The Czech Rectors’ Conference (CKR) considers the planned CZK 3 billion rise in the budget for universities insufficient, the CKR board said in a statement yesterday.
The rectors warned that the underfunding threatens not only the quality of education and research, but also the international competitiveness of the Czech Republic.
According to the Finance Ministry’s proposal, the university budget should amount to nearly CZK 34 billion next year. However, rectors argue that universities have been underfunded long-term by CZK 10-11 billion.
CKR stresses that investment in education, research, development and innovations was crucial for the development of an economy with a higher value added.
“The Czech Rectors’ Conference therefore calls on the Czech government to consider further increases in funding for public universities, including during the preparation of the medium-term outlooks, which will ensure their stable and predictable funding and thus enable their effective strategic management,” the rectors said.
The Council of Universities on Wednesday called for negotiations leading to a rise in next year’s budget for universities by at least CZK 6 billion. It said the entire tertiary education system was in danger of collapsing due to the mass departure of academics from universities, many of whom cite a loss of motivation. On top of that, strong secondary school classes are going to enter universities.
Education Minister Mikulas Bek (STAN) said in April that the Education Ministry’s proposal envisaged an increase of exactly CZK 6 billion for next year.
However, according to ministry spokeswoman Tereza Fojtova, Bek assured representatives of universities at the Days of Educational Activity conference yesterday that the draft state budget provided for a CZK 3 billion increase in the contribution. “We will still discuss further increases,” Fojtova told CTK.
Representatives of universities, the Hour of Truth group, the Council of Universities and the Czech Rectors’ Conference have long warned of underfunding in higher education. Because of dissatisfaction with university funding, representatives of the group protested along with students, academics and university staff in Prague this June. The initiative demanded an increase of CZK 11 billion for higher education and a plan to stabilise funding for the period 2025 to 2030.
The Education Ministry’s budget is expected to increase to CZK 287 billion next year, according to a draft budget from the Finance Ministry. This year, the ministry is working with available expenditure of about CZK 273 billion, even including the CZK 4 billion increase of the budget approved last year (expected to be about 269 billion).
