HIGHER EDUCATION
With reference to last year, both the number and the ratio of higher educational
cases have increased. In 2000, 26 per cent of the cases, 159 complaints
were received from this area of education. This year, 35 per cent of our
investigations, 221 proceedings, concerned higher education. However,
not only the number and the ratio of higher educational cases investigated
by our Office have changed with reference to the previous year, but we
have also observed a change in the subject of applications and in the
type of cases. Based on our investigations, we may claim that we proceeded
in cases demanding a more complex legal approach this year. Consequently,
a larger number of initiatives and legislative proposals were made in
the area of higher education than last year.
The legal regulation of higher education carries a number of features
influencing the investigations of our Office in this regard. Higher educational
rules and regulations make up a rather complex system, which is not free
from controversy. This complex system, which is not at all free from changes
as a result of amendments of legislation, does not render it easy for
either the students or the higher educational institutions to find their
way around. The diversity of regulations is further increased by the large
area, for universities and colleges, for regulation on the basis of their
own autonomy.
The vast majority of applications received from the area of higher education
are submitted to our Office by students. This, however, does not mean
that our Office would only protect the rights of these educational participants
versus higher educational institutions. It was the very complaints by
students which showed us the reason for the conflicts between universities,
colleges and their students, because the possible infringement of students'
rights are often rooted in conflicts between the institutions and the
state, frequently of a financing nature. In these instances, our Office
not only proceeded in order to protect the educational rights of students,
but also used our means to resolve conflicts between the higher educational
institutions and the state.
In comparison with the report on last year, the case categories mapped
in the area of higher education did not change; our cases will be presented
below according to these categories.
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