The government has approved an amendment to the Higher Education Act that will require all universities to designate persons to deal with notifications from students of violations of the principle of equal treatment. The government complied with a comment made by its Human Rights Commissioner and former FAMU ombudsman Klara Šimáčková Laurenčíková, who pointed out the need to have ombudsmen in all universities. In the explanatory memorandum to the law, the government states that the function of the focal point can be performed by already proven models of ombudsmen.
The Explanatory Memorandum indicates that the work of the contact point is not to be limited to providing information, but to provide broader support according to the needs of learners. The College may determine the optimal model for the functioning of the contact point(s) according to its own needs, staffing and financial capacities and local conditions.
The School Ombudsmen Platform appreciates that the Government expects schools to inform, prevent and address cases of discrimination through persons with the necessary qualifications and sufficient time to carry out these activities. It specifically mentions that the office and staff providing the point of contact should have an independent status within the university organisation and have the necessary material and other equipment.
The explanatory memorandum also outlines how the contact point(s) can prevent discrimination and disruption of social security. It mentions regular education of students and staff (e.g. through lectures, talks, practical workshops, seminars, conferences), monitoring the occurrence of undesirable behaviour (e.g. by conducting quantitative and qualitative research, surveys), providing individual and group psychological support or raising awareness of selected issues through targeted awareness-raising campaigns (e.g. by publishing practical guides and manuals, videos on social media).
The government also describes the minimum standard of support provided by the contact points. All learners should have the right to contact the point or points to report, in a confidential setting, behaviour that they feel breaches the prohibition of discrimination or interferes with safety at school. The point(s) of contact should be able to support learners in a particular situation (e.g. through counselling or further discussion using appropriate communication techniques) in order to investigate the report and contribute in an appropriate way to resolving the case. The College may regulate the remit, powers and procedure of the contact point(s) in dealing with the report in internal regulations, while defining their relationship with other College bodies.
Finally, the government states that universities can use some of the proven models that already exist in universities in the Czech Republic and abroad: e.g., the position of ombudsmen, coordinators or advisors for social security or persons in a similar position.
The government's bill will now be discussed by both chambers of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The discussion can be followed on the websites of the Chamber of Deputies (Chamber of Deputies print no. 660/0) and then the Senate.
