Most faculties go on strike on Monday and interrupt classes for one day.
BRATISLAVA. The Student Council of Higher Education Institutions does not support the protest of higher education institutions against the amendment to the Higher Education Act.
Part of the academic senates of universities and faculties have joined the call of the Council of Higher Education Institutions, with the management of some universities and faculties now interrupting classes for a few hours or a whole day.
The press release was provided by the Vice President for Public Relations of the Student Council of Higher Education Institutions, Ema Petriková.
“It is natural that academic senates, whose competencies change, are protesting against the wording. However, these changes objectively strengthen the self-government and autonomy of higher education institutions, “said Filip Šuran, chairman of the Student Council of Higher Education Institutions.
Changes in favor of efficiency
According to the student council at the university level, changes are taking place that will make decision-making processes more efficient. On February 11, student representatives supported the amendment, which, according to them, does not pose a threat to university self-government.
Higher education reform is dramatic. Even universities are no longer united in their resistance Read
On the contrary – it significantly strengthens their autonomy. Universities, for example, can choose bodies and competencies at the faculty level.
As they explained, transparent deadlines will be set for the election of the Rector and a board of directors will be included in the election process, which, given the contribution of external members, will help to better elect the Rector.
Schools are not in danger of losing autonomy
At the faculty level, the university can choose any body that suits it, they are no longer dependent on the strict regulation of current law. The selection of the dean is significantly professionalized, with the participation of academic self-government bodies participating in the selection.
The student council of higher education institutions therefore considers the declarations on the abolition of autonomy and the politicization of higher education institutions to be either a misunderstanding of the amendment or a delusion.
Haunting without arguments
Representatives of the Student Council of Higher Education Institutions have attended several dozen meetings of academic senates in the last week, and are concerned about how much misinformation has occurred at the meetings.
“It is incomprehensible how some academics scare their colleagues and students with an amendment without concrete arguments. I myself have heard claims that politicized boards will sell university assets or that deans will be political nominees. It is unacceptable to scare the academic community in this way, “added Šuran, adding that the Student Council of Higher Education Institutions will organize a public discussion at which the amendment will be professionally discussed.
At the same time, the student council of higher education institutions points out the fact that at some meetings of the academic senates the students were overruled by the staff, some academic senates did not even support the protest due to a long discussion.
According to the Council of Higher Education Institutions, the amendment to the law fundamentally attacks self-government at public higher education institutions and their faculties and limits their autonomy and the principles that the events of November brought to higher education. 1989.
“It is mainly a matter of deciding on basic economic issues, filling the positions of university teachers, the election of rectors and deans. Thanks to transparency and democratic principles, it has so far been possible to protect higher education from undue political influence and the influence of lobby groups, promoting not the public but their own interests, “explains Lucia Sebechlebská, Secretary of the Slovak University Council.
Furthermore, the Council does not agree with the general claims about the poor quality of higher education institutions and that the state of Slovak higher education is a consequence of the self-governing system of their management.
“The same system of academic self-government works successfully in the Czech Republic, where most Slovak students go to study,” he states.