The former education minister, Christian-Democrat Martin Fronc, is shocked that according to the draft revision to the university law, which the cabinet approved earlier on Wednesday, universities will be free to charge any tuition fees from external students. "This is shameful. It is cheating people," he said. Moreover, he is afraid that the revision will not prevent universities from engaging in the current illegal practice of collecting tuition fees from distance students through various civic associations or foundations. He thinks that universities will not be happy to change the status quo, since they now receive state subsidies and collect funds from external students. The draft amendment stipulates that universities that decide to collect tuition fees will lose their right to money from the state budget.
Furthermore, Mr. Fronc wonders why the revision does not outline what these funds will be used for. "Where will the money from external studies end up? Will it be used for higher salaries of rectors?" he asks. Mr. Fronc disagrees with the statement of Education Minister Jan Mikolaj, who said that no cap on tuition fees could be set since it is not possible to calculate these figures.
Mr. Fronc cannot understand why the revision limits the number of external students studying at universities. He warns that external students will do their best to get hold of various pseudo-certificates claiming that they work in the public interest, since according to the revision they can thereby avoid quotas defining the ratio of external students to regular students.
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