OLaNO Demands Across-the-board Plagiarism Check over Kollar's Thesis
Bratislava, June 29 (TASR) – The governing OLaNO party caucus considers the case of House Chair Boris Kollar’s (We Are Family) diploma thesis to be the failure of the advisor, student, opponent as well as the whole plagiarism checker system, OLaNO caucus head Michal Sipos stated after the caucus session on Monday.
The OLaNO party demands plagiarism checks for all bachelor, master and doctoral theses in academia, dated from a period to be determined by education minister Branislav Grohling (SaS) and Justice Minister Maria Kolikova (For the People).
In addition, legislation is to be drafted by September to enable universities to be stripped of their accreditation as a form of ultimate penalty.
Boris Kollar was invited to attend the session. With this resolution, the OLaNO party considers the case to be closed.
According to Sipos, Kollar fielded all the questions raised by OLaNO. The only thing that has been left unclear was the improper quotations of Kollar’s advisor, which is why the OLaNO caucus head declared this case to be the failure of the student, advisor and opponent.
Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) added that it’s up to ministers to determine what’s fair in the assessment of the education system. He conceded that if such a supervision were complicated or not appropriate, the whole system should be overhauled. Matovic didn’t even rule out the scrapping of all theses, if plagiarism can’t be prevented.
Matovic added that he made a deal with Kollar last week, with Kollar supposed to apologise and pledge not to use his master’s degree in politics. The Prime Minister conceded that he regrets that the apology didn’t come out the way it should.
When asked by reporters whether it’s fair to check all theses from the past for plagiarism and strip culprits of their academic degrees, many of whom might lose their jobs as a result, whereas Kollar will be allowed to stay in his post, Matovic responded that there’s no legal requirement of university education for lawmakers.
