ESU welcomes binning of new Czech higher education bill

BRUSSELS – The European Students’ Union (ESU) welcomes the decision from the new Czech education minister to withdraw the new higher education reform bill. On 7 June, Education Minister Petr Fiala, who took office only in May this year, binned the unpopular draft, which had the initial aim to majorly reform universities and the Czech funding system.

Allan Päll, ESU Chairperson, said: “We are happy to see that the new Czech education minister listened to the voice of students and will now go back to the drawing table. Hopefully the minister will make a sensible new proposal which actually takes the interests of students into account, but also reflects the current economic situation and long term societal needs by making higher education more inclusive and ensuring a lifelong competence of graduates.”

Fiala said he would come up with another bill. Student representatives in Prague expect this new piece of legislation to be less radical in terms of shifting public responsibility for education and imposing high costs for students. However, the Czech Government still plans on severe cuts in funding, threatening further development, quality and accessibility of higher education.

ESU gave its strong support to the student protests in the Czech Republic, back in February 2012, against the former draft. Czech students protested against two new law proposals: one on higher education and one on the introduction of tuition fees for students.

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For more information, please contact:

Allan Päll, ESU Chairperson: +32 479591499 // allan@esu-online.org

Marianne Slegers, ESU Communications Manager: +32/473.669.894 // marianne@esu-online.org