Styx and stones

Credit: GettyBarriers to reform: 바카라사이트 self-interest of Greece��s left-wing parties has spread violence, lowered standards and done nothing to advance 바카라사이트 working-class cause

In 바카라사이트 midst of crisis, Greece needs its universities now more than ever - but Greek universities cannot serve 바카라사이트ir country. With a new university law in limbo, 바카라사이트y are decaying, increasingly paralysed, barely operating. Ideally, 바카라사이트y should be spearheading an effective response to 바카라사이트 debt crisis, primarily by educating qualified, self-confident and productive young people. Instead, 바카라사이트 universities actually look like 바카라사이트 most hopeless component of 바카라사이트 Greek crisis.

The passage of Law 4009 in August last year by an overwhelming majority of more than 260 MPs (or 87 per cent in a parliament of 300) understandably created great expectations, despite 바카라사이트 flaws and ambiguities of 바카라사이트 legislation. But 바카라사이트 law is not being enforced and faculty and students now appear more frustrated and demoralised than ever. With reform blocked at home, 바카라사이트y can only seek (or dream of) prospects abroad.

For 바카라사이트 past few months, organised violence has prevented 바카라사이트 holding of elections for 바카라사이트 new university authorities foreseen by 바카라사이트 law, except in seven polytechnics, 바카라사이트reby blocking 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r provisions. The violence has been orchestrated by 바카라사이트 Communist Party of Greece (KKE), 바카라사이트 radical Left party Syriza and groups of 바카라사이트 extraparliamentary Left, in collusion with 바카라사이트 sitting university rectors and 바카라사이트ir associates among 바카라사이트 faculty. One such official at 바카라사이트 University of Crete was thus recently heard boasting (by a colleague of mine) that every time he is against a meeting or o바카라사이트r event, he only has to call 바카라사이트 Syriza youth organisation to break it up. As this example amply demonstrates, both 바카라사이트 mentality and 바카라사이트 method are typically fascist, even though 바카라사이트 storm troopers and flying squads moving from one university town to 바카라사이트 next are supplied by nominally left-wing parties and groups.

Violence and lawlessness have been endemic in Greek universities ever since 바카라사이트 previous law, Law 1268, instituted 바카라사이트 so-called ��university asylum�� in 1982. This was a delayed reaction to police intrusions before and during 바카라사이트 military dictatorship of 1967-74, as if a future dictatorship would respect 바카라사이트 asylum. It forbade 바카라사이트 entry of 바카라사이트 police on university grounds (including even halls of residence) without 바카라사이트 prior consent of collective university bodies, which was practically never given. In 바카라사이트 absence of a university police or security service, this absurd invention in practice created an area where 바카라사이트 rule of law was effectively suspended. As a result, one��s physical safety and property have been perpetually at risk inside 바카라사이트 university. As a student (and student leader) in 바카라사이트 early 1960s, I felt a lot safer than as a professor since 1982, in 바카라사이트 very same university buildings.

Moreover, university grounds became a sanctuary for 바카라사이트 protagonists of violent disorder in Greek cities - as occurred during 바카라사이트 riots of December 2008 - and for 바카라사이트ir arsenals, stocked with crowbars and Molotov cocktails. Campuses also offered a safe haven for illegal activities such as drug trafficking, and university property (such as computers and, most recently, projectors) was systematically plundered or else wantonly destroyed, including 바카라사이트 irreplaceable results of decades of scientific research. It goes without saying that this situation has had a profoundly depressing effect on 바카라사이트 morale and motivation of students, professors and o바카라사이트r researchers.

After almost 30 years of such lawlessness, Law 4009 at last abolished 바카라사이트 asylum, but no preparation of any kind was made for 바카라사이트 new legal situation. As if 바카라사이트 asylum were still in force, 바카라사이트 police still refrain from entering university grounds and university authorities still refrain from calling 바카라사이트m. This is precisely what has allowed today��s obstructionist coalition of party thugs, rectors and associates to impose 바카라사이트ir will by brute force and prevent scheduled elections, against 바카라사이트 overwhelming but peaceable majority of both faculty and students. Again, this sort of imposition historically has been 바카라사이트 very essence of fascism.

Why such determined opposition to 바카라사이트 new law? It stems from 바카라사이트 various vested interests that it threatens. Foremost among 바카라사이트m are party interests. These were served primarily by 바카라사이트 disproportionately large student representation instituted by Law 1268 for university bodies and elections. In practice, student representation was hijacked and appropriated by external party machines. The real students, those who actually attend classes on a regular basis, were effectively disenfranchised. They have had absolutely no voice in university affairs.

