Universities reject higher education reform

Twenty out of 26 university senates last week rejected a draft reform of Czech universities and called for protest petitions and strikes, Daniel Feranc, secretary of the Charles University Academic Senate, told CTK. Work on the reform, which will introduce tuition fees, has been under way for years.

The universities should turn to the government with their comments, Feranc said, adding that Education Minister Josef Dobes was distorting their objections. Due to the disagreement of academics, the changes have been postponed so far.

"The chairmen of the academic senates asks academic senates to consider all the relevant steps with which to make the state power respect the will of members of academic communities and their democratically elected representatives," the resolution passed by the academic senate chair said. "They may consider public protests such as resolutions and petitions and, if need be, demonstrations and strikes."
Full report on the Prague Daily Monitor site