“The safety of the University and the phenomena of violence was one of the issues discussed at the Rectors meeting with the participation of Education Minister Sofia Zacharakis in Halkidiki.

The minister stressed that by the end of July, universities should have testified or updated their security plans

He added that by the end of the year, controlled entry systems will be installed – with bars and cards – in the most in need, especially in urban centers.

He even pledged that the ministry is prepared for emergency funding of the university in order to implement security measures.

Ms Zacharakis announced aesthetically aesthetically to the criminal treatment of violence by speeding up the trial and a self -sufficient cessation of the student’s status, which can reach up to 24 months, for those arrested for offenses at universities.

He said that disciplinary councils remain in universities that will even decide on deletion for any student who has been irrevocably convicted

As far as eternal students are concerned, he stressed that the law would be implemented and announced legislation that would distinguish the active student.

As he said, there should be a second opportunity, but not without pretexts, for working students, athletes, or in the case of sickness.

Among the most critical interventions are:

• The obligation of each HEI to set up within a specific deadline for a single disciplinary board, the immediate start of disciplinary prosecution without any room for delay and the completion of the procedure within two (2) months, with the possibility of extending only in exceptional cases.
• Automatous suspension of student status for 24 months in cases of criminal prosecution for acts of violence against life or physical integrity members of the academic community or for significant destruction of facilities, as well as automatically deletion in the event of an irrevocable criminal conviction.
• Disciplinary and administrative sanctions for rectors and faculty members who do not exercise their obligations, as well as automatic consequences when institutionalized deadlines are violated.
• Immediate training and updating obligation – by the end of July – of all security plans with approval by a competent committee.
• Immediate training of internal regulations.
• Creating an observatory of violence in the following.
• Complete staffing and activation of the Security and Protection Unit of each HEI.
• Compulsory use of academic identity as an input and exit control medium, as a matter of priority in the University of HEIs in large urban centers, by the end of 2025. Also, the installation and operation of appropriate technological access systems as an integral part of the total prevention framework.
• Introducing a special criminal framework for university violence, in accordance with the standards of sports and domestic violence, by adjudicating the relevant cases in complete priority, the establishment of specific procedures and deadlines for the rapid administration of justice, as well as the imposition of strict sanctions.
• In the event of a proven deterioration or destruction of a university property by a student, the perpetrator will be called upon to repair the damage and in the event of non -payment, the debt shall be certified and will be forwarded to the DOJ.

At the same time, it is expected, soon in Parliament, legislation for students who are inactive, favorable to working students, people with disabilities and those with athletic obligations.

Sofia Zacharakis referred to the funding of higher education, through the Public Investment Program (PDP) and the regular budget, noting that it increased by:
🔹117% Funding of HEIs of the country, from 2019 to 2025, and from EUR 665 million (665.788.000.00), the total amount amounted to EUR 1.4 billion (1,446.897.081.00).
🔹22% The participation of the funding of the Third Education for the total of the 12% in 2019.
🔹19.5% funding (from the RIP and from the regular budget) for the total of 2025 from 2019, reaching EUR 6.6 billion (6,606,000,000.00), from € 5.5 billion (5,527,000,000.00).
🔹53% Funding for all operating costs for the feeding of HEIs and Housing Allowance and from EUR 876 million (EUR 876,184,329) in 2015-2019 reached EUR 1.3 billion (EUR 1,343,046,075).
🔹138% funding of the housing allowance in 2019-2025, reaching EUR 315 million (315,658,500) compared to the period 2015-2019 which was EUR 132 million (132.242.580).

Finally, the Minister left open the possibility of an extraordinary grant to HEIs with a necessary assessment of the needs of the institutions.