Ballot is answer for education
The best solution to the current impasse over the government’s proposed tertiary education reforms is to hold a referendum, Professor Thanos Veremis of Athens University told Sunday’s Kathimerini. Veremis headed up a government-appointed panel of academics which recommended the changes. He said the current standoff, which has seen the government delay the submission of the reform bill to Parliament, has been caused by «a minority of organized student unions.» He said the only fair way of judging how much support or opposition there is to the proposals is to hold a referendum. «You cannot judge public opinion from the clashes between protesters and police and by the sit-ins which a minority carried out,» said Veremis. «Education is a serious subject which deserves a referendum. Then, every taxpayer will be able to decide.» Veremis said the public should be able to vote on issues such as the independence of universities and whether to set limits on the length of students’ studies.
