“Clemet Has Neglected Students”
Former Minister of Education and Research Trond Giske thinks that Minister Kristin Clemet is to blame for a historic impairment of economic conditions for students.
På norsk;)
FOTO: Audun Halaas
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FOTO: Harald Fagerheim Bugge
In the last edition of Universitas, Kristin Clemet savaged the education and R&D policy of the red-green government alternative. According to Minister of Education and Research Kristin Clemet Arbeiderpartiet (the Norwegian Labour Party) has “neglected” this area whereas SV (a Norwegian socialist party) has adopted a policy that is “weak on content”. “There is really no other alternative than Høyre’s policy,” she proclaimed.
Trond Giske representing Arbeiderpartiet and Rolf Reikvam representing SV are now counterattacking. According to the two, Clemet uses a common debate strategy: Weak argument; raise your voice!
“These are big words without content. Cheap rhetoric, corresponding with Høyre’s entire election campaign,” Reikvam says.
“Clemet has here an incredibly weak case. She has neglected students when all other ministers of Education and Research have aspired to better their conditions,” Giske says.
“Students Are Stuck with the Bill”
They both refer to the fact that Clemet started her 4-year term by voting against the proposal to increase student allowances from NOK 70,000 to 80,000 and grants from 30 to 40 per cent. This was adopted despite the government parties` votes. In the time that followed, Clemet has succeeded in neglecting economic conditions for students significantly.
“The travel grant has been removed, the public transport discount has been reduced. She has been opposed to any motion to adjust student allowance in accordance with price growth. The most crucial is nevertheless the removal of the arrangement where student loans were partly converted into grants following graduation. This alone constitutes a loss of close to NOK 55,000 for each student,” Giske says. He thinks that students themselves are stuck with the bill for the Quality Reform.
“Clemet thinks that you were unwilling to fully finance the Reform?”
“That is a lie to divert attention. The Reform was supposed to be financed year-over-year in each Budget, and during this term Arbeiderpartiet has all along proposed to spend more money on Education compared to the government,” Giske says who can promise the following less than one week prior to the Election:
“We shall undo as many of Clemet’s cuts as possible. A solid allowance is the very foundation for the idea of the full-time student- one of the key visions behind the Quality Reform.”
Lies and Empty Words
Reikvam is under the impression that Clemet presents a number of lies in her interview with Universitas:
“She takes credit for financing the Reform in full: There has been broad political consensus on the matter. What is more, the way we look at it, the Reform is not fully financed. She takes credit for the establishment of NOKUT (a quality assurance body), which was based on an idea from Mjøsutvalget (a committee concerned with Higher Education issues), and which has also enjoyed broad political consensus. She claims that we aim to make it easier to achieve university status: Complete and utter lie! The requirement of offering five Master’s degree programmes and four Ph.D. programmes is rock solid. We do not wish to be lenient in this matter,” Reikvam says. He feels that the Minister categorically refrains from documenting her claims.
He considers Clemet’s so-called “knowledge boost” as empty words.
“What does this mean? SV has proposed to expand education of teachers to five years. This would constitute a proper boost. However, Clemet is opposed. We also wish to change current allocation of funds to Education and Research: More permanent allocations, less result-oriented financing. The knowledge society and important R&D circles need to think more long-term, and co-operation should prevail as opposed to competition, institutes aside,” Reikvam concludes.