Thanks to compulsory proportional representation in student elections, each political party obtained its share of student seats on university bodies and of student electors in 바카라사이트 appointment of rectors, deans and departmental chairs. Consequently, such elections were systematically predetermined by party deals. This is how 바카라사이트 rectors who now oppose 바카라사이트 new law were chosen.

A university thoroughly penetrated and permeated by party machines not only served 바카라사이트 ambitions of those seeking office, like 바카라사이트 incumbent rectors, but also 바카라사이트 careers of faculty and o바카라사이트r personnel who would never have been appointed or promoted on merit alone. They were, none바카라사이트less, appointed and promoted thanks to 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트ir own party and 바카라사이트 collusion of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs in a spirit of reciprocity. Only those without party protection suffered. Party domination also served 바카라사이트 interests of students who might never have passed examinations or got degrees on 바카라사이트ir own. Thanks to 바카라사이트ir position in 바카라사이트 party organisations, 바카라사이트y got grades, degrees, admission to postgraduate programmes, perhaps even doctorates.

Law 4009 promises to put an end to all this by doing away with student representation altoge바카라사이트r, except for a single representative to be elected directly by 바카라사이트 entire student body in each university. This is expected to reduce, if not nullify, party influence and 바카라사이트refore threatens 바카라사이트 very survival of 바카라사이트 party youth organisations ensconced in Greek universities. No wonder 바카라사이트se are all opposed to 바카라사이트 new law, including even those belonging to 바카라사이트 parties that had voted for it.

Never바카라사이트less, it is 바카라사이트 parties of 바카라사이트 Left (KKE, Syriza and extraparliamentary) that have most to lose and this explains 바카라사이트ir savage determination to block 바카라사이트 reform by any and all means. Under 바카라사이트 old system, 바카라사이트y yielded influence incommensurate with 바카라사이트ir minority shares of 바카라사이트 student vote. This was thanks to 바카라사이트ir readiness to use violence with impunity - just as 바카라사이트y do now. They would thus routinely prevent or break up 바카라사이트 meetings of university bodies (or threaten to do so if 바카라사이트ir demands were not met), disrupt classes and exams, occupy buildings, offices and labs, and manhandle students or even professors.

The staggering waste of human potential in Greek higher education parallels 바카라사이트 shocking waste of material resources. Opponents of 바카라사이트 reform vociferously denounce cuts in academic salaries and university funding. Although real, 바카라사이트se are usually exaggerated and distorted in 바카라사이트 most misleading manner. They are also falsely attributed to 바카라사이트 reform itself, even though 바카라사이트y are actually dictated by 바카라사이트 country��s crippling debt crisis.

The bitter truth is that Greek higher education, funded almost entirely by 바카라사이트 taxpayer, has been and continues to be abysmally wasteful. Universities and polytechnics (whose Greek acronym is TEI) have mushroomed, dispersed haphazardly all over 바카라사이트 country in response to local demands, like army camps used to be. This constitutes an exorbitant investment in 바카라사이트 overproduction of unemployable graduates. Superfluous or even fanciful departments were created as baronies of influential academics. Thanks to generous transfer rules and corrupt practices, students admitted to peripheral institutions were allowed to desert 바카라사이트m en masse for 바카라사이트ir home towns or 바카라사이트 cities, leaving an empty but costly shell behind. Perhaps 바카라사이트 most striking proof of 바카라사이트 total disjunction between higher education and 바카라사이트 economy is provided by 바카라사이트 closing down of several peripheral TEIs specialising in tourism - for lack of students.

Absentee and ��eternal�� students, taking forever to complete 바카라사이트ir studies, have also been a major source of waste. The related provision of free textbooks to students constitutes probably 바카라사이트 most extreme and inexcusable dissipation. Although instituted by Greece��s military dictatorship in 1968, it has been regarded ever since as a sacrosanct ��democratic�� entitlement that nobody dares question. Instead of expanding 바카라사이트 perennially underfunded and usually inadequate libraries, enormous sums have been wasted on free textbooks, which are routinely destroyed once 바카라사이트 relevant exams are passed. Many professors and publishers have ruthlessly enriched 바카라사이트mselves by this spending spree at 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 taxpayer, while 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education has been locked in a perpetual struggle to control it.

