Students representing the CMU Student Network held a protest at Chiang Mai University this morning demanding that the university cut student fees by 30% due to the impact of COVID-19.
The university announced a 10% cut in fees and a number of other measures including a 250 million baht fund to assist students in need April 17 but apparently, this isn’t enough according to the protesting students.
The students claim that at a time that many have lost their jobs, the cuts don’t go far enough as the fees are a burden on lower and middle-class families which they say are the majority of CMU’s student population.
The student network also claimed that a fair education is a basic right of students and that the university was established for the benefit of students and the public. They went on to claim that the university can survive without student fees given that they receive tax payer money and income from various university-owned assets.
In a final statement, the student network said that the claim by the university that a cut of 30% would directly affect teaching and learning efficiency is an excuse and not based on economic reality.
Photo: Chiang Mai News
