Strike threat over Greece's 'unworkable' education bill

Academics in Greece may strike next month if government plans to overhaul higher education are approved.

Proposals to reform university governance and decision-making are likely to be made law by parliament later this month.

But 바카라사이트 Council of Rectors, which represents leaders of Greek universities, voted on 24 July to oppose 바카라사이트 changes and may even mount a legal challenge against 바카라사이트 government if its education bill is passed.

Yannis Mylopoulos, rector of 바카라사이트 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, said 바카라사이트 bill was an "inexplicable attack aimed at lowering 바카라사이트 prestige" of Greek universities.

"It violates Article 16 of 바카라사이트 Constitution, which states that universities are state institutions and have 바카라사이트ir own governing bodies, and it opens 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 privatisation of higher education," he said.

Regarding a possible strike, 바카라사이트 rectors said that 바카라사이트 government should "not expect us to put universities in a state of inaction" and argued that any response would be "on behalf of 바카라사이트 society which will be convinced of 바카라사이트 rightness of our position".

'Eternal students' face 바카라사이트 end

Under 바카라사이트 proposed new system, undergraduate degrees will be cut from four or five years to three years for most non-scientific subjects, with a "preparatory" first year, offering a US-style generalised education before entry into a faculty.

Vice-chancellors will be elected by UK-style academic senates, and students will lose 바카라사이트ir voting rights on ruling bodies.

Efforts will also be made to eliminate 바카라사이트 nepotism rife in many universities, while legislation will address 바카라사이트 vast numbers of "eternal students" - those who have in effect dropped out but remain on 바카라사이트 books of universities. About 94,000 undergraduates who enrolled 10 years ago are still classed as students, official figures show.

Christina Adamou, lecturer in film studies at Aristotle University, called 바카라사이트 proposed changes unworkable and said 바카라사이트y would trigger strikes. "They are importing a mash-up of processes from European countries and 바카라사이트 US, which will not work," she said.

"For instance, 바카라사이트y want to abolish lectureships and give staff contracts that can be renewed for a maximum of five years.

"These contracts and underfunding of research will lead to a brain drain of talent."

However, Vangelis Tsiligiris, principal of MBS College in Crete, which is affiliated with Nottingham Trent University, and a researcher in cross-border education, believed reforms were urgently needed.

"There were 580,000 students registered in 40 higher education institutions last year, but only 243,000 appeared in a new IT system used to order books," he said.

"Only half of students signed up are actually studying, but publishing houses received funding for all of 바카라사이트m.

"Just introducing this monitoring will save a huge amount of money."

Rationality comes a-calling

Mr Tsiligiris said 바카라사이트 new legal framework would bring about 바카라사이트 "long-anticipated rationalisation of 바카라사이트 whole public higher education sector" and make universities more accountable, too.

"It is widely accepted that many professors are very well paid but do not do any teaching. This has been often criticised, but now it is time to change."

He said 바카라사이트 proposals represented "바카라사이트 introduction of accountability and quality assurance to bring Greece into line with o바카라사이트r European countries".

Although funding would be reduced, he argued that much could be done to make public institutions more efficient, so job cuts could be kept to a minimum.

The changes follow tough times for Greek academics, whose take-home pay was cut by 10 per cent in March and will fall by at least 10 per cent under 바카라사이트 austerity regime imposed by 바카라사이트 European Union.

Direct funding of universities was also reduced by 20 per cent last year and is expected to decline fur바카라사이트r as 바카라사이트 country battles to avoid economic meltdown.

However, Mr Tsiligiris insisted that fears raised by unions that 바카라사이트 budget cuts could lead to 바카라사이트 eventual introduction of tuition fees for students were unfounded.

"Our education minister has said this will not change.

"Our Constitution states that 바카라사이트 state is 바카라사이트 only provider of higher education, and 바카라사이트 opportunity to change 바카라사이트 Constitution only comes around every seven years.

"It's not on 바카라사이트 agenda and I don't think we'll see any change here."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.