Le parlement grec "ouvre" les campus à la police et entre à l’université - Revue de presse, 24-25 août 2011

 Le parlement grec vient d’abolir "l’asile académique", qui interdit l’accès des campus à la police. Cette mesure semble avoir été introduite par le PASOK (socialiste) pour obtenir un ralliement des conservateurs et de l’extrême-droite.

Greek parliament votes in education reform bill that abolishes academic asylum and free course readers and brings sweeping changes to university administration : first reactions from the ground.

Pour lire ce texte sur le blog d’Occupied London, consacré à donner des informations en anglais sur la situation en Grèce.

On August 24th, the Greek parliament voted in the education reform bill submitted by education minister Anna Diamantopoulou, which included some of the most sweeping changes the country’s educational system has seen in living memory. The law introduces a UK-style administration of universities, with external individuals and non-academics taking part in the running of institutions and assessment-based and industry-oriented funding. Students are given a maximum amount of time to complete their courses, or face expulsion ; the so-far compulsory distribution of free course readers to students is abolished, who also lose their say in the running of their institutions and are given a provision for student loans – speculation being rife that this is a first step toward the introduction of undergraduate fees.

In a very last minute tweak of the education bill, Diamantopoulou announced the complete abolishing of the historical Academic Asylum (which prevented police from entering academic grounds in the name of the freedom of expression) and the election of university vice-chancellors primarily from their academic community. The last minute changes aimed at, and succeeded in gaining the consensus of the Conservative party of Nea Dimokratia, which voted for the law along with the PASOK government MP’s and the far-right LAOS party.

Hours earlier, 1500-2000 students demonstrating in central Athens (in 35C !) where clashing with the police, while demonstrations also took place against the education reform bill in Thessaloniki, Heraklion and Patras.

Vidéo

NB : Un texte "In academic asylum my whole life" commente cette nouvelle

 Le vote change aussi le mode de désignation des présidents des universités, les modalités d’obtention des diplômes (les étudiants pouvaient repasser les examens autant que nécessaire) et la gratuite des manuels

http://reallyopenuniversity.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/greek-pulblic-universities-in-danger/

 L’université de Thessalonique s’oppose déjà à la loi

Academics at Artistotle University in Thessaloniki on Thursday became the first to officially challenge the university reform law passed on Wednesday, as Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou acknowledged that the legislation could only be deemed a success if it is implemented properly.

“Laws can be created easily ; the challenge is implementing them,” she said on Thursday during a news conference.

Diamantopoulou thanked her associates and predecessors for their efforts in paving the way for a law that received overwhelming support from Parliament.

The legislation introduces independent assessment of universities and academics, while limiting the years that students can spend completing their courses.

It also aims to make it easier for authorities to enter a university campus if offenses are being committed.

The government has further extended a loan scheme that until now was only available to postgraduate students to undergraduates as well.

The new law will also allow students to transfer between universities in Greece and foresees the creation of a students’ ombudsman to deal with complaints.

However, a number of academics remain dissatisfied with the law’s provisions. The senate of the Aristotle University issued a statement saying that parts of the law are “unconstitutional” and that the institution would not implement them. Diamantopoulou slammed the academics’ reaction.

“There are entrenched forces who do not appreciate the changes happening around them,” she said. “These kinds of decisions undermine the public nature of universities. Generalizations, falsehoods and historically inaccuracies will not continue to be reference points.”

Pour lire cet article sur le site d’ekathimerini