Prague, June 11 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman will appoint Katerina Valachova, 38, (unaffiliated), whom he met yesterday, education minister at Prague Castle at 11:30 CEST next Wednesday, his spokesman Jiri Ovcacek has announced on Twitter.
Valachova confirmed the information after her meeting with Zeman.
She said she and Zeman agreed on the fundamental themes of her work at the ministry. They discussed inclusion of children with special educational needs in regular schools among other issues.
Valachova said she will again meet Zeman in July or August to discuss the ministry’s priorities.
She said she is ready to push through the same increase in the ministry’s budget that former education minister Marcel Chladek (Social Democrats, CSSD) demanded.
The medium-term outlook for next year counts with a decrease in education spending, but Chladek demanded three to five billion crowns more than this year.
“The five billion is definitely a figure with which I will start in negotiations with the Finance Minister (Andrej Babis, ANO),” Valachova said.
She said she and Zeman also marginally touched on the appointing of professors. It again aroused problems when Zeman refused to sign the decrees for three professorship candidates in May.
Valachova said she wants to discuss a systemic solution to the issue and that she plans to meet Senate chairman Milan Stech (CSSD) because one of the variants considered previously is that the professors would be appointed by the Senate head.
She said she considers an amendment to the lottery law to be of key importance for financing sport. The revenues from gambling should be used to support sport, particularly of children and youth.
Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (CSSD) proposed Valachova for minister last Friday when Zeman dismissed Chladek from the ministerial post.
Chladek allegedly mobbed his subordinates, but he dismissed the accusation.
Sobotka wants Valachova to secure a smooth passing of a draft amendment to the university law, the preparation of a reform of the financing of regional education, the ensuring of palpable progress in the sphere of inclusive education and a quick drawing of money from new European funds.
She should also raise support for technical and specialist education and complete a concept of financing sport.
($1=24.220 crowns)
