Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, believes that new rules of enrollment to the higher education establishments ratified by the Decree No. 961 of October 19, 2010 of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine need public discussion and editing.
M.Tomenko is going to initiate a round table discussion in the Parliament with the participation of the experts and student self-government representatives to debate the new rules of enrollment to the higher education establishments. "I believe that this matter should be discussed, as the new rules of enrollment to the higher education establishments should be adopted not by the Ministry of Education and rectors, but in cooperation with experts, taking into account the stance of teachers, students and their parents," he declared.
M.Tomenko admitted that the Decree contained several novelties, such as the right for enrollment on the governmental order on the terms of targeted enrollment, preferences for the entrants who attended the training courses, etc. He supposes that some of these innovations neglect the very idea of external testing. However, the Deputy Chairman believes that "these rules can still be edited to prevent restoration of preferences for elite or city schools, or for the families with bigger financial possibilities."