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Carolina (English) No 071
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
School of Social Sciences of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cs
Fax: (+422) 231 7391
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C A R O L I N A No 71, Friday, April 16, 1993.
FROM LAST WEEK'S EVENTS (April 7-14)
Polish premier Hanna Suchocka in Prague
On Wednesday, April 7 Polish premier Hanna Suchocka finished her
meeting with Czech premier Vaclav Klaus. Both of them said that Czech
Republic as well as Poland had troubles due to protectionist policy of
European Community countries which restricted the export of food,
agricultural products, steel, coal, textile and other products from
Eastern Europe.
Both representatives agreed that it was necessary for both the
sides to strongly and clearly define their attitudes towards EC. They
will also urge a quick approval of agreement of formation of
a free-trade zone between the countries of the Visegrad group comprising
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary.
Prague and Warsaw share the same opinion about the solution of
asylants'problem. Talks about policy coordination in this field will
continue between ministers of the interior.
Meat and milk war in Europe
State veterinary administration of the Czech Republic made ban on
tranzit and import of live animals, food and raw materials of animal
origin from all the states of the European Community into the Czech
Republic. The ban effects also the transit of live animals from Poland
and from the territory of the former Soviet Union.
This measure is a reaction towards the EC decision to hold up the
import of live animals, meat and milk product from East and
MiddleEuropean countries.
Ministery of foreign affaires of the Czech Republic announced via
its permanent mission in Brussels a sharp protest to the commission of
the EC. The areal implementation is from the point of view of the Czech
Republic protectionist-like and beyond comprehension.
The best feelings towards Slovaks
According to a poll carried out early in March the Czech public
feels the best towards Slovaks. Representatives of German of Polish
nation are also regarded rather favourably.
CZECH RELATION TOWARDS OTHER NATIONALITIES (in per cent)
towards good neutral bad no relation
Slovaks 58 31 8 3
German 39 39 13 9
Poles 34 41 9 16
Jews 29 35 5 31
Vietnamees 14 37 32 17
Balkans 13 34 31 23
Gypsies 6 22 65 7
Charles University awarded Charles IV. Prize for the first time
13 doctorates of honour honoris causa and a doctorate of honour of
the social sciences were on Wednesday, April 7 awarded at the occasion
of 645th anniversary of the foundation of Charles University. For the
first time in history also international Charles IV Prize was awarded.
Rector of the university, Radim Palous presented the honoris causa
doctorates to ambassadors from seven countries whose scientists rejected
to accept them of political reasons in 1948 at the occasion of 600th
anniversay of the foundation of the university. Among those awarded
there was for example Nobel prize-winner, British bacteriologist and
penicillin discoverer Alexander Fleming.
Honoris causa doctorate of social sciences was presented to
journalist and political publicist Pavel Tigrid (see CAROLINA n.70).
For the first time international Charles IV Prize was presented, it
is awarded by the university along with the city of Prague. The first
honoured this year was French thinker of the second half of the 20th
century, Paul Ricoeur.
Nobody is obliged to accomodate students
Students in the Czech Republic must pay as of March 93 yet higher
dormitory fees. The proposal about the increase of the accomodation fees
for students was put forth in February by the ministery of education,
youth and physical eductation. The board of Academic Senate and
Dormitory Councils of Charles University (the biggest Czech university)
was among the first to approve this proposal at its session on March
30. The dormitory fee in some dormitories rose thus tenfold as of 1989
(from 50 to 500 crowns).
At Charles University itself this measure afflicts appr. 10.000
students. Students'dormitories are as of last year a relatively
independent enterprising subject having been separated from the
management of universities. They are controlled by the Management of
Dormitories and Menzas which gets money from the ministery of education.
The ministery of education made an estimate of roughly 930 Kc per one
student bed, the government is still paying 40-70 per cent of it.
Students regard this calculation wrong and try to point out that there
is surplus of charwomen and administrative officers at the dormitories,
that energy is wasted and on the other hand they often do not have hot
water. Under their criticism there were also services like washing of
curtains, change of duvet-covers, hygiene at common toilets, showers,
kitchens. Students complain that there is nothing they can do about it.
"We use our own bed covers, we wash it ourselves, no one changed
the curtains here during the four years we have been living here. Then
I do not know why should I pay a universal fee when for example we have
to pay for electrical appliances individually", says 23 years old Jitka
Svecova from the faculty of law, who lives with her husband and a son in
a cell for which they have to pay today 1400 Kc not including the
mentioned electrical appliances.
Jiri Schrom, keeper of a bar at Hvezda dormitory in Prague 6:
"I made an offer to rent a part of large cells under the dormitory and
build there a night club. Students would appreciate it and the disco
would not disturb anyone. Moreover by the rent fees I would pay a big
part of the expenses for this abandoned and empty cell. But the director
of Hvezda dormitory turned my proposal down because it would require
some "cosmetic" contruction changes in the entry hall. I would rather
say this is a dislike for doing something new."
