Minister scraps Czech university reform bill

Prague, June 7 (CTK) - Education Minister Petr Fiala has withdrawn the draft universities reform and he will redraft another controversial bill, on financial aid to students, he told journalists after meeting rectors of Czech universities Thursday.

Prime Minister Petr Necas expressed support for Fiala's plans Thursday.

Fiala said this government does not have the introduction of tuition fees at universities in its policy statement.

The government policy statement reckoned with the introduction of postponed tuition fees of maximally 20,000 crowns a year as from autumn 2013. Under this plan, students would be able to take a loan guaranteed by the state and they would start paying the loan once their income is higher than the average wage.

But Fiala said he is considering introducing entrance fees at Czech universities. Necas, too, said an alternative to tuition fees that would make students bear a part of the costs needs to be found.

Fiala said the ministry will pay universities in the next academic year slightly less than this year. The number of new university students passing entry exams is to decrease by 10 percent.

He said the planned reform steps would be included in an amendment to the law on universities. He added that he wants to negotiate about the planned changes with university representatives.

Necas indicated that an amendment to the law on universities is better also because its passage would take shorter time than a new law in a situation where the university reform process slowed down and then completely stopped.

The bill on financial aid to students will not be linked to tuition fees and it will deal only with special loans for students to cover their living costs during their study.

The university reform has been prepared for many years and academics have always strongly opposed it. Under Fiala's predecessor, former minister Josef Dobes, the relations between the ministry and both academics and students markedly worsened. Dobes resigned as minister in March.