The debate on the Ministry of Education’s bill on non-profit universities continues for the second day in the plenary session of the Parliament. Due to the large number of MPs who have signed up to the list of speakers, the debate will end tomorrow evening, while before the vote the Prime Minister and leaders of the opposition parties are expected to speak.

The parliamentarian of the ND spoke about the draft law in his introduction, St. Economou. For all of us who were part of DAP, which had proposed the establishment of non-state-non-profit universities since the 80s, today is a day of vindication and a day of pride, said Mr. Economou. He even pointed out that if we had proceeded earlier in this reform, society and our country would have had multiple benefits. “The existence of non-state-non-profit educational institutions and the competition with the public ones would have led the public universities to put their house in order. To overcome and transcend pathogens that discredit them. Because the monopoly in higher education often works as an alibi for inactivity and regression” said Mr. Economou.

“The government is legislating a counter-reform for the commercialization of higher education,” said the SYRIZA-PS MP. Rena Douro. The real title of the bill should be “reinforcing schools, creating customers for private HEIs”, Ms. Dourou emphasized. SYRIZA-PS, he added, “unlike some others in the progressive space who are divided, rejects the violation of Article 16, remains unwaveringly in favor of a strong public university, democratic, self-governing, representative.” The public university is a condition and a factor for social mobility, social cohesion, the member of parliament of the official opposition underlined.

“The bypassing of the review process is obvious that it gives rise to major issues and de jure and de facto deprives this legislative initiative of the government of the character of the educational reform” said the MP of PASOK-Movement of Change in her statement. M. Apostolaki. He also pointed out that the report of the scientific board of the Parliament confirms in a way that cannot be disputed the fact that “the profit-making nature of the annexes you bring is present and the unconstitutionality of the law is resounding.” He even raised the question, “why a major reform [..] is it designed with an emphasis on exceeding constitutional provisions while the conditions are ripe for the needs of broader consensus?

Yesterday, an objection of unconstitutionality filed by opposition parties was rejected by the majority of the Parliament.

Yesterday, moreover, SYRIZA-PS submitted a request for a roll-call vote, on the principle and on the articles concerning non-profit universities, while the KKE is expected to do the same.

Today when society is much more mature, in the opposition they still pretend to be revolutionaries, while in reality they behave like ostriches who refuse to see reality, said the ND MP in his position on the bill for non-profit universities, M. Harakopoulos.

“It is an oxymoron for the official opposition to have a leader who studied in private universities in America and in Greece to deny the establishment of non-state, non-profit universities. The same applies to PASOK, which changed its position overnight, succumbing to the sirens of populism. Now is the time of responsibility for all of us” said Mr. Harakopoulos.

The MP of SYRIZA-PS, Ev. Apostolakis he said that the country, society, but also our economy “only benefits from the public, free and democratic university”, which, strengthened, will act as a pillar of free teaching and research and will be a guarantor of social mobility and quality education for all citizens, who will enjoy the right of equal access to the public good of education. “Through this public university, our small country managed to stand on its own feet in the past and through this it will succeed again”, said Mr. Apostolakis.

Our position is clear and we say “Yes” to non-state, non-profit universities, but after dialogue and constitutional review, said the PASOK-Change Movement MP. G. Mulkiotis. We say “Yes” to the decentralization of non-state universities and the establishment of criteria with rules for admission to them. But we say “No” to the non-profit branches of for-profit funds, emphasized Mr. Mulkiotis.