Petition for the Support of CTYOnline – Program for Talented High School Students

Petition for the Support of CTYOnline – Program for Talented High School Students

 based on: Article no. 18 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms

and Act no. 85/1990 Coll., on the Right to Petition

 

Addressed to:

Mr. Marcel Chládek, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Karmelitská 7, 118 12 Prague 1.

Copy addressed to:

Mr. Bohuslav Sobotka, Prime Minister of the Government of the Czech Republic.

Members of the Parliament – Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament, Sněmovní 4, 118 26, Prague 1

Members of the Senate – Senate of the Czech Republic, Valdštejnské náměstí 17/7, 118 01 Prague 1.

 

Dear Mr. Chládek,

We, the undersigned , demand your ministry keeps its promise to grant scholarships for the CTYOnline courses to talented high school students, and supports the cooperation with CTY Johns Hopkins that would lead to the establisment of CTY in the Czech Republic. As a direct result of your failure to keep your promise, 150 Czech high school students face the risk of not being allowed to complete their courses.

In July 2014, you have promised to support talented, motivated, and hardworking high school students by providing financial subsidy of 5 million CZK that would cover 80% of the CTYOnline tuition fees and study materials for the academic year 2014/2015.  You also expressed your full support to the establishment of Centre for Talented Youth, a member of the international CTY John Hopkins group, in the Czech Republic. In September 2014, 150 students have enrolled in the CTYOnline courses, paid 20% of their tuition fees, and started their studies. On the twenty-fourth of October, 2014, the ministry approved financial support of 10 million CZK for the two consecutive academic years. The students, however, did not receive it. On the third of January, 2015, your ministry sent us a letter in which it informs about the repudiation of the support, arguing the program is elitist and in conflict with the policy of equal chances of access to education.

The pilot stage of the CTYOnline program in years 2010 – 2014, carried out with the financial support of 22 million CZK from the compatriots from the American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies (AFCSLS) and CTY Johns Hopkins, demonstrated outstanding results by more than 600 students. At the moment, there are 150 students in the program, and others are enrolling in the spring semester. The benefits of CTYOnline have demonstrated its increasing popularity among students, parents, and educators.  The establishment of CTY Centre in the Czech Republic would allow us to reduce the tuition fees by more than a half, and continue our cooperation with Czech teachers, schools and universities. The foundation of the CTY Centre in the Czech Republic is supported by a number of personalities and institutions.

In his New Year’s TV address on ČT24, the Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, declared that the fundamental goal he sets for his government is to ensure its credibility. This presupposes, as he put it, to: “Keep one’s word, not to trick citizens, and not to do things for effect only.”

We, who care about the quality education for our children, honesty, and proper behavior of our elected representatives, express our hopes and trust Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, did not speak in vain.

Minister Chládek, keep your promise which you have on numerous occasions acknowledged verbally as well as in writing. Here is your press release:

Thank you.

For more visit:  www.uptoyou.cz, www.objevitelske-soboty.cz/ctyonline-ohrozeno, www.facebook.com/afcsls.org

Martin Herman, AFCSLS,  mherman@afcsls.org

Jeanne Bočková, Nadané dítě, z.s., jeanne@strategic.cz