When quantity remain the problem, how quality can be ensured?

Today is the first day of the "Quality Provision in Cross-Border HIgher Education" Second Draft Meeting since last April in Paris. This meeting hosted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The meeting is going to consult the member states from the world, international institutions, NGOs, Standard Accredition Organizaton and student organizations as well.

The ASA raise up the issue of the representation from the student organization. Only two organizations, European National Student Union (ESIB) and ASA attended this drafting meeting. How you can expect the development of the guideline were actively consulted the opinions from the student bodies.

Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic, representative from the UNESCO Higher Educaiton Division responded with the framework that had been build since the WCHE + 5 in 1998 that already included the well represented student organization around the world. With the set up of the Electronic Discussion Group (EDG), UNESCO believed that the youth participation in the drafting process considered accomplished.

Of course we are not agree with this explanation. Anyway, there were several other matters that been discussed as well including the roles of the student bodies in the guideline. The ASA really concerns about the rights to education. Even many countries in Asia still have a very high illiteracy. Imagine how the people in Asia can access to the education?

Tomorrow will be the final day for the meeting. I'll try my best to speak out the concerns from the Asian Students. The more we expose the weaknesses of the process, the more remind of the people about the education situation in the Asia.