Fourteen rectors of Slovakia's universities and higher education institutions have written an open letter to parliament entitled "The Dusk of Quality Higher Education" in which they appeal to MPs to reject the draft bill on higher education institutions drawn up by MP Mojmír Mamojka of the strongest coalition party Smer, the SITA newswire wrote.
The letter is expected to be sent on February 19, the Rector of Comenius University in Bratislava František Gahér told a press conference a day earlier.
The draft revision extends the age limit for guarantors of study programs at universities from the current 65 to 70 years of age. Rectors argue that that approval of an increased age limit for study program guarantors would conserve the current, insufficient professional and qualification structure with a missing middle generation.
In addition the draft gives technical colleges the right to run programs not only at the undergraduate (bachelor's) level but also at master's and doctoral levels. Rectors find this highly unusual and most view it as support for business-making activities within education.
The non-governmental Academic Ranking and Rating Agency (ARRA) told SITA that within the programme of comprehensive accreditation of higher education institutions in Slovakia, the Accreditation Commission has also placed some average schools in the highest category of universities. SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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