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BM77: Resolutions on students’ rights violations in Belarus

20.12.2019
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Belarus is a part of the Bologna process. Despite the long path of reforms, it should take action to match EHEA principles, as it was decided in May 2018 that the country will remain in the Bologna process, while the Bologna Roadmap wasn’t implemented at all. In September 2018, the Belarusian Ministry of Education created a Strategic plan which was based on the Roadmap of the Bologna process and the annual Working plans were created, as well as reports on both Strategic plan’ and Working plans’  implementation were provided to the BFUG. Belarusian independent observers report, that a lot of requirements are not implemented or the real progress is being misrepresented according to the alternative reports of the Belarusian independent Bologna Committee. 

ESU expresses deep concerns about the flagrant violations of students’ rights, which are completely in contrast to all agreements and arrangements of the Strategic Plan and the EHEA values:

  1. The last amendments to the law about effective functioning of the state military organisation (1) service to continue their study after graduation from professional of higher education (e.g. after college or bachelor program) as it’s explained in ESU’s previous statement;
  2. The violations of the universities’ autonomy and the rights of students as  citizens of a democratic republic, by forcing students to vote as it was mentioned in the Statement of preliminary findings and conclusions of OSCE (2);
  3. The unreasonable growth of tuition fees which has happened during this year, with no financial justifications being given. 

In view of the above, ESU strongly urges: 

  1. the Belarusian Parliament to cancel the last accepted amendments to the law about  effective functioning of the state military organisation; 
  2. to restore democratic principles and adhere to those standards now and in the future, especially in the lights of the happenings of the recent elections and the next upcoming elections)
  3. the Belarusian Ministry of education to take action to guarantee the academic autonomy  as a core EHEA value
  4. the Belarusian Ministry of education to immediately stop the rise of tuition fees, as well as reverse the increase already put in place.

List of references: 

  1. http://pravo.by/document/?guid=12551&p0=H11900231&p1=1&p5=0
  2. https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/belarus/439355?download=true

Proposed by: BSA

Seconded by: BOSS, USI, FZS, POFEN, LIS  

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