All the wrong people are applauding!

The announcement from the Minister of Education, George Babiniotis, that the government is suspending the new law on the universities sends entirely the wrong signal on the programme of reform. The Minister says that the law will not be applied at present given the financial pressures across the education sector, following well-known difficulties in school provision. While the latter are very regrettable and a cause for concern about the policy planning process, the new announcement panders to those within the university sector that depend on inertia and have little regard for how universities might contribute to Greece’s progress. Those engaged in violent protests and blockades – actions that have scarred practically every campus in Greece – can proclaim a victory.