Greek education seems to be constantly looking for its own step forward. It is a field of frequent reforms that are more like “make and go” than politics with vision, strategy, consensus and continuity.

And in the expiring four-year term of office, education has caused tension and conflicts at the political level. And that’s because ambitious and key changes were moving forward at all three of its levels. For example, the renewal of curricula for compulsory education, the establishment of a minimum base for admission to universities, a new law on the activities of universities, as well as the establishment of specific security frameworks in university institutions.

However, some of them have not been implemented, and it is clear that much remains to be done. Through education, “K” opens up a dialogue about needed reforms in critical areas, soliciting suggestions from people who have personal experience of scarcity.

Article 16 and security in universities

I hope we don’t go back to a regressive foreign policy. I would like to see significant steps being taken that will really address chronic pathogens and new challenges. What am I waiting for?

– Introduction of constitutional amendments to Article 16.
– Measures to eradicate violence in universities. Establishment of a university police force based on protocols for cooperation between the police and the university. Creation of security plans. The Ministry of Education should demand (with consequences) that all this be done.
– Compliance with the Bologna process, which provides for a three-year training. This will change curricula, universities and the university map in a bold and meaningful way in line with changes in research and the labor market.
– Signing and ratification of the Lisbon Convention on the Mutual Academic Recognition of University Degrees. This will contribute to the academic and professional mobility of students. Greece is the only country out of 46 countries of the Council of Europe that has neither signed nor ratified the convention.
– Restoration through Bologna of technological education and the rejection of fenacs by integrated masters.
– Evaluation of the adopted law and its adjustment, especially in the management of universities, with the restructuring of relations between councils and rectors.
– Systematic control of the Ministry of Education in the selection of teachers in order to prevent meritocracy and methods of abolition.
– A serious (not bureaucratic) assessment with tangible consequences.
– Establish structures and procedures to adequately deal with issues related to sexual harassment and disciplinary offenses in general.
– Finally, I want the image of universities to change. No rags, poster wallpaper, occupied rooms, arbitrariness. I want the academic environment to be open, lively, accessible to those who want to get an education, study or just study.

Ms. Vaso Kinti is Professor of Philosophy at EKPA.

Holistic plan from elementary school to university

Christina Koulouris

Greek education requires:

– A bold, large-scale reform with a unified design from elementary school to university. Fragmentation of levels into different services and portfolios does not promote holistic oversight, leading to piecemeal changes.
– The Greek education system must stop being minister-oriented. The control of the Ministry of Education at all levels stifles and does not encourage the initiative of public education bodies.
– Improvement of building infrastructure. The environment in which new generations are formed must be dignified and respectful. Education given in icy classrooms and dangerous courtyards is automatically devalued and devalued by children and youth.
– A bold update of primary and secondary education curricula to encourage critical thinking rather than rote memorization. The learning process should finally become enjoyable for children, not boring and repulsive.
– High School should be separated from the National Examinations so that it is a separate level that is not subordinated to the purpose of preparing for university entrance. Despite the different goals, in practice the entire educational system works to teleologically lead to the Pan-Hellenic competitions.
– A central teacher training organization should be established so that primary and secondary education personnel are constantly and systematically informed about new teaching methods and scientific developments, and not through scattered and indifferent training seminars.
“Teachers deserve decent remuneration that will reflect the importance of the work they do. Many are forced to offer private lessons to supplement their income from their main job of teaching at school.

Ms. Cristina Kouluri is the rector of the Panteillon University.

Rehabilitation, responsibility, reward

Nikos Wetta

Despite a number of positive interventions, in general, our education system is far from desirable.
– The number of students is declining. The loss of approximately half a million students on the visible horizon creates an opportunity, but also a need, for a reorganization of compulsory education with a reallocation of resources and a focus on program quality and modernization of infrastructure and teachers.
– Emphasis must be placed on infant and pre-school education, which urgently needs to be made accessible, of high quality and free of charge to all families, for reasons of supporting motherhood and social cohesion.
– In higher education, the independence of universities from the central administration and excessive bureaucratization must be respected in practice, while, of course, with accountability and remuneration of those who do the work. Accordingly, the practical implementation of a modern management system is ahead. Individual fronts are different. The unregulated integration of HEIs into universities, which has not been reversed, has left a critical gap in technology education. There is an anemic presence of foreign students, a shortage of which makes it difficult to attract and integrate new blood into Greek society. It is necessary to facilitate the attraction of resources and connections with scientists and institutions abroad, in advanced fields. The move away from the logic of formal qualifications and the transition to subject knowledge is slow.
“Change needs to be promoted in practice, but it cannot be achieved in a vacuum. It is critical to work together with an effective system of post-graduate education and training, where there is still a shortage.
“Two-way communication with the economy is of central importance. Not only an innovative and outward-oriented economy cannot advance without quality education, but, conversely, its absence does not create proper incentives in the education system.

Mr. Nikos Vettas is the CEO of IOBE and a professor at the University of Economics. Athens.

Multiple school reforms

– More art and color: enriching the “dry” school with sports and cultural activities.
– Full day: Strengthening your cultural and social role through the introduction of new specialties and similar activities. The goal is socialization and improvement, not just preparation for tomorrow’s lessons.
– School Unit Evaluation: Each school plans its activities beyond the compulsory curriculum and is evaluated by dedicated external evaluators.
– Teacher Evaluation: Consider students’ opinions of the teacher. Correctly evaluate the original material that the teacher gives to the students.
– New Teachers: Establishment of master’s degrees that will provide didactic training for future teachers. Choice only with ASEP exams.
– Subject bank: Reconstruction with rational subjects of the same degree of difficulty for all students.
– Textbooks: a textbook for each subject and extensive, open, certified digital material as support. A multi-state registry is a useless luxury.
– Vocational training: Modernization of laboratories in accordance with technological developments. Relationship with the labor market. Textbooks are understandable to students. Compliance with the limit of no-shows. Diploma in the specialty with district level exams. Increasing the level of apprenticeship.
– Nationwide exams: The IEP introduces subjects in a way that is consistent with the school’s curriculum philosophy. More and fewer topics with varying degrees of difficulty to cover a wider range of material.
– Internal regulations: Parents and students sign it before registration. A clear reference to school bullying and substance use.
– Management of school divisions: creation of a school of educational leaders. Evaluation with written and oral examinations and ranking in the table from which they will be selected. They are supported by a board of 5 people elected by each school’s teacher association.

Mr. Leonidas Castanas is a physicist with a secondary education.