Universities: Education costs should be raised by 15%, not by 10%

130311_martin_vnu_0.mp3

Minister of Education Syarhei Maskevich predicts rise of costs for university studies by 8-10% in April.

"Most educational establishment already have the funds only to pay the salaries, so the government will go for a slight increase of costs for education during the semester, probably up to 8% since April. Today, less than 60% of the expenses are covered by students-payers "- Syarhei Maskevich has said during a press conference.

Two weeks prior to April, the Belarusian State Economic University unexpectedly calls such prices inadequate, saying there is a need for about a 15-percent price increase.

"We need to increase by 15%. However, the resolution of the Ministry of Education has not yet come. Perhaps since April 1, "- they say in this university.

They explain that prices should be increased as the first class tariff rate, and hence the salaries of teachers have grown since the beginning of this year, while the prices for education have remained unchanged.  

The main higher educational establishment of the country - BSU – complains that they cover unprofitable specialties from the funds made before:

"We cover the expenses of some of the specialties by the profits that have accumulated. The wages, the communal payments, all prices rose, but the education costs did not change."

In Vitsebsk State University named after Masherau they call February and March lost months, because payment for education did not grow.

"The salaries have increased by 6% since February. These all our losses... The payment for education was expected to grow since February as well, but it didn't, there was no such resolution", - they tell me at this university.

Euroradio has found out that private universities raised the prices by an average of 200 thousand rubles since the beginning of the year. As for state educational establishments, the government has said nothing to Euroradio on whether they are going to increase prices for education. Like, there is not a relevant order.

Becoming a dentist is considered to be the most expensive in the state universities - almost Br 16 million a year. Future diplomats in the international law are on the second place - more than 14 million a year.

To learn to be a doctor at Vilnius University is more expensive - more than three thousand dollars a year, against 1.8 thousand in Belarus. A degree in history at this University will draw on 1.4 thousand dollars a year, about the same as in the BSU with no price increase.

Photo: rian.ru