Education minister, PM to discuss university tuition

Prague, Feb 7 (CTK) - Czech Education Minister Josef Dobes (Public Affairs, VV) wants to discuss, at the VV leadership's request, a possible softening of the tuition system planned for university students with Prime Minister Petr Necas and academics, VV leaders told journalists yesterday.

As a compromise Dobes has proposed that students only pay registration fees, while tuition would be paid only by those exceeding the usual length of studies.

The centre-right government has envisaged a university system reform in its policy statement in 2010.

Last year, Dobes submitted basic points of the planned new bills on universities and financial support to students. The basic points, which the cabinet is to discuss soon, redefine the rules of universities' operation, introduce tuition fees, study savings and loans for the purpose of education.

Both bills have been strongly opposed by the Czech Conference of University Rectors (CKR) and the Council of Universities, as well as unions and the opposition parties in parliament.

They have provoked a wave of protests of students and academics, who have organised demonstrations in Prague and Brno.

VV leaders and Dobes say their decision yesterday is not at variance with the coalition agreement.

They said the VV is reacting to the other junior ruling party, TOP 09, which allegedly wants the introduction of tuition to be postponed for the school year 2015-2016.

"This is no postponement. I consider it a realistic date. There is no other realistic chance [of introducing tuition earlier] than in 2015-2016. The Education Ministry failed to prepare the system's quicker introduction last year," said Anna Putnova, deputy for TOP 09 who heads the lower house's education committee.

She said before tuition is introduced, the law on financial support to students must take effect, but the ministry has prepared the bill's basic points poorly.

VV chairman Radek John said the VV executive council yesterday asked Dobes to discuss "the softening of tuition" with Necas (senior governing Civic Democrats, ODS) and academics.

VV deputies' group chairman Vit Barta said a condition for this "concession" on the VV's part is that the eduction sector's budget would remain the same as this year and would not be reduced.

The EU states spend 6.5 percent of GDP on education on average, while in the Czech Republic it is 4.5 percent of GDP, Barta said.

Dobes said he can imagine the introduction of "negative tuition" for students exceeding the usual length of university studies, which is five years for master programmes.

Another year of studies may cost about 20,000 crowns, Dobes said, adding that it is antisocial if people without university education contribute to finance students who study for seven years.

A symbolic registration fees may be introduced, worth 2,000 crowns per semester, Dobes suggested.

"I'll ask the prime minister to empower me to seek a compromise on the tuition at negotiations with the academics," Dobes said.

The opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) are against the introduction of tuition.

CSSD deputy chairman Lubomir Zaoralek has said the loans in support of education, planned by Dobes, are "a plan of mass throwing the young generation into debts."

CSSD chairman Bohuslav Sobotka yesterday said the CSSD would welcome it if the government either withdrew or changed the tuition plan.

($1=19.152 crowns)