It was at the start of the 1960s when the high school students of Athens took to the streets, defying the instructions of their teachers who supported the secondary education system. They gradually began participating in the events organized by DESPA, the historic student group that held major demonstrations in the city center over the Cypriot dispute.
It was DESPA that was behind the demand for 15% of the state budget to be allocated to education. Students of all ages roamed the city streets collecting signatures for the “15% for education” they demanded.
The political developments brought Georgios Papandreou to power and his Center Union government carried out a major education reform. The bold education reform started with establishing free education and lifting the ban on the demotic language, which the late Loukis Akritas (the Deputy Education Minister under G. Papandreou) argued would constitute “the glory of the future”.
The apostates who succeeded Georgios Papandreou overturned the Center Union plans, heralding the start to a period that – in part – carries on today and which is characterized by the constant reforms which have turned education on all levels into a hodgepodge.
The changes in Education, which are often deep-rooted, are carried out not only when the government changes, but even when the minister changes! It is usual for ministers from the same party to overturn each other’s policies.
Given that the country’s future is linked to education, it is highly important that a consensus is reached on the Education reform.
As a statistical sample, the students who recently visited the offices of To Vima and Ta Nea have sounded the alarm. Only about 10% of students, in the average Greek class, have developed good reading skills.
This is unbelievable and terrifying!
Stavros P. Psycharis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition
