Art universities are trying to abolish the need for external examinations for admission – the Minister of Education reacted

Rectors are preparing a rally of several thousand people and want to bring it to the Maidan

Rukavishnikov

Art institutions of higher education headed by the rector of the National Music Academy of Ukraine Maxim Tymoshenko are trying to get permission to enter art institutions of higher education only on the basis of a creative competition, as was the case during the 2022-2023 admission campaign.

They sent a corresponding letter to the Ministry of Education and Culture on February 22, 2024.

“Taking into account the public concern, we ask you to cancel the decision regarding the application of the results of the NMT and ZNO for admission to art institutions of higher education for which entrance exams for creative competitions are provided“, says the letter signed by the rector of the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Academy of Music Ihor Pilatiuk, acting rector of Nezhdanova Odesa National Academy of Music Oleksandr Oliynykrector of the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema and Television Inna Kocharyanrector of Kharkiv National University of Arts named after Kotlyarevsky Natalia Govorukhina, acting Rector of the National Academy of Managerial Personnel of Culture and Arts Valery Marchenko and other.

The signatories of the letter note: “We note that in the leading institutions of higher art education in Europe, the only form of admission is only a creative competition“.

Two weeks later, on March 7, the Council of Rectors of Art Education Institutions and its Chairman Maksym Tymoshenko sent an appeal to the Ministry of Education and Culture. IN it states that the Ministry has not yet provided an official response to the letter from art universities, which the Council sees as “the threat of future admission of applicants“.

The Council also warns the Ministry of Education that in the near future it is preparing a protest action with the participation of students, teachers, parents and trade union members. And he notes that he plans to bring three thousand protesters first to the Ministry of Education and Culture, and then to Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

Around noon on Friday, March 8, the Minister of Education Oxen Lisovyi reacted publicly to this letter in his Facebook. “I saw an appeal from the rector of the National Music Academy of Ukraine still named after Tchaikovsky. It states the demand to cancel NMT for admission to art higher education institutions, otherwise they will announce a protest action with the participation of students (who have already enrolled), trade unions, parents, etc.“, the minister writes.

Lisovyi noted that “the key task of universities is not to recruit as many students as possible, but to create all the necessary conditions for students to obtain high-quality higher education“.

“Undoubtedly, the results of the NMT will play a smaller role in the formation of the entrance score than the creative competition. But we are talking about admission to a higher education institution, so basic knowledge of mandatory subjects (Ukrainian language, history of Ukraine, mathematics and one subject of choice) must be possessed by each entrant“, – emphasized the head of the Ministry of Education and Science.

The minister also noted that the Council explains its demand to cancel the external examination for art universities as martial law, and at the same time plans to hold a protest during it.