Every other school will be required to admit all applicants.

"I am told that if these popular secondary schools do not hold entrance exams, an extremely large number of children will flock to these schools," Wijit said yesterday, explaining why the most famous schools would be exempt.

However, he has already instructed the Basic Education Commission (BEC) to find a better way to select new students for the most popular schools, which include the prestigious Suan Kularb Wittayalai School, Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) and Satriwithaya School.

An informed source said Wijit hoped to scrap the entrance exams even at these elite schools, which would be an about-turn on the policy of former education minister Chaturon Chaisang.

Last year, Chaturon approved a plan to reduce the ratio of seats earmarked for neighbourhood children from 60 to 50 per cent. He said the proportion would give children in remote areas a better chance of gaining admission to prestigious schools, which are mostly located in town.

Chaturon reasoned that his move would also reverse a trend that has seen standards at elite schools drop since the quota was imposed several years ago.

The prestigious schools welcomed Chaturon's move.

Wijit replaced Chaturon as education minister following a bloodless coup, which removed Thaksin Shinawatra-led administration from power on Sept 19.

The new education minister said yesterday entrance exams in secondary schools should be removed because it was a government's duty to provide education for all children.

According to Wijit, the schools must admit every applicant. If the number of applicants exceed available seats, they can hold a draw to determine which applicants to accept.

But exemptions will be granted to the 430 most popular schools on the BEC list. About half of them are in Bangkok, and the rest in other provinces.

At each of these 430 schools, 50 per cent of available seats will go to children in the local neighbourhood, 40 per cent will go to applicants who successfully pass entrance exams, and 10 other per cent will be allocated for children with special talents.

However, the quota for children with special talents often extends to children of schools' patrons. Wijit strongly suggested the entrance exams and the quota for the children of school patrons be replaced with something more appropriate.

Supinda na Mahachai

The Nation