Government adds extra funds to universities' budget

The Czech government's leadership has agreed to raise the universities' budget by CZK3 billion (US$136 million) in 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Belobradek said during the government meeting last Monday, reports CTK. Belobradek also proposed a compromise of CZK35.6 billion (US$1.6 billion) for science and research.

Universities made their consent to the 2018 budget conditional on the minimum CZK3 billion rise. They threatened protest action in early October if the government of the Social Democrats (CSSD), ANO and KDU-CSL did not agree with the rise. The current draft budget worked out by Finance Minister Ivan Pilny plans CZK161 billion for the education chapter, which is less than before the summer holiday when it was CZK168 billion. The Education Ministry has a budget of CZK156 billion this year.

The leaderships of the Czech Rectors' Conference, the Universities' Council and the university employees' trade union were to meet to decide on further steps. If the government approves the rise, protests will not be staged during the planned Week of Education scheduled for early October.
Full report on the Prague Daily Monitor site