Editorial To Vima: Demolishing the education system

12:32 18/1/2019 - Πηγή: In.gr

While public attention is focused on MPs switching parties, the government is continuing its project of undoing the education system.

Once again, without any dialogue or planning it is proceeding with changes in the process of hiring

teachers with the sole aim of serving its petty partisan interests. That has triggered a strong backlash from teachers and has highlighted a problematic situation.

Essentially, this is the revival of the old teachers’ hiring registry, without essential evaluation or judgment of the credentials of candidates for teaching positions.

The government is vote-mongering with piecemeal changes without planning simply in order to hire thousands of teachers. There has been no study of the real needs of the system or of essential gaps in schools and no intention of evaluating the credentials of candidates.

Instead of substantial changes in the education process, serious reforms, and tapping the experience of other countries, the education minister is reviving past practices which led to today’s disheartening situation.

Indeed the minister’s aversion to dialogue and criticism is so strong that he is threatening disciplinary action against university professors and teaching staff who dare to express criticism in the social media.

With no compunction the minister is demolishing the remnants of positive reforms of the past years. He stubbornly holds on to ideological fixations and anachronistic perceptions that have long ago been abandoned by countries which are truly interested in upgrading their education system.

The situation is indeed tragic when everyone recognises the need for substantial education reform and swears that they want to protect the interests of the younger generation, when in fact no room has been left for the slightest consensus.

They obviously cannot understand that with such practices they are undermining the future of students and of the country itself.