Education Reform

The reform of higher education was not a project done in a hurry; for the past 12 years, it has been the object of many discussions among politicians, scholars and professors. The reform would bring two great changes: implementation of tuition fees in public universities, and change in appointment of board of directors. Professors from large public universities, such as Charles University in Prague, categorically refuse the reform and denounce the oppression of freedom in education and the impartial operation of the board of directors, but a reform is necessary.

Tuition fees will increase the standard of Czech universities

Tuition fees for each student for a semester will be around 10,000,- Kč (Czech crowns), which represents 125% of the Czech minimum wage. These 10,000,- Kč will go directly to the university and the latter will have the freedom to freely dispose of these funds. In the period when the Czech Republic is making economic reforms and cuts down all extra expenses in the field of national education, these 10,000,- Kč will partially ensure the financing of universities.

According to the partisan of the reform, Miroslav Mašláň, rector of Palacký University in Olomouc, quality must overcome quantity. In fact, the number of students in Czech universities increased rapidly since the independence of the Czech Republic in 1993. However, we cannot make the same regarding the quality of teaching in the universities. It is with the tuition fees that the students will take their studies seriously and will not only benefit from their student status, as it has become common. A scholarship system may be introduced for the less fortunate.

A more democratic election of the board of directors – after the reform

Today, the board of directors of each university is appointed entirely by the minister of education, by the proposition of the rector of each university. But isn’t this procedure absolutely antidemocratic and severely lacks transparency? The reform tries to prevent all of this, by inducting a special form of elections- a third of the board will be elected by the Scientific Council, a third by the respected rector, and a third by the minister of education.

Moreover, the council will not only be composed of prominent professors, politicians and entrepreneurs, but also of alumni of the respected university. At this point, it is almost the case, but the reform will facilitate the appointment of people in regions aware of the local issues.

A reform guaranteeing the quality more than the quantity

The reform is mainly the implementation of tuition fees – does it create a social barrier for easy access to higher education? Presently banks do not offer real student loans, and families have to finance the lives of their children, students, themselves. The reform, however, forecasts student loans comparable to those of Great Britain, with gradual repayment after reaching an average salary. The subject of tuition fees found support among many politicians and professors. Tuition fees and change in appointment of the board of directors do not represent the real problem, but it is the details of the final text that have attracted the attention of the public. The majority of remarks and other propositions of changing the text of the reform, presented by the professors, were accepted by the Ministry of Education. Thus, the reform as such is welcome by those who have studied, and have not refused a dialogue with the Ministry of Education – which does not happen too often. The students organise happenings against the reform and are comparing it with the times before 1989, when academic freedom was not respected. This parallel demonstrates not that the students have not studied the reform nor have it misinterpreted, but that the Czech education system really needs one!