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The President of the Lithuanian Student Union, Eigirdas Sarkanas, stated that the quality of studies is affected due to distance lectures. He does not rule out that at the end of the semester, there may be complaints from students who pay for their studies.
“We heard the first signs in the spring. Those particular signs were heard by students of medical arts and sciences. {…} If there are such cases, we will certainly examine them, decide and explain whether they are justified. If rights are violated of the students, we will represent them, “said E. Sarkan.
Minister Šiugždinienė: “Refunds – with a big question mark”
The Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Jurgita Šiugždinienė tv3.lt, stated that the return of money to students raises a “big question”.
He noted that the focus should not be on price reductions, but on students getting what they are now losing to acquire skills.
“Refunds – with a big question mark. I would be very secretive about this. It should not be about reducing the price, but about how and when we will do it, and how we can get back to hands-on activities and labs.
The epidemiological situation in Lithuania is very different, now it is getting worse, it is sad here, but I think that with the arrival of the vaccine and following all the rules, being at home should improve the situation.
Universities and colleges, I think, will really be able to make up for what students are missing now. How to do it: we need to talk about it. They can also be joint interuniversity decisions.
In any case, the main emphasis is on allowing the student to acquire certain competencies; universities and colleges must guarantee it. And how they will do it and at what time is another question. You need to organize the study process somewhat differently. If there will be no opportunities in the spring, they need to be addressed again.
The money is paid for competitions and a university or college cannot put up a sign and say that now you will not learn and we will spend you like this, half shaved, half bare. That cannot be the case, “said the minister.
Union of Students: “The quality of the studies suffers a lot”
The president of the Lithuanian Students’ Union, E. Sarkan, stated that they have not yet received any complaints or appeals from students that they do not want to pay for their studies or that a refund is requested from them. Higher education sets the cost of tuition and signs of student protest against universities are already visible abroad. Perhaps young Lithuanians are happy not to go to conferences?
“Maybe they’ll go straight to higher education and try to negotiate. We don’t have any complaints that are wider in scope yet. However, we heard the first signals in the spring. Those particular signals were heard by medical arts and sciences students.
Distance learning in art studios is not only difficult, but in some cases it is even impossible. Naturally, in your case, some sort of studio compensation or other solutions should definitely be found. Some of the exceptions were made for students majoring in the arts because some of them were behind in their academic year. Your study period lasts at least one year.
In other fields of study, the social sciences or the humanities, so far we have not received any major complaints. Naturally, this change in studies has occurred: both students and teachers must adapt.
Our research shows that some teachers are not fully adapted to various technologies, it is more difficult for them to use them. As a result, the quality of the studies suffers greatly. But higher education institutions are trying to find different solutions so that all parties are satisfied, “said E. Sarkan.
“It’s all on the student’s side and they can really ask for compensation.”
The Student Union has previously requested to the Confederation of Rectors the organization of practical classes or their postponement, without changing practical classes for theoretical ones.
“The practical classes have been replaced by theoretical classes. We emphasize that this cannot be the case. Study programs and agreements provide very clear learning outcomes that a student must achieve.
If a student, although there are objective reasons, did not achieve them, it is natural that the student has some gaps, does not achieve the expected results, everything is on the student’s side and can really ask for compensation.
If there are more such cases, if higher education institutions seem inflexible and are simply trying to go the easy way and make it easier for students to complete their studies, then they are certainly wrong. We will try to address these cases in other ways. At first, of course, talking to high schools. We have a conference of university presidents and a conference of university directors; We hope that joint decisions will also be made there and that efforts will be made to find solutions.
The prices of the higher schools can be adjusted for the students: they can be lower or higher than those of the state and they can compensate the students, ”said E. Sarkan.
Committee Chairman Seimas: Everyone suffers a lot of losses and it would be wrong to single out one group
Artūras Žukauskas, chairman of the Education and Science Committee and former rector of VU, pointed out that we live in a state governed by the rule of law and we must first consider legal acts. Students have contracts with high schools and should see them first.
“This problem exists, it is a national disaster. Due to the fighting, everyone suffers a lot of losses and it would be wrong to select one group to compensate for the losses and not the others.
Perhaps to some extent and could compensate for them, but it has to be shown that the quality of the studies has fallen. My head when for some it grew. Many students don’t go to lectures, we know how they study. Now we have to sit down, it is still a question of whether the average quality of the studies has really dropped.
Lawsuits can arise if contracts are breached, in which case universities will have to sue. As the court will decide, “said the committee chairman.
He noted that more distance education will emerge in the future, as this period also brought “good practices”.
The chairman of the Seimas committee recognized that students suffer from the loss of activities in art, medicine and scientific laboratories. But it requires understanding that this is a disaster that has befallen the entire population, not just the students.
“It is a natural disaster, it is a problem. The same as a hurricane would destroy the roofs of houses, or an earthquake would occur, people would die, buildings would be lost.
And because part of the money will be returned to you, you won’t get a better education. The loss of education will not be covered in any way financially. Let’s understand that if a doctor comes to the operating room without seeing the patient, he simply cannot allow the person.
It is not a monetary compensation. It is a matter of education. How to do it? That virus will pass and you will have to work harder. Now they can give more lectures, and when humanity gets over that pandemic, they will have to sit in the labs and have fewer lectures, ”said Committee Chairman Seimas A. Žukauskas.
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