May they pitch in
It took 16 years before Greece could allow the establishment of private universities. We could have had them since 2007 when the then conservative premier Kostas Karamanlis proposed a change to Article 16 of the Constitution, but he was not able to secure the consent of PASOK leader George Papandreou.
It’s OK though, it’s better not to look back and fret about the important reforms that didn’t happen and could have changed the country. Like, for example, the well-known pension reform proposed by Professor John Spraos (at the time adviser to socialist Prime Minister Kostas Simitis) and then minister Tasos Giannitsis, which sank into PASOK]s internal party politics. It is important to commemorate these missed opportunities for “educational” reasons and to encourage the next brave reformers. But now we are entering a new era. Care is certainly needed not to trivialize the vision of private universities. In other words, we must not experience in private education the equivalent of what we experienced with the “upgrade” of the former technical colleges (TEI), by simply renaming the various “colleges” private universities. This will require regular oversight that will not only control the formal observance of the law, but also the quality of the education provided.
At a time when inequalities are evident, it is also crucial to ensure access to private universities for young people who would not be able to afford them. The chasm between private and public schools Greece is evident, as recent international reports have shown. Unfortunately, the country’s ruling class, regardless of political affiliation, often doesn’t care as it makes sure to send its children to private schools and then abroad. If there is not a critical mass of scholarships offered at the new universities, there is a risk of further widening the gap in education between the haves and the have-nots.
But speaking of the ruling class, it would be good if it pitched in and actually helped in the establishment of private departments. Our country has a tradition of inspired benefactors who left important work behind them and understood that beyond their immediate enrichment it was important to give back to society. Without them, the country would be much poorer in terms of institutions, education, leadership, and everything else.
May we find their modern imitators who will fund the creation of the not-for-profit universities that will be centers of excellence and provide opportunities for all. And where the hundreds of brilliant Greek academics who excel abroad but find the doors permanently slammed in our domestic institutions will finally be able to teach.
