Draft law on higher education

Vyacheslav Briukhovetsky: “I won’t let anyone take my child away.”
Answering questions about rumors that the Ministry of Education would take over the university, Vyacheslav Briukhovetsky, honorary president of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, who re-established the university in 1991 after the breakup of the Soviet Union, commented that National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has 400 hundred years of history, is one of Ukraine’s foremost universities, it is integrated into the world academic community, and added, “I won’t let anyone take my child away.”

On Thursday, February 3, 2011 the proposal submited by the Ministry of education was formally defeated in the Parliamentary Committee on Education. On February 10th, three Round Table discussions were held that recommended the drafting of a new proposal. On February 16th, the Parliamentary Committee on Education formally rejected the Tabachnyk proposal and decided that a new draft law on higher education will be prepared.

The draft law that is popularly referred to as the “Tabachnyk proposal” was proposed on behalf of Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Dmitro Tabachnyk by Member of Parliament Maksym Lutskyj.

The Tabachnyk proposal included centralized control of education, discredited provisions to strip university status from universities with less than 10,000 students, specifics controlling the teaching of literature and history which amounted to rewriting and reinterpreting these areas, drastic reduction in budgets, controls over administration, admission procedures and standards and other proposals. The draft provoked an outcry and serious opposition. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy took the lead in opposing these measures and the Ukrainian Catholic University officially and publicly supported the position of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Even though privately many of the rectors of Ukraine's universities oppose such measures, not one of them signed or declared any formal condemnation of the Minister of Education’s proposals, perhaps in fear of reprisals or financial restrictions.

Alternative draft law proposed. Opposition increases. Presidential administration opposes Tabachnyk draft

Yuriy Miroshnichenko, member of Parliament and representative of President Victor Yanukovych in Parliament, introduced an alternative draft law. The administration of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy supports this alternative proposal, which includes provisions for university autonomy and academic freedom. The support of key political leaders of various parties, of the international community and particularly the well organized student protests turned the tide of the government’s support toward international academic standards.

The administration of President Victor Yanukovych publicly repudiated the draft supported by Minister Tabachnyk through its representatives, particularly through Deputy Chief of Staff Hanna Herman, who repeated in press and television interviews that the president will not support Minister Tabachnyk’s proposed draft, and that the administration favors educational reforms that will integrate Ukraine into the world’s educational community.

Of note is the fact that at this time when Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was at the center of a heated national debate, government officials Raisa Bohatiriova – Head of the National Security Council, Serhiy Lyovochkin – Head of the Presidential Administration, Lesia Orobets – Member of Parliament and member of the Regions Party, and others members of Ukraine’s government attended the “Restoration” fundraiser held at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on January 19, 2011. As a further show of support of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the event was also attended by ambassadors and embassy representatives from the United States, Canada, France, Poland, Austria and other European countries. Ambassador of France Jacques Faure, the event’s honorary chairman, stated, “the Embassy of France and representatives of other countries will be carefully following...how the current widely debated reforms in Ukraine’s educational sphere will strengthen Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s academic position in fulfilling its mission.”

Education at the center of national policy. Today’s youth - Ukraine’s future.

The defeat of the draft law generally identified as the “Tabachnyk proposal” at this stage marks a turning point in the course of a policy which led the country toward centralization in every facet of governing. The position of the presidential administration is a welcome sign acknowledging Ukraine’s need to develop more democratic methods to promote reforms, and to take the country toward integration with the world’s academic and research communities. Knowledge and information are the keys to Ukraine’s political and economic competitive position in the world, just as these are the key elements for every country’s interests in the twenty first century.

National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy continues its focused approach to protect academic autonomy and freedom not only for its own institution but on behalf of all the universities of Ukraine. After the government’s reorganization of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Education has been officially converted into the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport – the three areas that encompass the nation’s entire youth – the nation’s future. It is the country’s youth that is the hope of Ukraine’s future. That is why the role that universities play in this process is of such great national importance.

The focused work of the administration, faculty and students of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy turned the matter of educational reform into a national issue, and it forced the preparation of a new draft legislation open to discussion and evaluation by the academic community. Vyacheslav Briukhovetsky, the university’s honorary chairman, and Serhiy Kvit, the university’s president left no stone unturned in the struggle to stop the advance of official centralization of education.

Three Round Table Discussions held.

Per recommendation of President Victor Yanukovych and Prime Minister Azarov, three official round table discussions took place on February 10. One was held at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the second was held at the Ministry of Education and the third at the Paliamentary Committee on Education. All three Round Table discussions were attended by administration and faculty members of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The following individuals, each an authority in his or her field, attended the various venues: Serhiy Kvit, president of NaUKMA, Andriy Maleshevych - dean of NaUKMA Law School, Ludmyla Diachenko - treasurer of NaUKMA, Volodymyr Morenets, first vice-president, Volodymyr Panchenko, Vira Ahayeva, and Ihor Limborskyj of the Department of Literature and Philology.

The recommendation of all three panels was the same - to prepare a new draft proposal that will include the best provisions of each draft presented.

The administration, faculty and students of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy continue to follow each step of the legislative process to insure the best education for Ukraine’s young generation. In full realization that the twenty-first century is the age of knowledge, information and innovation- elements that form the basis for each country’s political and economic position in the world, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is the country’s leader in educational reforms to prepare the country’s future leaders who will protect the country’s best interests within a competitive world.

Meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Higher Education Held February 16.

By a decision of the majority of the Parliamentary Committee on Research and Education, the so-called “Tabachnyk draft” was officially rejected, and a recommendation was made that a new draft law on education will be prepared and presented to the Committee. The Committee is comprised of 10 members. The Committee’s chairman is Volodymyr Polokhalo. The National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s team of experts on education reform stands ready to assist in the drafting of this new proposal.