210 newly enrolling students including 30 scholarship students. This year, a total about 432 have registered to study in the faculty compared to last year’s 376.
Chief of the French language department under the Faculty of Letters, Mr. Bountiem Phoummisith said the NUOL was promoting French language in a bid to have more francophone graduates in the country.
Each year, the faculty received about 50 new students including those on scholarships. According to the NUOL, more than 16,500 students took entrance exams and they would take on 3,476 students this academic year to study in its 12 faculties.
This year the ministry’s unofficial plan aimed for an estimated 40,000 out of more than 58,000 school leavers to be accepted for courses at universities, technical vocational training institutes, teacher training colleges and other schools, according to the ministry.
Source: Vientiane Times
