Potential government coalition plans to introduce university tuition fees
Negotiators for three Czech political parties holding talks on forming the country’s next government have agreed on introducing tuition fees for the first time at public Czech universities. Experts have welcomed the proposal, which would make students pay the equivalent of nearly 500 US dollars per semester. However, it is very likely to meet vocal opposition.
For now it seems that politicians are only testing the waters. Negotiations on forming a new government are far from over, and the parties are yet to agree on a policy programme, as well as who gets which seat in the cabinet.
But the potential coalition partners want to lower the state budget deficit and at the same time increase the quality of Czech higher education. One of the hot candidates for the position of education minister is a member of the conservative party TOP 09, whose manifesto calls for tuition fees.
Also, most experts agree that tuition fees and other reforms will have to be introduced. Sociologist Petr Matějů is a member of PORP, a Prague-based pro-reform think tank funded by the Open Society Fund.
“First of all, I think the decision is really timely not only because Czech universities are currently facing a financial crisis but we also have to increase the accountability of schools and the responsibility of students. I think that even a modest fee can reach both of these goals.”
The latest proposal is very general: students would pay some 10,000 crowns, or around 460 US dollars per semester. There is still disagreement on whether students should pay the fees during their studies or after graduation.
Mr Matějů, says all these plans should be preceded by a system of student loans and other instruments to make sure all students have equal access to Czech public universities.
“We cannot introduce tuition fees before we have an efficient system of student financial aid in place. As you probably know, the government supported the idea of introducing these systems some two weeks ago, so we are now in charge of preparing that. After the system is introduced, then we can introduce the fees.
“I also believe that in the meantime that university management and the diversification process will be in place; so it will be an extensive reform package of higher education.”
The plan is likely to meet strong opposition both in the Czech Parliament and outside. The Social Democrats and the Communists are against tuition fees in principle; meanwhile, a 20-year-old economics student Adam Cyprich started a Facebook group against tuition – even before the potential coalition parties came up with the proposal. The group has around 9,000 members, and its founder says people pay enough taxes as it is, and should only pay more for a better product.
We’ll have to wait for the concrete proposal but if the next government does decide to introduce fees, its comfortable majority will make it very difficult for their opponents to prevent it.
