Protests against the establishment of private universities continue in Greece. In the capital, Athens, approximately 20,000 people, consisting of teachers and high school students, gathered to protest the government's controversial bill that would allow the establishment of private universities.
Clashes broke out between the crowd, which had gathered in front of the parliament where the vote on the bill was to take place, and the Greek police. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the demonstrators.
Seven people were injured in the scuffle. The crowd chanted slogans against Education Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, one of the proponents of the reform, and carried banners reading "No to private universities."
THREAT TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EQUAL EDUCATION
While the controversial bill paves the way for the establishment of private universities in the country, it is also seen as a threat to the basic principles of accessible and equal education. The bill is perceived as a direct violation of Article 16 of the Greek Constitution, which stipulates that education must be public and free.
News Source: İHA
