Download
1 / 59
590 likes | 850 Views
Anti-Corruption Student Network in SEE Student Union of Serbia Dragan Mihajlovic Project Coordinator Bishkek, November 2004. Content. About Student Union of Serbia Higher education in Serbia and its reform Perception on student role SUS activity in the filed of reform – projects
E N D
Anti-Corruption Student Network in SEE Student Union of SerbiaDragan MihajlovicProject CoordinatorBishkek, November 2004
Content • About Student Union of Serbia • Higher education in Serbia and its reform • Perception on student role • SUS activity in the filed of reform – projects • Anti-Corruption Student Network in SEE • Survey • Regulations • Campaign • Conclusion
About Student Union of Serbia • Umbrella organization for 67 faculty and university Unions • Beginnings – 1992 Faculty of Law in Belgrade • Vision – European education in European Serbia • Mission – struggle for higher education reform – Improvement of student standard – protection of students rights and interests – creating student pluralism • From our history of struggle for society and university reform - Student protest 1996/97 and University protest 1998 - Anti-war campaign 1998 - Resistance movement! - Campaign “Choose elections” 2000 - Full membership in ESIB-The National Unions of Student in Europe, 1999
About higher education in Serbia • 50 years of “different” society system than in Western Europe created: • HE systemnot adjusted to changes and challenges ofmodern European society • Period of society and academic isolation during 90is brought: • Low competitiveness, stagnancy and inefficiency • Attack on university autonomy and on free mind • Repressive Law on HE in 1998.
About HE reform – obstacles & questions • Conservative nature of university • Resistance to radical reform – fear of changes! • Lack of conscience about reformnecessity • Difficult situation for students • Cost of reform and who will fund it • State - university vs. autonomy – responsibility
Perception of student role • Political prosecution of students during 90is • Student pluralism does not exist, same as student Parliament • Student property ownership is still unresolved ! • Perception of HE as one-way process • Student opinion is one of main pillars of internal quality culture
SUS activity in field of reform • Students have became a partners in reform process and decision-making process after year 2000 • SUS organized seminars and conferences: • “Pull of the blindfold”, produced policy paper ”Desired university” • “At the same level”, produced policy paper “University in reforms” • “The teaching of the future” training seminar • SUS participates in the creation of Law proposal • SUS is realizing concrete projects in field of reform
SUS activity in field of reform • In 2003 SUS General Assembly adopts the documents “Students and Law on higher education” “SUS position on Bologna process accession” • represents results of work in field of higher education reform • represents our position in negotiations about Law on higher education
Concrete projects in field of reform • Catalyst projectinternational seminars dealing with Bologna process issues • Analyst projectcreation of student evaluation network within SEE • National Training Team - NTTtrainings in different fields of student organizing for students • Student opinion surveyproject outcomes reflect student perception of important student issues • Anti-Corruption Student Network in Southeastern Europecorruption monitoring, campaigning, analysis of regulations within SEE
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE • February 2003 – Meeting inPlovdiv, Bulgaria • Forming the Network • Bulgaria – Youth Society for Peace and Development of the Balkans • Croatia – Mathematics Student Society • Moldova – Students of Invisible College • Serbia – Student Union of Serbia • Initial Aim • To gather information on corruption in education and then creating anti-corruption campaign • First phase • Regional survey among students on corruption in higher education • Regulations collection and analysis in Serbia
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Goals • In long term we want to achieve: • low level of corruption at the Universities in the region • create transparent HE environment and its institutional and legal framework • influence behavior and people’s values by increasing resistance and decreasing willingness to participate in corruption • In short term we want to: • inform and raise awareness of academic communities (students, professors and administrative staff) and the general public about the level of corruption • inform about and make transparent University regulations • make, propose, lobby and advocate for regulations with mechanisms for prevention of corruption (Statute Model, Code of Conduct, Student’s Ombudsperson) • attract students, professors and administrative staff to actively join anti-corruption activities - forming coalition • motivate students to use their rights as a way to create more transparent University environment
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Defining the problem • Denial of its existence • Corruption in education is neglected form • Unwillingness and no interest in solving the problem • Future representatives of society are growing in rotten and devious system – no integrity • Education system has broken down – it has become useless • Students are discontent, indolent and demotivated • Collapse of socio-political and economical systems • Degradation of value system • Easy way out • Vicious circle
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Survey • To obtain information, opinions, attitudes and perceptions of students as stakeholders on corruption relevant to: • Admission • Exams • Grades • Cheating • Administration • Textbooks • Pilot survey, September 2003 – modifications of the questionnaire • Unified questionnaire with 150 variables • Training of interviewers • The survey was conducted in November 2003 • SPSS database
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Sampling • Sample size of >1200 students • Stratification of the sample was based on the number of students: • of university / faculty / year of studies • admitted to first year / proportionally • Within one stratum students were selected according to established step (3 to 10) or randomly • The sample was representative and diverse
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Year of birth
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Year of studies
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Tuition is paid by
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Perception of students on the following percentages:
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE • Relation year of studies / have bought textbook is that higher the year the higher the number of bought books
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE • Acceptable ways of cheating: • Coping • Cribs / ‘guns’ • Paper notes • Using cheat-sheet • Looking at other’s exam • All are acceptable
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE • Approximately 15% of students have never heard of cheating • For 45% of them it is acceptable and for the additional 10% every manner of cheating is unacceptable • Every third student doesn’t pay attention to cheating • If in the position to cheat and not get caught only 1 out of 8 students would reject that possibility and 4 of them would not feel bad after cheating! • Students pass the responsibility on to the professors when corrupted grading is concerned • 84% of them think that the professors should be harshly punished, but only half of them think that students should also be severely punished. • Students believe that there is a higher rate of bribery in Faculties other than theirs • Most of students would not report illegal activities because they feel that specific organs do not control the problem of corruption in higher education
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Index of Corruption (Serbia only) Average - 23.7 Male - 26.2 Female - 21.5 Faculty of Civil Engineering - 28.0 Faculty of Philology / Faculty of Law - 25.0 Faculty of Agriculture - 24.3 Faculty of Medical Sciences - 23.8 Faculty of Philosophy - 23.5 Faculty of Technical Sciences - 22.7 Faculty of Mathematical Sciences - 22.1
Year of admission 1997 – 27.5 1998 – 26.1 1999 – 23.8 2000 – 22.6 2001 – 23.1 2002 – 24.1 2003 – 22.3 Tuition paid by State – 22.5 Student – 28.3 Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE
Place of stay in the town of study Your own house – 26.7 In rented room/apartment – 25.1 In relatives home – 24.7 In parents home – 24.1 Coming for exams – 21.2 In student dormitory – 21.1 Financial state Rich – 30.4 Middle class – 23.1 Poor – 24.7 Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE • Different ways of corruption became an acceptable and normal way of conducting affairs in all area of life, including higher education • They do not see beyond short-come benefits and thus there is not very much interest and concern by the problem • Stakeholders are reluctant to change their life style – keeping the status quo
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE Recommendation Only educating and pointing out the consequences of such acts in modern society of the 21st century can overcome this problem We should not only threaten with sanctions Point out that in future office appointments knowledge will have a more significant role Cheating on exams is in that respect practically cheating on oneself “Going back to the Faculties" Acquainting the students to their rights and duties
Anti Corruption Student Network in SEE • Creating campaign, lobbing and advocating for reform of higher education by modifying and changing: • teaching methods, to become more interactive, small groups and using different methods, and • examining methods to more transparent, objective, open to external control, unified for all students and professors • Motivating students to study and come back to establish new academic values and further building of civil society
