Organization: UAKOM SAV Banska Bystrica, CSFR
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.slovak-l
Date:         Fri, 2 Oct 1992 08:25:23 MET
From:         KUBASKA@UAKOM.CS
Subject:      Re: New Education Minister

> Czechoslovakia is planning to split into two independent countries in January.
> Critics have warned that the government of Slovakia, the small eastern
> republic, has already shown some undemocratic tendencies.

  I would appreciate if somebody points out some undemocratic events
  that went further than it is ussual in western countries.
  I would also appreciate the answer to the question why it is
  undemocratic.

> Those fears were heightened this month by the action of Slovakia's former
> acting education minister, Dusan Slobodnik, who is currently Minister of
> Culture.  He dismissed Anton Hajduk from his post as rector of Trnava
> University, a new teacher-education collegethat is scheduled to open its
> doors next month.
>
> Mr. Hajduk, who had been appointed to the post by former Czechoslovak
> President Vaclav Havel, rejected his firing and asked the courts to intervene
> in the case.

  I'm not an expert in the czechoslovak law, so that it would be
  interesting to hear an oppinion of somebody concerned about the
  academic issues.
  Anyway, the informations I have got are next :
    1. Mr Hajduk does not posses the degree of the docent that is a
       necessary condition to take the degree of the rector.
       So that his appoitment to this post was illegal.
    2. Mr Strasky, the federal prime minister within whose
      jurisdiction are the presidential acts in these days, announced
      in letter to the minister Slobodnik, that Hajduk's appointment
      was not in accord with law and thus it was not valid.
    3. Mr Slobodnik asked Mr. Hajduk to resigne and to leave the
       office. He refused. There was nothing left to do for minister
       Slobodnik in his pursuing the president's decission than to
       change the locks. (It is really ridiculous and dehonesting the
       academic ground)


> In the confrontation that followed, Minister Slobodnik had the locks to the
> rector's office changed in an effort to keep Mr. Hajduk out.  Mr. Slobodnik
> appointed a new rector, with whom the university staff refused to cooperate.
> The same reception was given to a second replacement rector.

    The following informations are going to be my personal oppinions:

    The new person appointed to the post of the rector of the
    University of Trnava is docent Harrach. I got in touch with him
    in my studies in Bratislava one year ago. I have to say that he
    was one of the best teachers I ever had. I appeciate the way he
    dealt with students as well as his ability to explain unclear
    stuff and his good will to do that. Mainly I appreciate his good
    will to accept another solution even from students what is realy
    rare feature within university staff. This makes me believe that
    he will be open to another oppinions.
    I don't know Mr.Hajduk, but the way he defend himself on TV
    and in the front of minister Slobodnik left me doubtful about
    his ability to defend anything.
    I'm one year out of school so that knowledge about the relations
    at our universities are fresh and they are not positive ones.
    THe only way to make things changed is to chose the right experts
    and persons with the certain qualities  to the high posts.




    Marian KubaskaMarian Kubaska
Banska Bystrica
Czech and Slovak Federal Republic
E-mail: KUBASKA@UAKOM.CS
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU