University Student Council Calls on Matovic, Kollar & Danko to Give Up Degrees

Bratislava, September 18 (TASR) - The University Student Council (SRVS) has called on We Are Family leader Boris Kollar, OLaNO head Igor Matovic and Slovak National Party (SNS) boss Andrej Danko to give up their respective university degrees, adding that the cases of political representatives who obtained their degrees dishonestly threaten the reputation and quality of higher education in Slovakia. "Ethics and compliance with rules in the academic environment are fundamental principles that help maintain the integrity, credibility and quality of the education system. They also help students develop the professional values and behaviours they will need in their future professional careers," the council stated. It added that the act of giving up of one's university degree has been made possible by a recent amendment to the Higher Education Act. The council remarked in this vein that this is not the first time it called on Kollar, Danko and Matovic to give up their degrees. "So far, there has been no self-reflection and proper corrective action by any of them," it said. In order to maintain public confidence in a democratic society and universities, the council also called on former education minister Branislav Groehling to provide evidence that he acquired his degree in an honest and legitimate manner. "As he hasn't done so to this day," the council explained. zel/mcs