On February 25, 2022, the research “Introduction to Student Discrimination” was promoted, developed within the project “Student Perception of Discrimination”, implemented by the Youth Educational Forum and financially supported by the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia.
At the very beginning, the Senior Program Coordinator from FOSM Natasha Angjeleska addressed the audience, emphasizing that the highest priority of the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia is to protect and improve the lives of marginalized citizens and to prevent and protect against discrimination on all grounds. The main goal of this project, implemented by the Youth Education Forum, was to actualize and reduce discrimination in higher education, and by creating research on the perception of discrimination in the three universities by students. This was done by conducting a campaign to actualize the phenomenon of discrimination in higher education, creation of an educational module for combating discrimination and raising the level of student rights intended for student ombudsmen at faculties and universities, and finally and most importantly by creating or changing policies to promote equality and reduce discrimination against colleges and universities.
As the author Sofija Georgievska pointed out, the research addresses the student perception of discrimination at the state universities “St. Cyril and Methodius “- Skopje,” Goce Delchev “- Stip,” St. Kliment Ohridski ”- Bitola and the State University in Tetovo. Additionally, within the research itself, recommendations are created aimed at the relevant institutions and in the direction of prevention and sanctioning of discrimination.
The key data from the research are the following:
- Students who consider themselves to come from families with high socioeconomic status are more satisfied with the climate of universities and colleges.
- Students with disabilities, students who do not want to say their gender, and students who do not want to express their sexual orientation feel most insecure.
- The academic environment is the most undesirable climate for gay/lesbian students and they have largely considered leaving because they do not feel accepted, but they also largely feel that their opinions are not appreciated and that they do not have the opportunity to express their potential.
- Roma feels least valued as not belonging to the university and that the university has no commitment to fairness, equality and inclusion and have largely considered leaving the university because they felt isolated.
- Students have minimal contact with people with disabilities and people of different sexual orientations on campus, as well as with people with learning disabilities, psychological or other invisible difficulties.
- 234 (29.7%) students answered that they felt discrimination, out of which 134 (16.96%) students at UKIM, 11 (1.39%) at UKLO, 42 (5.31%) at UGD, 42 (5.31%) of SUT and 5 (0.63%) of those studying at two universities.
- In terms of sexual orientation, within their group, the highest percentage of discriminated students are students who are gay/lesbian (43.5%).
- Only 7.6% of all students know that there is a procedure for reporting discrimination at the faculties, but unfortunately, they think that it is implemented inefficiently.
- Only 6.6% (52) of students have ever reported discrimination at universities.
According to the student ombudsman at the University “St. Cyril and Methodius University – Skopje”, Tea Micevska, the small number of reports by students regarding discrimination is due to the lack of information of students about the mechanisms for protection and exercise of their rights. She said she had encountered testimonies from students who did not dare to report violations of their rights because they were scared.
Igor Jadrovski, a member of the Commission for Protection and Prevention of Discrimination said that out of 167 cases they have made in 2021, only 1 complaint comes from a student in a case of discrimination, which is devastating.
According to the President of the University Student Assembly at the University “St. Cyril and Methodius- Skopje”, Eva Cvetkovska, the fact that the academic environment fails in accepting the Roma as part of that environment is alarming. She added that the focus of their work as student representatives should be on addressing discrimination against students who are not part of the hetero-normative sexual orientation, and in particular to encourage students of other sexual orientations to more actively report cases of discrimination they go through in the academic environment.
Key recommendations that emerged from the research are the following:
- Preparation and adoption of internal acts for prevention and protection against discrimination within universities.
- Establishment of a special body for prevention and protection against discrimination at universities, where students will have significant participation.
- Public and regular informing of students and staff of faculties and universities about the grounds and forms of discrimination and the available mechanisms for protection against discrimination and the manner in which a procedure for protection against discrimination can be conducted.
- Conducting anonymous annual surveys on discrimination by special bodies for prevention and protection against discrimination.
- Revision of textbooks and teaching aids, removal of contentious content and introduction of objective, scientific information based on human rights and the principle of non-discrimination.
The entire Research is available at the following link.
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28 February 2022