Pavel Stokl, student of the faculty of the social sciences amd
a member of an administration council of the dormitories says: "The
dormitories imagine that enterprising is a child game. They are not
capable of improving the standart of the accomodation for example during
holidays to the required level, to provide breakfast and hot water. On
the contrary, for a Czech student it is often due to byrocracy
impossible to be lodged at a dormitory during holidays. In this state
the dormitories can hardly earn anything. And students are charged with
this loss during the school year."
P. Stokl even says that the dormitories do not have any budget to
follow.
"Students are only complaining but they do nothing," says deputy
vicechancellor of Charles University in Prague, prof. Josef Petran. "If
they have something to say, they should present it along with proofs of
waste, surplus employment or whatever", continues J. Petran who regards
students' petitions a relic of the past.
"We have enough departments of economics and sociology at our
schools, they would be able to carry out such a research. Let student
help themselves. Nor state or the university is obliged to accomodate
them. If the current fees increase will lead to students' refusal to
pay, we will just close the dormitories", adds prof. Petran. According
to him, students do not lead a constructive dialogue but only present
ultimata. "They have never invited me for a discussion, for example".
For this reason apart from others J. Petran after 2 years in his post
decided to resign.
Pressure activities like this from the side of students as well as
from the side of the management of the universities will surely not
solve the conflict. There are big reserves concerning students'
participation in various social commissions, administration councils and
election to those bodies, as well as there are reserves in the presented
services and overall clumsiness of the whole Dormitories' complex.
Students can choose dormitories in accordance with their economic
situation. Accomodation is provided from 175 - 500 Kc. Also of interest
is that IV class dormitories (the cheapest) are half empty and the most
expensive (500 Kc) are full and students in them complain the most about
the fees.
There are several possibilities of a long-term solution of this
problem, for example thorough privatization of these facilities. But
that would not guarantee that the dormitories would stay mainly for
students. No one is apt to rent the dormitories because they are still
partly paid by the state. A possible solution could be to make
transparent all the expenses, and more sparing on the side of the runner
as well as students. Or it could be students themselves who would be
charged with the administration of the dormitories, the same as it used
to be during the first republic. In both last variations the state would
have to support the dormitories.
Anyway, the denounment should come soon because the dormitories
have already spent almost all the cut means for 1993, which means that
there is a threat of further fee increase in the second half of the
year. As of October a presentation of university fees is prepared, which
would even more load students, resp. their parents.
David Snajdr
FROM SLOVAKIA
Meciar compares his government to Jesus
The problem of stability of the Slovak government was compared by
premier Vladimir Meciar to the fate of Jesus Christ who had had twelve
apprentices and two of them had betrayed him. "Peter denied him thrice
and eventually he did build his religion and church on Christ. The
second to betray him was Judas. And time will reveal who will be Peter
and who Judas, who will honestly fulfill what he had promised to
people," said V. Meciar in Slovakian radio broadcasting. Then he
appealed to people not to condemn anybody because everybody "has
a chance to return to what he had publicly committed himself to in
public."
He alluded to the departure of Milan Knazko from the ranks of
Movement for Democratic Slovakia. The former minister of foreign
affaires, M. Knazko was followed by eight MDS deputies in Slovak
parliament. Observes regard this step as a beginning of a hunt of
renegades of the governing movement.
SPORT
World record of javelin-thrower Zelezny
Czech representative in javelin-throw, Jan Zelezny made a new world
record with 95.54 metre at a athletics competition in the Republic of
South Africa. The Olympic winner from Barcelona overcame the old record
of British Backley by 4.08 metre. The new world record is a satisfaction
for the 26 year old Zelezny for the last year's record (94.74 metre)
which the jury did not recognize due to a protest against his javelin.
Hockey before the World mastery
In both preparation contests for the forthcoming Ice Hockey World
Mastery our hockey representation beat Sweden. The first Czech victory
over last year's world masters was played 3:0, the second one 5:2.
Sparta again in the lead after the 23rd round of football league
Sparta Praha (32pts) returned to the first place having beaten
Inter Bratislava 3:1. Recently leading Slavia Praha (31pts) lost in
Presov 0:1. The third is Slovan Bratislava with 30 points and a victory
over Banik Ostrava 0:1. DAC Dunajska Streda (30pts) won on Dukla Praha
turf 2:1, but a worse score ranks him the fourth. Dukla goes on with bad
performances and remains the last with only 11 points.
WEATHER
April weather is not too mischievous this year, on the contrary.
Temperatures hover about ten degrees during the day, in night and in the
morning they drop to zero. The sky is mainly cloudy and presents us with
many rainfalls. Dispersion conditions are rather bad.
Dear readers,
next week we will carry out another workshop at our faculty, this
time Czech-Danish. Whereas French-Czech workshop in the second half of
March concentrated on the environment of the Czech Republic (see
CAROLINA n. 69), Danish students of journalism from the university in
Aarhus should together with their Czech counterparts get acquianted with
the situation of our education, the conditions of university students
(study, accomodation, menzas, spare time etc.) They plan to publish
a newslist during their weekly stay in Prague. Carolina reporters will
also participate in this project, we are sure that the final picture
could be interesting for you as well - therefore we intend to prepare
a special issue of our service. If you should have any comments,
suggestions or questions, please use the e-mail. We would like to
respond to it together with our Danish colleagues who will be leaving on
April 24.
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