The Ministry of Education has submitted an amendment to a bill providing student transfers, in response to the uproar and allegations that the measure could result in regional institutions being “cleared out”.
The amendment, which was submitted on Monday and will be discussed on Tuesday, sets a number of limits to the criteria of students who can apply for a transfer. This Ministry proceeded with the amendment as up to 80% of first-years in regional institutions have expressed a desire to transfer to more central universities.
According to the submitted amendment, the Ministry further specifies the criteria for various categories of beneficiaries (students from large families, disabled students, etc) for a transfer to an institution based near the residence of their parents or own registered, permanent residence.
Additionally, the amendment disallows transfers to different schools or departments within the same institution and transfers to institutions based in the same region. Finally, the Ministry bans transfers for civil servants, local government officials and those serving in the Armed Fores to transfer to an institution near their placement.
