Yesterday the Albanian Nation Youth Congress (NYC) publicly joined student protest against the Rama government’s failed education reform. NYC is an umbrella organization representing 84 youth associations, political organizations, and informal groups.
The NYC has decided to come with a public statement following a recent request by some youth organizations for a parliamentary hearing session on students’ demands. The NYC opposes such a move, emphasizing that the protest belongs to students, not to any organization – political or otherwise – and that no organization has the right to represent tens of thousands of students in the small hall of the Parliament.
It their statement, the NYC expresses its full support of students’ demands for lower tariffs in education, provision of students’ basic needs, and higher inclusion of students in universities’ decision-making.
Furthermore, the NYC informs that its youth members have been protesting every single day with the rest of the students at the Ministry of Education, Prime Minister’s Office and Parliament, and they have opposed Rama government’s reform in higher education since the beginning. The NYC draws citizens’ attention to its struggle to prevent the same mistakes happening with the Law on Youth.
The NYC calls on all youth organizations and their members to support the protest by pouring into streets, pushing the government to meet students’ demands, which are minimal, hence non-negotiable.
NYC’s statement of support follows the support expressed by several European students’ associations – ESU, EMA – and from dozens of Albanian NGOs.
