2012. december 14., péntek

Hungarian Students Want to Save Hungarian Higher Education

A CEU Weekly szerkesztőségi tagjaként igyekszem támogatni a diáktüntetéseket. A cikk eredeti megjelenése: http://ceuweekly.blogspot.hu/2012/12/hungarian-students-want-to-save.html



Hungarian Students Want to Save Hungarian Higher Education

Last week Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government announced new cuts in higher education. From the next academic year the government plans to fully finance only 10,480 university students, two-thirds fewer than this year (which is already significantly fewer than before). They will partly finance the tuition of 46,000 more, these 46 000 students will be practically forced to either take student loan and become indebted, or leave Hungary for those EU countries which provide free higher education. An additional problem is that the government made this decision without consulting professionals involved in higher education or student unions, and the decision was made public only in December, one and a half month before the application deadlines. Consequently, future applicants could not know whether there would be state-financed places at the faculties to which they might have prepared themselves for years.
This was the very last drop after last year’s radical cuts. Hungarian students now are reacting with passionate demonstrations, in high schools, university buildings and in the streets as well, despite the freezing cold. The students, staging the second spontaneous protest march through the streets of Budapest, are demanding that the government give up its plans and start a public dialogue about the reform of higher education, involving student organizations and universities.
Demonstrations are not taking place only in the capital. Students of Pécs, Szeged, Miskolc and Nyíregyháza also organize protesting activities. Since students and prospective students usually have parents and grandparents, older members of the society started to realize what is going on in our country. We will see next year how many thousands of Hungarians emigrate because of not having opportunity to study in their homeland. Hungary has a long tradition to give its intelligentsia to the world by making their lives impossible here. Nevertheless, the protestations will continue next week, now there is still some hope that the political elite will understand the simple message of the students: “Do not send us away!”
Agnes Kelemen