University professors in Greece have staged a nationwide strike protesting a series of proposed changes to higher education in the country, including a constitutional amendment to allow private and for-profit institutions to be built.
Here is a message from Dionyssios Gouvias a faculty member at the University of the Aegean:
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:56 AM
Subject: nationwide strike protesting a series of proposed changes to higher education in the country
Dear friends/comrades
University professors in Greece have staged a nationwide strike –followed by hundreds of student sit-ins— protesting a series of proposed changes to higher education in the country, including a constitutional amendment to allow private and for-profit institutions to be established.
Unfortunately, a Bill that puts more restraints on university autonomy has just been passed through the Greek Parliament. For more info visit the English version of the web-site of the ‘Hellenic Federation of University Teachers’ Associations’ at the address below:
http://www.ntua.gr/posdep/index_en.htm
I also enclose a text approved by the General Council of the Federation, which vividly sketches the current situation and calls for solidarity against the ‘deregulation’ of (public) Higher Education. [editor: see the text from the GCF below]
For the time being, the proposed constitutional amendment (see earlier message of mine on the topic) did not get the necessary majority vote, so the whole process would have to start all over again during next Parliament’s deliberations (national elections are due to take place this year).
All the best to all of you!
Dionyssios Gouvias
Lecturer in Education Policy
Department of Pre-School Education and Educational Planning,
University of the Aegean
Who can defend public university today?
In the current situation who can resist against the deregulation of the university and who will be able to defend with his / her attitudes its public and academic character? The University Teacher:
who apparently is dedicated in teaching and academic research. who does not consider teaching as a sidework or unavoidable task, but on the contraty as his / her own basic duty who is not chasing big research programs (occasions), exchanging his / her academic position and prestige of the University and who does not convert laboratories and research teams into ‘occasional flags’. who with his /her attitudes, considers as a value and virtue per se: offering time, making effort and providing creativity to serve the public, and who do not treat his / her public position with the only criterion personal benefit of any kind. who believes to the democratic and academic functioning that educates and safeguards institutions and their values. who with his /her work proves that s/he is functioning democratically with transparency under control of the academic bodies and who do not face the operation of these bodies as “ineffective load” and who does not try to find out “effective” techniques to “overcome” them. who does not treat academic order with “professionalism” or “realism”. who his / her research activity basic objective is production of new knowledge and its diffusion in educating and producing new scientists who does not see the university as a territoire to develop enterprise activities, making money from prestige and capabilities of his / her Institution exchange. who believes to (and with his / her behaviour serves it) the academic and public role of the university and that it is the responsibility and obligation of the state to ensure its basic functions in education (undergraduate or postgraduate) and academic research who believes to (and with his / her behaviour defend) the indipendance of University against economic, institutional and administrative arbitrariness. who believes (and with his / her functions supports), that s/he carries out a profession which should be recognized by the state and the society, appropriately rewarded, and who defends this decent function and does not look for alternative solutions “parallel” and actually outside of the Univseristy. who his / her name and behaviour is not connected to any scandals in the community (e.g. arbitrary and / or profiatble management of public resources and possibilities) who does not profit from the opporunities offered by the neoliberal governmental policy interventions in the public operation of the university, to establish private or market type relations, actually outside of institutional regulations and management, excluding important university activities from the direct academic control and responsibility of the academic bodies.
Dear colleagues, our (public) university is in a critical situation as far as its physiognomy and its character is concerned. University future depends on the comprehension of the “reforms” initiated, their consequences, and our dynamic and coordinated action. Our responsibility is high! Let us undertake it!
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