Students over 25: for whom the deferment of mobilization may be revised and how it will affect their education
20 August 20:23
ANALYSIS FROM 
The role of education in a country at war goes beyond classrooms and diplomas: it is about the future of the state. Students and teachers are at the center of the debate, and the deferral of mobilization may be reconsidered. The government is preparing changes that will determine who will be able to stay in universities and colleges and who will be subject to conscription. Will the deferment remain after 25 years? What will happen to colleges? Komersant analyzed how this will affect education and science.
Ukraine may revise the rules for granting a deferral from mobilization for students and educators. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is preparing a draft law. This was announced by MP Oleksiy Honcharenko.
What changes are proposed?
According to the parliamentarian, the Cabinet of Ministers is initiating such rules:
- Students. The right to deferment will remain only for those who started their studies at the age of military service. This applies to full-time or dual enrollment, and the deferment will be valid only for the duration of the standard period of education. This applies to students of vocational, professional pre-university and higher education institutions.
- Teachers and researchers. The deferral will be retained for teachers and researchers, but only if they have a degree or a workload of at least 0.75 full-time equivalent.
Students over 25: to be or not to be deferred
Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Vice-Rector of the European University explained that the term “higher education students” in the legislation means all three levels: bachelors, masters, and doctoral students (PhD). Thus, if the draft law is adopted in the proposed version, the restrictions will apply to all students, including those who are pursuing a degree.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Science has already confirmed that men over 25 who enter a university for the first time for a certain level of study will retain the right to deferment. However, the biggest questions arise regarding college students.
Colleges have dramatically increased the number of applicants. Among them are people in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. This is what caused concern in the Ministry of Education and Science, and therefore the draft law proposes to cancel the deferment for those who entered college after the age of 25,” explained Yahodzinsky.
Uncertainty and risks
It is currently unclear whether the changes will apply only to new students or to those who are already studying. Practice shows that when the deferment is canceled, it is lost regardless of when the student was enrolled.
If the draft law is passed in this form, it could deprive many master’s and PhD students of their deferment. This violates people’s right to education and weakens the scientific potential of the state,” emphasized Yahodzinsky.
The alternative is quality control
Yahodzinsky emphasized that the problem is not with the students themselves, but with the lack of proper quality control.
The question is not whether there is a deferral or not. The question is whether students are actually studying. This can and should be controlled by the Ministry of Education and Science, the State Education Quality Service, and other bodies. If a university issues hundreds of “dead” diplomas without training and defense, this is a question for licenses, not students,” Yahodzinsky said.
According to the professor, the adoption of the draft law in its current form will be unfair and will jeopardize those who exercise their constitutional right to education. He called for a balance between the needs of the army and the need to preserve the educational and scientific potential of the country.
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