Greece to close, merge, privatize more than 300 universities and colleges: "Athena Plan"

[HiPointDem]

More than 4,000 students protested outside the Parliament on Thursday as Greek lawmakers voted for “Athena plan” that will merge or even close down more than 300 university and technical college faculties and departments. The mergers are imposed by Greece’s international lenders, the EU-IMF-ECB Troika, in an effort to cut public expenditure.

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Athens: students protest controversial education ‘reforms’

Students took to the streets of downtown Athens on Wednesday to protest the so-called education ’reforms’ that will shut down universities and technical colleges in the name of Troika-imposed austerity. The controversial plan carrying the euphemistic title “Athena” , the ancient Greek Goddess of wisdom, foresees the merger and shutting down of 384 departments and faculties of universities and technical colleges as well as the closure of some universities and colleges. Furthermore, the plan will reduced the number of entrants blocking the way to higher education.

http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2013/03/14/athens-students-block-up-education-ministry-over-reforms/

Athens: Students block up Education Ministry over ‘reforms’

Hundreds of students have been blocking up the Education Ministry since Thursday morning to protest the planned mergers of technical colleges (TEI).

Tension rose when students tried to break the iron gate of the ministry and threatening to enter if their demand to meet Education Minister Kostas Arvanitopoulos was rejected. The political leadership gave in and their is currently a meeting between the students and the minister. Some students’ group marched towards the Athens University in the city’s center where a protest rally is to take place.

Students have been protesting since last week, the planned merger and closing down of 384 departments and faculties of universities and technical colleges in the context of Troika-imposed austerity. The mayor of Mesologgi and two members of the TEI community started a hunger strike three days ago...

http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2013/03/14/athens-students-block-up-education-ministry-over-reforms/

Greek parliament overturns right to free, universal education (Sounds like they've got their own version of the "Emergency Dictatorship" there)

On Thursday the Greek parliament voted to pass legislation, codenamed the Athena Plan, aimed at the destruction of free, state-provided higher education. The law was rammed through in flagrant violation of the Greek constitution, which does not allow for the abolition of universities.

Athena results in the immediate closure of four universities (ten percent of the remaining 40). Some 20 percent of Greece’s technical institutions will also be abolished, with a number merged to establish privatized colleges. A total of 129 university (AEI) and technical college (TEI) departments will be closed immediately and a further 26 other departments gradually phased out.

As it passed, more than 5,000 students, including some from faculties in Patras and other cities, protested outside the parliament in Athens. One of the protesters stressed to PressTV the dictatorial nature of the new law, stating, “Today they passed an unprecedented bill that will allow the education minister to legislate restrictions and spending cuts, without the need for parliamentary voting. His signature alone with suffice to that effect. But we will not accept that..."

The right to free education was first enshrined in the constitution following the fall of the military Junta in 1974. In 1975 Article 16 became part of the constitution and stated, “All Greeks are entitled to free education on all levels at State educational institutions”. It adds, “Education at university level shall be provided exclusively by institutions which are fully self-governed public law legal persons.” Point 16:8 of the constitution states, “The establishment of university level institutions by private persons is prohibited”.

Under Athena, it will become easier for private firms to invest in faculties, and appoint the personnel of their choosing, thus bringing private management into education provision. Institutions will be required to seek private sponsorship and connect their educational programmes more and more to the demands of the market. Athena’s focus is to promote those faculties specialising on economics and business, while other departments will be allowed to go to the wall.

In the last several years, academics have suffered salaries cuts of more than 50 percent, with the budgets of many institutions also slashed by more than half... Over the winter months hundreds of schools nationwide were forced to try to function without any heating oil, computers and insufficient textbooks.

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/02/athe-a02.html