University police officer recruitment to start soon

The recruitment of officers who will man the so-called university police teams that will protect academic institutions around the country is set to begin in the coming days, according to the government on Monday.

The special police force of some 1,000 special guards was deemed necessary by the government to tackle decades of rampant lawlessness and impunity on Greek university campuses. However, opponents of the plan say that it threatens academic freedoms established after the end of the 1967-1974 military dictatorship.

Meanwhile, an Education Ministry reform bill for primary and secondary schools, which is expected to be publicized no later than July, foresees more autonomy for schools.

This entails changes in the configuration of course schedules and in the way students are evaluated, as well as in the selection of textbooks and educational material by the teachers.