The following report ended up in my inbox today:
Protests against Fee increases at the University of Prishtina
Today, starting from 11:00am activists of »STUDIM KRITIKË VEPRIM« (study, critic, act) Centre and many other activists have reacted against the decision by the Rectorate of the University of Prishtina (UP), to increase fees on all academic levels. They gathered at the rectorate's office and wrote the slogan: "UP = public, not private university'', while warning that public university students should not pay from their private incomes to access lessons at university, otherwise the purpose of a public university becomes meaningless. Student activists later sat at the entrance of the UP rectorate with barefoot holding a banner saying: "shoes for sale to pay the semester''.
Once we were notified about the decision of the rectorate of the University of Prishtina by the media, we were completely surprised. It is totally unacceptable. Activists of »STUDIM KRITIKË VEPRIM« Center, call it unfair and are against the decision to increase student semester payments on all levels of studies: bachelor, master and other academic levels.
As students of the University of Prishtina and also as citizens of Kosovo, we have paid taxes for two types of public services. Taxes paid by us and our families to the state, that needs to be reminded that they're collecting it in the name of public and need to provide us the public services of any kind. This means that the university should obtain its budget from the state budget, which was filled from our contributions and our families. The decision taken by the institutions is unacceptable and should be taken back. And that is what we claim today: students should not be required to pay more for public education, like in many EU countries.
It is unacceptable that in Kosovo, which has the weaker economy in the region with the lowest average salary, students have to pay two types of taxes for public education.
This increase in the payment of the semester is too heavy a burden for students who live in dormitories or apartments for rent, who should pay for costs related to the studies. It is a violation of human rights. Establishing financial barriers, which make public education inaccessible to the families with a low budget, and knowing that most young people do not work, it becomes an obstacle for many youth with severe economic conditions. Such a thing is discriminatory, since it imposes conditions in which individuals have unequal access to public education.
Of course, one cannot expect any better from the people in power in Kosovo, since they educate their children in universities and colleges where access for one year costs thousands of euros. Such people completely detached themself from the situation of their people whose interests they cannot represent.
»STUDIM KRITIKË VEPRIM« Center warns that it will be set to run until the end and actions will be undertaken as soon as the new academic year 2010/2011 start. We will not accept the fee increase, because this decision is unfair, thoughtless and directed against students.
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