24 November 2010, 13:05
Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, expects the students to take active part in the discussion of the new rules of enrollment to the higher education establishments, and stop the ongoing total commercialization of higher education.
M.Tomenko reminded that it was due to the student protests that several paid services in the higher education establishments were cancelled. However, several resolutions of the Ministry of Education, esp. the Order No. 961 of 19 October 2010, ratifying new rules of enrollment to the higher education establishments, show the intention of the officials (obviously supported by the leaders of the higher education establishments) to turn these institutions into ‘the money-making machines´, not the establishments of competitive and quality education.
Among the novelties of the above-mentioned Order, M.Tomenko singled out the one, whereby the privileges for the winners of the all-Ukrainian Olympiads and all-Ukrainian research contest of the Small Academy of Sciences are taken into account in the system of external independent testing (extra 50 scores for the first diploma, extra 40 scores for the second diploma, and extra 30 scores for the third diploma). He also mentioned targeted enrollment on the governmental order to the schools of agriculture, railway transport, customs affairs and rural social sphere on the grounds of referrals of the education agencies of the regional state administrations, ministries and other central executive bodies.
The Deputy Chairman also drew attention to another peculiar letter sent to the leaders of the higher education establishments, namely, "On the Certificates of Higher Education with Honours" of 9 June 2010. It reads that the master´s or the specialist´s certificate of higher education with honours is issued regardless of the academic achievements on the bachelor´s level. Thus, it is possible to get a diploma with honours, graduating from the BA course with unsatisfactory marks. "This provision is not only unfair, but it also opens endless possibilities for the financial incentives for the MA diploma with honours," M.Tomenko stated.
He calls for active participation of the students. M.Tomenko expects the students to announce their common stance at the All-Ukrainian Forum of the Leaders of Student Movement "Student Self-Government of Ukraine in the New Decade: Experience and Challenges."