On March 29, Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič has returned to parliament the amended University Act drafted by Smer party MP Mojmír Mamojka, which lawmakers approved on March 9.
The president has proposed that parliament reject the legislation outright. He does not agree with Mamojka's argument that it is the lack of guarantors (who are currently subject to an age limit of 65 years) for university study programmes that is endangering the studies of future students and even students already enrolled for individual study courses. Gašparovič opined that increasing the age limit for university programme guarantors to 70 years is not a solution.
“One solution is to create such conditions for the work of a university professor that will considerably improve his/her social status and remuneration,” the president said, as quoted by the SITA newswire. The rectors of several Slovak universities and some other higher education institutions strongly opposed the amendment to the University Act tailored by Mamojka. They objected to the fact that the draft interfered with the ongoing process of accreditation of higher education institutions. As a result, the author of the draft deferred the effectiveness of the draft until October, by which time the accreditation process should be complete.
Education Minister Ján Mikolaj and his Slovak National Party criticised the bill, too. Parliament did not approve the most criticised proposal, to give the right to technical colleges to run not only programmes at undergraduate (bachelor's) level but also at master's and higher levels.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
