A new reform bill has been proposed by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, requesting university campuses to be guarded by the police. This proposition has caused an uproar not only among students, but also among members of the faculty academia.
Nicki Kerameus, the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, argues that the bill’s purpose is to tackle long-standing problems of the Greek educational system, as explored below, acting within the pre-election pledges of New Democracy. [1]
Figure 2. View of Athens. Source: Unsplash.
In Greece, education in public universities is free and the country is known to be the home of the highest educated citizens in Europe. However, Greek students tend to delay the completion of their degree for many years, referred to as ‘eternal students.’ Thus, one of the aims of the bill is to reduce the years of degree extension with an addition of two years for the completion of a four-year degree and three years for completing a degree of over four years.
Additionally, for the purpose of protecting campus security, the bill seeks to tackle the dangerous behaviours and the violence exhibited by university students and non-students as well who can access the campuses freely without the need of studying there. The bill stems from several illegal acts taking place within Greek university campuses. The attack on Dimitris Bourantonis, Rector of Business and Economics of Athens University by anarchists this past October, serves as an example of the anomie that campuses are dealing with. Mr. Bourantonis was held captive and was forced by the attackers to hold a sign stating, “SOLIDARITY IN SQUATS." Furthermore, the attackers vandalised the walls with graffiti and destroyed the university’s equipment.
Figure 3. When the rule of law comes into conflict with upholding justice. Source: Pexels.
Michalis Chrysohoidis, the Minister of Citizen Protection, urged for the implementation of the bill, which not only aims at protecting students and faculty, but also seeks to provide an an adequate and high-level quality of education for Greece’s citizens. The bill calls for the presence of 1,000 guards, uniformed and unarmed, on campus. It is said that entrance to university will be more controlled by the implementation of regular security checks.
Nevertheless, the new bill conflicts the University Asylum law that came into force in 1982. The law prevented any law enforcement officials to enter any university’s premises. The 1982 law, currently amended, stemmed from the Polytenchneio Uprising (1973), an event that marked Greece’s late 20th history. Students’ demonstration at the National Technical University of Athens, as a response to the dictatorial regime (1967-1974) imposed by Georgios Papadopoulos, was violently crushed resulting in a blood bath by the junta police. Consequently, from 1974 and onwards, following the fall of the military dictatorship, universities have become grounds of freedom, communication of ideas, and hubs of democracy.
Figure 4. University amphitheatre. Source: Pexels.
Despite these changes, it was not long before Greek universities became a ground for political parties to showcase their views and recruit new youth members, therefore resulting in political fights between students. Beatings, shaming, and humiliation of students and academia became the norm. As the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, states, “from an asylum for the protection of ideas” it became “an asylum for lawlessness.” This is because, in the new millennium, events worsened with the asylum law allowing drug traffickers the opportunity to conduct their business without fearing police intervention. Additionally, the 2009 economic crisis in Greece and the social unrest it brought, sprung in student-led demonstrations against police inside university premises.
Figure 5. Police brutality. Source: Unsplash.
Therefore, the current Greek government in power reasoned that is time for such a bill to be introduced. The bill is now laid down before Parliament for discussion. Guarding university premises to ensure the security of students and faculty, while at the same time guaranteeing a safe educational environment is unquestionably one of the intensions of the bill. One cannot use a higher education system as a hub of violence, trafficking, and attacks. The purpose of the police is to come closer to the community as its duty is to protect citizens and defend human rights. Nevertheless, the protection of the right to education is a fundamental one underlining the significance of law and order. In the US, there has been great opposition to campus police following the murder of George Floyd last year, highlighting the police brutality students are met with, especially African Americans.
Figure 6. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (1948) covers the right to education highlighting educations as being vital to the development of human personality. Source: Unsplash.
The point is not on racism. Campus police goes beyond racism. A line should be drawn between protecting students and academia from violence and the police performing violence to uphold the rule of law. [2] Only by understanding and establishing this distinction will justice be achieved. It is not enough to de jure [3] pass the laws but to de facto [4] ensure such practises. It is not about conforming but understanding the rights each one is entitled to, especially in the right to education and becoming well-rounded individuals.
[1] The current elected party in Greece.
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