At today’s open session of the Government, reforms of Law on higher education, which envisage the introduction of a state exam for students, were passed. Thus, the public debate on this law, which will be sent to the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, was closed.
Minister of Education and Science Abdilakim Ademi said that they previously have had constructive discussions with all concerned parties, at which they received notes, some of which they accepted.
– We organized a debate at the universities, as well as debates with the presidents of the Student Parliaments, debate with SONK, and we also met the rector’s offices. The impression is that the debates were constructive, we received concrete proposals for improving the law and we accepted some of the proposals – said Ademi.
Ademi emphasized that the biggest remark on the public debates was that these reforms will jeopardize the autonomy of universities. Therefore, the change in these reforms will be that the members of the Accreditation Board will be elected at the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia.
– At the public debates, there was a remark by the universities that this will threaten their autonomy. We accepted it and propose the Accreditation Board in future be elected by the Assembly, which is the founder of the public universities, not by the Government – said Ademi.
He added that there will be a change in the number of the members of the Board, which is to be 11, and not 9, as previously planned. The President will be elected by the members of the board by secret ballot by a majority vote of the members. The board will have to submit an annual report to the Assembly.
The final form of the state exam, which will be divided into two parts, was established at the session. The first part will be implemented in the second year, and the second in the final year. One year ago before the introduction of the mandatory state exam, there will be a trial exam. It will be taken four times a year at the end of February, April, August and November. It will consist of five questions from each of the compulsory and elective subjects. The exam will be conducted electronically, the questions will be proposed by the professors, and approved and adopted by the Accreditation Board, which will be able to add questions. The first two tries will be free.
State exam will apply to all students of first and second cycle of studies who will enroll in the academic year 2015/2016.
