YEF Presents its Amendments to the Draft-Law on Higher Education at the Parliament

24 August 2007

Representatives of the Youth Education Forum (YEF) will defend the 15 amendments they submitted to the Parliamentary Committee for Education in today�s session of the Committee that will discuss the Draft-Law on Higher Education prior to its entry into the plenary debate.

The amendments result from the petition conducted by YEF in February of this year, to support the introduction of pluralism in student organizing in Macedonia, signed by more than 11,000 students. The amendments aim to define the principles of functioning, the competences and structure of student parliaments as democratic and modern form of student organizing. They also offer guarantees for new rules, institutions and principles of student organizing.

The amendments propose the establishment of a student conference, a body that will gather the representatives of student parliaments established on university level. It will fight for achievement of mutual interests of students as partners in the process of higher education and representation for students on university and national level.

There are several proposals for changes in the process of election of student representatives, including the application of the proportional model of representation. Another important novelty is that the amendments entitle independent candidates, not supported by the official student organizations of their respective schools and faculties, to run as candidates and be elected.

Finally, the amendments offer proposals to solve the problem of financing of student bodies and list the Budget of RM, solidarity fund created by the students for the students, donations and other sources in accordance with the Law.

The proposed amendments would change the existing system of monopolistic representation of students with a democratic student organizing, with new rules, competences and functioning.