12 April 2011, 11:51
Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, responded to the appeals of the students and mass media reports that leaders of several higher education establishments are trying to call in the financial compensation for state-financed education from the students who did not work off three years in the state-run enterprises after graduation. The Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine addressed the Prime Minister and the General Prosecutor to look into the situation and give an official response.
M.Tomenko stated that letters with the demand to pay off the cost of education in the higher education establishments had allegedly been sent to the former students of Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic University", Kharkiv State Culture Academy, and Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy. The letters refer to the documents signed by President Leonid Kuchma (Decree of 23.01.96 №77/96 "On reforming the system of professional training and employment of graduates of higher education establishments") and Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko (Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of 22.08.96 №992 "On employment of the graduates of higher education establishments that were trained on conditions of governmental procurement").
The Deputy Chairman stated that normative acts were adopted fifteen years ago and were not validated by respective amendments to the law on higher education. According to mass media reports, entering the universities, students did not sign the corresponding agreements with the higher education establishments. Moreover, the scheme of graduates´ employment is not worked out. Given this situation, the Government should clarify the situation and stop persecuting the former students. M.Tomenko requested the Prosecution General to assess the actions of the leaders of higher education establishments who are making the graduates pay off the funds for education.