Special Session on Education and Health Sector Over after 16 Hours
Bratislava, February 12 (TASR) – The special parliamentary session on the situation in the education and health-care sectors has ended after almost 16 hours with two resolutions proposed by the ruling Smer-SD passed and all Opposition proposals rejected.
Concerning the education sector, Parliament stated that high-quality education is one of the basic pillars of every developed country and that tackling the problems that have accumulated over the period of Slovakia’s independence [since 1993] requires the continuation of systemic changes in the education sector across the whole political spectrum.
Parliament also stated that systemic prerequisites for long-term sustainable financing of the education sector and science in Slovakia have been created thanks to the consolidation of public finances.
Parliament further called on all the political parties running in the March general election to declare their commitment to adopting the National Education Programme 2016-24, which should be based on a report on the situation in the education sector. At the same time parties should guarantee an efficient, fair and transparent system of financing the education sector and adopt laws on financing regional schools, universities and science and research in line with OECD methodology and recommendations.
As for the health-care sector, Parliament stressed the need to strengthen patients’ trust in health-care workers in the current situation and to continue with a recovery in the Slovak health-care sector. “The health-care system actually applies to everybody regardless of their party membership, way of thinking or internal profession of values. It’s a specific sector, and we need to count on the fact that some benefits will bring fruit only after a longer period,” states the resolution.
Parliament also urged the Government to continue, in the interest of patients and health care, within the conditions that have been set: with the DRG system and observing the approved timetable, with eHealth, with new rules for purchasing medical equipment, with the carrying out of hospital audits, with increasing benefits for patients and with preserving a socially bearable drugs policy.
The resolution on the education sector was proposed by Lubomir Petrak (Smer-SD), and 78 MPs voted for it. The resolution on the health sector was submitted by Richard Rasi (Smer-SD) and backed by 80 MPs.