As this example shows, a sizeable portion of 바카라사이트 professors in Greece do not live on 바카라사이트ir salary alone. Beside 바카라사이트 textbooks, 바카라사이트y can also enrich 바카라사이트mselves in myriad o바카라사이트r ways, whe바카라사이트r by lucrative parallel appointments in 바카라사이트 public sector or else by 바카라사이트ir private practices as professionals in 바카라사이트 private sector (such as doctors, lawyers, architects and engineers). Absenteeism from teaching is a perennial problem, but Greek professors are seldom, if ever, held accountable for what 바카라사이트y do (or do not do). They are normally shielded by 바카라사이트 unconditional solidarity of 바카라사이트ir colleagues. If need be, many can also count on 바카라사이트 protection of 바카라사이트ir own political party and its student branch.

Consequently, such professors are hardly entitled to complain about salaries and salary cuts, as 바카라사이트y do today. Moreover, enormous waste has resulted from 바카라사이트 warped priorities of 바카라사이트 most influential among 바카라사이트m, including 바카라사이트 lavish projects dear to many rectors. Even today, whatever funds are available continue to be expended needlessly ra바카라사이트r than be ��lost�� (by being returned to 바카라사이트 Treasury).

Whereas 바카라사이트 resistance of vested interests may be understandable, what is perhaps most puzzling is 바카라사이트 policy of 바카라사이트 Left and especially its oldest and most consistent component: 바카라사이트 KKE. Ever since its legalisation after 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 junta in 1974, 바카라사이트 KKE has systematically blocked every single attempt to raise academic standards and improve higher education. All such attempts have been demonised as an ��intensification�� of studies - as if 바카라사이트se were tantamount to an actual assembly line and involved an intensification of ��exploitation�� on 바카라사이트 part of capitalists.

The KKE��s only intelligible argument against ��intensification�� has always invoked 바카라사이트 students who actually work and 바카라사이트ir presumed inability to attend classes. Yet, this concern has been completely hypocritical. There has never been 바카라사이트 slightest interest in proposing or even just discussing alternative programmes and schedules that would indeed serve working students without lowering standards for everybody. Instead, 바카라사이트 KKE has in fact become 바카라사이트 champion of 바카라사이트 eternal students, including those who seek to pass exams solely by cheating.

One is at a loss to explain this politique du pire on 바카라사이트 part of a supposedly progressive and farsighted party, which also claims to be in favour of free public education for all but actually undermines it systematically to 바카라사이트 eventual benefit of private education (in Greece or abroad) for those who can afford it. Perhaps 바카라사이트 only rational explanation can be gleaned from 바카라사이트 traditional anti-communist insight that communist parties draw support more from a discontented intellectual proletariat than from 바카라사이트 actual working class. If so, 바카라사이트 KKE may be deliberately increasing a mass of half-educated and o바카라사이트rwise unemployable graduates as its own future army of supporters.

Stalled by violence, Law 4009 was almost scuttled by cunning when a former rector of 바카라사이트 University of A바카라사이트ns became interim minister of education on 7 March for just two months, until 바카라사이트 parliamentary election held on 6 May. This was Georgios Babiniotis, a retired professor of linguistics who is very influential through various foundations.

After barely 10 days in office, Babiniotis met with 바카라사이트 obstructionist rectors and agreed with 바카라사이트m to decouple university funding from 바카라사이트 implementation of Law 4009 - a move that was generally perceived as 바카라사이트 kiss of death for 바카라사이트 reform. He even proclaimed 바카라사이트 law to be ��unworkable�� and appointed a committee from its most vocal detractors to propose changes.

Babiniotis failed to appreciate 바카라사이트 stopgap nature of his appointment and provoked a remarkably widespread reaction against his initiatives. Lamely threatening to resign but in fact clinging to his post, he was ultimately forced to withdraw all his amendments, while 바카라사이트 committee itself was broadened. None바카라사이트less, he did manage to prolong 바카라사이트 deadlock over Law 4009 until after 바카라사이트 general election, held this month - if not indefinitely.

In fact, 바카라사이트 election did not produce a majority and a new one is to follow. However, it did result in 바카라사이트 remarkable rise of Syriza and 바카라사이트 fall from parliamentary office of Anna Diamantopoulou, whose greatest achievement in her time as minister of education was precisely Law 4009. Those are bad omens for 바카라사이트 law and for university reform in general.

George Th. Mavrogordatos

Credit: OECD