TIRANA, Oct  17 /ATA/ The Democratic Party MP, Agron Gjekmarkaj, on Monday expressed his support for the university teachers’ protest which, according to him, is held to demand a more dignified treatment.

“Today is the first day of academic year. We would like to send the traditional greetings but something keeps us from doing that. Teachers and students are on strike today for a dignified treatment. They are not looking to compare with Italy, Germany or France!  Simply with Kosovo, which has not seen yet two decades of independence,” he said.

Gjekmarkaj said that there is no dignified society and serious state without a quality university.

“Without quality there are no elites and without them there is no progress. After 32 years of freedom, they have remained the most economically neglected class and without status. The higher education law which has met with fierce opposition from university teachers never became a solution to anything. In many European countries, the state financially supports the public universities. Every time the lecturers rise in protest or demand something, there is an attempt to oppose them from across different social strata or a “war of classes” with the students, and a “trouble” or “crisis” always looming up.

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