Students submitted a letter with demands to the Government at the end of the second student march organized by the informal student organization “Student Plenum”. Despite the pressure, the march was massive, with twice more people than the first march that took place on 17th of November.
– The main argument in the letter is that the proposal is contrary to University’s autonomy. We are against the Accreditation Board to be elected by the Minister. In the draft we have seen, it read that the external testing will be carried out during the second and third cycle of studies, which was a novelty and I think that it wasn’t sufficiently explained why such a measure is needed. There were no specific analyzes for the weaknesses of the education and we think that such a measure must be seriously considered. We urge them to invite us to a discussion where we could talk about the measures that could improve education, not only for the model of the state exam – said Anastasia Petrovska, who submitted the letter to the Government.
University and high school students, teachers and parents gathered in front of the University’s plateau at noon in order to express the revolt of the changes that the Ministry of Education wants to introduce higher education with a peaceful protest.
– All gathered here are against changes which burden us and the future generations. Not only do we have the opportunity, but we also have a responsibility to act. With the evaluation of our knowledge outside the university, the autonomy of the University as a higher education institution is breached. Our voice remains unheard, we are ignored as part of the academic community, as part of the society, as citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. We won’t stop fighting for our rights to a choice, freedom, and dignity. We are united here as one because it’s well known that we can make changes only when we are united. Our cause is non-ethnical, non-religious, non-national and non-political. We stand today only with our indexes – said representatives of “Student Plenum” at the beginning of the march.
The group of about 6,000 supporters of the march headed towards the Assembly, and then towards the Government of the Republic of Macedonia. Shouting “Surround me now”, “Autonomy”, “We are students, not customers”, “No justice, no peace”, “We no longer fear”, “External testing for the Government”, “Together we are stronger” in Macedonian and Albanian, peacefully expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed reforms.
– Rushed reforms result with “blind” students. These reforms are experimental and the consequences thereof will cause visible damage to the quality of students. More rounding results with more arguments, more arguments result with bigger decisiveness – said representatives of “Student Plenum” in front of the Government of the Republic of Macedonia.
