At a moment when the right to
education for all is being tacitly eliminated under the bureaucratic
code of "participation", by an administrative decree and without prior
public discussion, despite the fact that the right to education is
recognized as the universal and binding goal of civilization even in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations, we
feel that we must stand up in defence of that right not just in our own
name, but in the name of society in general. We believe that the right
to education is constitutional to any democracy which is more than a
name.
The
only public space immediately available to us is the space of the
public institution where we are educated. Transforming it into space
for the articulation of demands in defence of democratic public
interests, we assume our part of responsibility in defending universal
social interests from socially destructive processes of
commercialization and social polarization according to income. As the
problem of commercialization is not present only in Croatia, this
action is being undertaken at the same time as other similar actions
around the world, during the international week of fight against
commercialization of education. During the occupation, we will hold our
own educational programme instead of the normal classes, which will be
open to all the students and general public. All decisions about
further actions will be made by the students together through the
direct democratic process at public plenary sessions.
We
demand the elimination of all types of fees that have been introduced
in higher education at all levels: undergraduate, graduate and
postgraduate. The taxes we pay must provide a sufficient guarantee for
basic rights and acquired institutions of social justice and equality.
Anyone who claims that this is not possible within the existing fiscal
framework is only confirming the acute reality of the need that the
policy which has set up that framework be fundamentally redesigned.
We
ask all students and professors to support us, and we extend that plea
to all other citizens as well because universal education available to
all is not only in the interest of students but is of significance for
the future of the entire society.
We will not agree to the auctioning of rights – equality is not for sale!
http://www.slobodnifilozofski.bloger.hr/