27 July 2009, 15:05
Mykola Tomenko: Political Opponents of the External Testing System posed a Serious Problem both for the University Entrants and the Higher Education Establishments
Mykola Tomenko, Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, believes that on the grounds of results of the entrance campaign, the Ministry of Education and Science should hold an extended meeting with the participation of representatives of the higher education establishments and suggest legislative regulation of the holding of external testing to the Parliament.
According to M.Tomenko, higher education establishments and university entrants are held hostage of the political confrontation concerning external testing. He stated that the opposition, especially the Party of Regions, objected to the legislative regulation of the holding of external testing, therefore, the relevant Bill was adopted only at the First Reading.
M.Tomenko deems necessary to take unpopular actions and adopt a resolution to regulate accession of the entrants entitled to special benefits to the higher education establishments. "It is necessary to reduce the number of groups entitled to special benefits in the accession to the higher education establishments. The rest of the groups entitled to special benefits should avail of the benefit as an extra, not the main factor", - he stated.
The Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated that abuse on the part of the entrants entitled to special benefits resulted in the fact that almost all the government-financed places for the prestigious departments were distributed between them. M.Tomenko stated that the resolution of the Ministry of Education and Science concerning increase in the number of government-financed places was a temporary way out of the situation.