Gov’t not planning to green-light private universities, minister says

Education Minister Nikos Filis has made it clear that he opposes the creation of private universities.

Speaking to Agora weekly on Saturday, the minister said that the government has no plans to allow the opening of private institutions in the tertiary education sector as part of the imminent changes to the Greek Constitution.

“The changes to the Constitution cannot be forced by economic pressure created by the dominant elite, which wants neo-liberalism to be enshrined in the Constitution,” said Filis.

He said that Article 16 of the Constitution, which states that only the state can be responsible for the operation of universities, would remain unchanged.

Filis added that the government plans to change the entrance criteria for state universities so that students do not need to go to cramming schools in their final high school years. Filis said this would reduce the financial burden on parents.