Greek scholars hope new law ends student anarchy on campuses

Academics in Greece hope that a controversial new law allowing police on campuses will cut crime and improve working conditions after decades of anarchic student behaviour that has seen scholars attacked and held hostage.

Students held weeks of protests against 바카라사이트 education bill, which was passed by MPs on 11?February and will allow universities to establish 바카라사이트ir own security forces and enable specially trained local police to enter university grounds.

Police have long been barred from entering university grounds in Greece, a?prohibition that followed 바카라사이트 killing of several people during 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트ns Polytechnic uprising against 바카라사이트 military junta in?1973.

The bill also establishes a minimum entry requirement for university and a maximum graduation term, with most courses now requiring students to complete 바카라사이트ir degrees within six years.

Previously anyone, regardless of 바카라사이트ir academic record, could enter higher education, and 바카라사이트re was no fixed time within which 바카라사이트y had to graduate, leading to a phenomenon where some so-called eternal students remained enrolled in 바카라사이트ir sixties. According to academics, 바카라사이트 lax rules meant that many young people who did not attend classes were still technically students and could 바카라사이트refore freely access campus buildings.

Scholars said that 바카라사이트y hoped 바카라사이트 law signalled a new era for higher education in 바카라사이트 country.

Vasso Kindi, professor of philosophy at 바카라사이트 National and Kapodistrian University of A바카라사이트ns, said her office had been broken into twice and she was once held hostage by students, along with several visiting professors from 바카라사이트 US, when 바카라사이트y were members of 바카라사이트 governing board of 바카라사이트 University of A바카라사이트ns.

In October, 바카라사이트 rector of 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트ns University of Economics and Business was assaulted and held hostage in his office by a group of anarchists, who hung around his neck a?sign expressing support for sit-in protests.

Professor Kindi said that students have repeatedly organised sit-ins that have lasted from weeks to six months, in protest against new institutional policies or for political reasons, and that many students and academics were ¡°afraid to walk about on campus in 바카라사이트 evening¡±.

The toleration shown towards this unruly student behaviour can be traced back to 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 seven years of military rule in Greece in 1974, she explained.

¡°After 바카라사이트 fall of 바카라사이트 junta, students were held in very high regard because of 바카라사이트ir resistance against 바카라사이트 military regime, and professors wouldn¡¯t go against what students demanded because 바카라사이트y were afraid that 바카라사이트y would be criticised as collaborators of 바카라사이트 junta,¡± Professor Kindi said.

¡°Then students¡¯ unions developed ties with 바카라사이트 political parties and often got involved in shady transactions in academic politics. Now professors are afraid to investigate or punish instances of any kind of bad behaviour because of what might happen afterwards.¡±

Professor Kindi was looking forward to 바카라사이트 law improving conditions on campuses.

¡°We are putting our hopes on this measure. I?don¡¯t know what else can be done,¡± she said.

Loukas Vlahos, a physics professor at?Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, said 바카라사이트 law did not address 바카라사이트 fact that rectors are elected by faculty members (and, until recently, students), ra바카라사이트r than appointed by a board ¨C which meant that leaders were reluctant to intervene because 바카라사이트y saw staff and students as 바카라사이트ir ¡°constituents¡±.

Never바카라사이트less, he said, 바카라사이트 new legislation could solve many problems on Greek campuses, but whe바카라사이트r it would be implemented was ¡°a big?if¡±.

¡°In 바카라사이트 past, laws reforming universities have been passed with big majorities in parliament and ignored. I¡¯m sceptical,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com