CONFERENCE AND IN YANNENA FOR NON-STATE UNIVERSITIES
The discussion of the bill on private universities, which has caused a storm of reactions, continued for a second day in the Plenary Session of the Parliament. The climate is belligerent with the government left alone, under repeated fire from the opposition parties, who argue that the disputed bill violates Article 16 of the Constitution, denounce the “selling out” of public education and the commercialization of higher education.
The bill is expected to be voted on today Friday, when the political leaders will speak while the students and not only, are preparing to “submerge” Athens again, with a pan-Hellenic rally at 12 noon, in Propylaia, with the university community on their side with the POSDEP, to announce a 48-hour strike.
Despite the storm of reactions, the Mitsotakis government is expected to vote for the bill “that destroys studies, the future”, proving that even the Constitution will not be an obstacle to its will. It is indicative that, citing the majority of the 158 deputies it has, it rejected the objections of unconstitutionality that were filed.
The students
“In the streets, the bills are voted down and the laws are cancelled!”, the students declare for their part, repeating that the majority has spoken, rejecting the bill and demanding public and free studies, degrees with value for work with rights.
At the height of the reactions, on Friday they organize a pan-Hellenic rally at 12:00 noon in Propylaia. “Let Athens sink,” they note. “Student Unions nationwide, all institutions of the university and higher education community, labor unions, students will become a raging river as long as the bill that destroys our studies, future and perspective is passed in the Parliament”, is emphasized in the press release from the Coordination Student Associations of Athens.
In Ioannina, students, university workers, professors, and the general public are expected to attend today’s demonstration, which will take place at 12 noon outside the Epirus Region, at the point where they have been giving the competition every week for about two months the dates.
Since yesterday, the Ioannina City Hall has been under occupation in a symbolic move that will last two days.
The Union of Parents of Students of D.Ioannita declares its support for the students’ struggle against private universities.
He calls for the gathering, in the Region of Epirus, at 12 noon.
The Union emphasizes that the government, with the proposed bill on private universities, creates inequality and discrimination in education.
He notes that “the focus should be on supporting the public school and university, as well as removing the unjustified barriers students face at these institutions. It is unacceptable to create a system that favors access based on the economic criterion.”
A special action
Besides, a different intervention-action was made by students, male and female students, male and female teachers of the University of Ioannina, on Wednesday afternoon, in the main streets of Ioannina.
About 20 people, wearing white masks and holding signs with various messages, walked on the sidewalks of Ioannina, in a so-called “silent” intervention in favor of the public university.
The signs read, among other things: “It concerns you, because otherwise we ‘go and wherever it comes out'”, “The university where you studied is public”, “With private universities, Ioannina will not be the same, it will be empty” etc.
