A bleak insight into higher education
The recent announcement of the results of examinations taken by high school students hoping to secure a place in a university course caused a real stir and shattered any preconceptions about our higher education system. These painful revelations were provoked by the announcement that a large proportion of examinees will not be accepted at higher education institutions because they did not manage to achieve the minimum pass mark. In total, 38,982 examinees, 41.7 percent of the total, failed to secure the minimum pass mark and will not be matriculating into university or technical college (TEI). As a result, 13,243 places, chiefly at regional TEIs, are open. The developments have provoked confusion on various levels and this chaos lays bare the ailments afflicting our state secondary education system. It is now clear, for example, that the places now vacant had been previously occupied by students who had not possessed the appropriate capabilities or academic acumen. These revelations caused a real headache for politicians and some local authority leaders who are much more concerned about the impact of education reform on their salaries than the current quality of higher education itself. Now, certain politicians and «friends of the people» have started expressing their concerns about the «social problems» that have been created by the establishment of the minimum pass mark. And some have even requested that this threshold be revoked in an effort to feign interest in state education and their respect for youngsters and their parents.
