Professors harshly reacted to the new draft legal decisions the Government brought at the session yesterday. They say that, with the new measures, the Government only demeans the academic community and the people must go out and rebel because they lead to the selling out of the country.
Professor Ljubomir Cuculovski says that he expected these changes, especially because universities were silent and bowed their heads for a long time.
– When someone is silent as the university professors until now, then every Government is increasingly gaining strength. In this sense, these measures were expected. They are frightening because, according to them, as far as I understood from the media, foreigners, i.e. citizens of other countries, are projected to be deans and rectors of our universities. That means, on one hand, complete disfiguration of Macedonia, its people and intelligence, but on the other hand, it implies that maybe we should import foreign ministers, MPs and, if necessary, a foreign regent. Thus, Macedonia will be completely annihilated as a result of the vise policy.
According to Cuculovski, the students aren’t the only ones who should react to these measures.
– The whole people should react to these measures, because, I again emphasize, this is a full sell-out of Macedonia – he says.
Professor Biljana Vankovska feels that this is an extremely embarrassing situation and that is absurd to believe that the Government will respect any principles of open public debate on legislative changes.
– At a time when universities and dean’s offices debate, i.e. are expressing their opinion for the so-called concept of the Minister Ademi (from 05.12.2014), we received the news that the decisions and proposals for changing the law on higher education were passed at a Government session. Not only are we in an extremely embarrassing situation, but it is already meaningless to believe that the Government will honor any principles of open public debate on legislative changes. If I were rector, I would immediately call a press conference and would express my indignation with this undemocratic move by the Government, which is a manifestation of the arrogance that power brings – says Professor Vankovska, who is one of the biggest supporters of the students in their fight against the state exam.
She says that the handling manner and speed at which the measures are imposed indicated a fear that the academic community could awaken.
– If it wasn’t tragic, it would have been funny, but one of the measures is the Academy for teachers – it comes down to what I already called state-university. When you add the state exam to this, a logical question is asked: how many state exams, checks and training will the students have before they can be considered graduated and qualified staff. Bologna Process cannot be changed by force of state will – when we requested revision, there was silence – explained the professor.
Vankovska says that with the spreading of the concept of reform (in a set of measures), the whole battle is blurred and makes it seem pointless, because, in a sea of measures, the move will be to delegitimize the attitude of students for the state exam and they to be depicted as lazy young people who don’t want knowledge.
– Unfortunately, rather than teachers, i.e. the leadership of universities to lead this debate, we left the students to wake us up, take us to protests, even organize a forum for us. Now it is up to the professors, if they are truly professors! They have to impose as a player in this reform, but not as a decoration and as obedient pawns, but as representatives of the collective mind of the nation. If they don’t do that, the young people will remember them as capitulators – said Vankovska.
