Ο εκλεκτός της αμερικάνικης Πρεσβείας και ταλιμπάν της εκπαιδευτικής αναδιάρθρωσης Γ. Μπαμπινιώτης στο Υπ. Παιδείας

Ο τραπεζίτης Λ. Παπαδήμος ξέρει να ανταμείβει όσους δουλεύουν πιστά για να μη μείνει τίποτε όρθιο από πλευράς κατακτήσεων του λαού και της νεολαίας.

Σύμφωνα με το τηλεγράφημα της αμερικανικής πρεσβείας που έφερε στο φως της δημοιότητας το wikileaks λίγους μήνες πριν ο Γ. Μπαμπινιώτης έδινε ραπόρτο και ζητούσε τη βοήθεια της αμερικανικής πλευράς για...
την προώθηση της εκπαιδευτικής μεταρρύθμισης. Μεταξύ πολλών άλλων “ενημερώνει” (ποιόν ορισμό δίνει ο κ. καθηγητής για αντίστοιχες ενημερώσεις στην κατοχή;;) για την υπερπολιτικοποίηση της σπουδάζουσας νεολαίας που αποτελεί συνέχεια της αντιδικτατορικής πάλης και προκαλεί αναστάτωση στα Πανεπιστημιακά Ιδρύματα! Κάνει έντονες αναφορές στο άσυλο και τα ιδιωτικά Πανεπιστήμια, ενώ συμφωνεί με την εκτίμηση ότι η ανατροπή των συσχετισμών στην ΠΟΣΔΕΠ ανοίγει το δρόμο για επιτάχυνση των αντιδραστικών τομών. Η Πρεσβεία δείχνει να ενοχλήθηκε ιδιαίτερα από το πανεκπαιδευτικό μέτωπο της αγωνιστικής έκρηξης του ’06 – ’07 και οι πρόθυμοι τύπου Μπαμπινιώτη σπεύδουν να πάρουν τα μέτρα τους να μην ξαναενοχληθεί ο κ. Πρέσβης…

Ας θυμηθούμε λοιπόν ποιος είναι ο νέος Υπ. Παιδείας:

Greek Education Reform Expert Wants U.S. Help

C O N F I D E N T I A L ATHENS 000407

FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PPD AND ECA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/03/31

TAGS: PGOV, OPRC, OEXC, SCUL, GR

SUBJECT: Greek Education Reform Expert Wants U.S. Help

REF: ATHENS 260

CLASSIFIED BY: Daniel V. Speckhard, Ambassador, State, Executive;

REASON: 1.4(B), (D)

1. (C) Summary: In a March 26 meeting with PAO and CAO, Greek

education reform expert Babiniotis shared GoG plans and timelines,

and enthusiastically welcomed U.S. assistance on implementing a

national university entrance exam system based on the Scholastic

Aptitude Test (SAT). End summary.

2. (C) Prominent linguist, scholar, former rector of Athens

University (2000-2006) and GoG expert responsible for reforming the

Greek university entrance exam system, Professor George Babiniotis,

met with PAO and CAO on March 26. Babiniotis was candid about the

failings of the educational system in Greece, and the challenges to

implementing reforms.

3. (C) The current university admittance system is untenable,

Babiniotis said. Most parents and students view a university

degree as the ticket to advancement, which is the reason that more

than 100,000 students apply each year for the 40,000 university

slots. To be competitive, high school students concentrate on

private institution (frontistiria)-provided university preparatory

classes rather than their regular school classes. As a result

secondary students memorize material to pass the examinations

rather than really mastering subject matter. “We are graduating

aspiring university students rather than well-educated kids,” he

lamented.

U.S. Assistance on University Testing Needed

4. (C) Babiniotis wants to change the current university entrance

system to one similar to that in the U.S., based on a combination

of high school grades and performance on a standardized exam

similar to the SAT, which students can take whenever they feel

ready to do so, thereby minimizing the pressure on students and the

reliance on frontistiria. At present the future of each student

depends on the performance on the day of the entrance examination.

Greece needs to develop a data bank of questions and computer based

testing allowing students the freedom to take the examinations at a

date of their convenience and to take the examination more than

once. (Tests derived from data banks select by random a limited

number of questions for a particular examination out of the tens of

thousands of possible questions.) With a large data bank of

questions, each examination would be unique for each test taker,

making it almost impossible to cheat or memorize test questions in

advance. Babiniotis enthusiastically accepted PAO’s offer to

provide U.S. expertise on computerized testing as the GoG moves

down this path.

Prospects for Reform are Good

5. (C) According to Babiniotis, political prospects for

educational reform are improving. New Democracy and the opposition

PASOK parties are working together on a solution; Babiniotis has

seen PASOK’s proposals (reftel) and thinks they are “logical,” but

added that it is easier to push such reforms when in the

opposition. Babiniotis agreed that the elections for leadership

of the university teachers union (POSDEP), which ousted the

radicals supported by SYRIZA, was an indication that the university

community was eager for a change. Up to now the union had

supported all calls for strikes and disruptions of instruction at

the university. There is even support to reduce the percentage

from 40% of student representation in university decisions. There

is mounting pressure on both major parties from the public for

substantive reform, and soon.

6. (C) Primary school reform will be easiest, Babiniotis

predicted, while high school and university reform will be bigger

challenges due to political posturing and the politicization of

students. There needs to be a change in the mindset of the public,

which views university education as the only vehicle to

advancement. At the university level, Greece needs to scale back

on the number of institutions of higher learning – currently 23

universities and 15 technical schools (TEI) country-wide, according

to Babiniotis, while the remaining TEIs need to be strengthened to

meet the needs of the marketplace. A number of TEI need to be

incorporated into the departments of universities, Babiniotis said;

those universities, in turn, need more autonomy on decisions

related to budget, curriculum, enrollment and faculty.

University Problems: Politicization of Students and Abuse of

Asylum

7. (C) University students have become too politicized,

Babiniotis lamented, a holdover from the days of the military

dictatorship in Greece. This excessive politicization has caused

serious disruptions in university operations. Asylum is being

abused to the point where well-meaning students – the majority -

suffer in their pursuit of a higher education. While some students

turn to private education, their degrees are still not recognized

by the Greek state and, Babiniotis believes, will not be unless

there is broad political agreement to amend the Greek Constitution

to formally allow private education. While opposition PASOK leader

George Papandreou originally supported amending the constitution,

according to Babiniotis, he later backtracked and the issue of

private education remains unresolved.

8. (C) Comment: Babiniotis is a knowledgeable, respected

academic who knows the Greek educational system well and appears to

have support from both New Democracy and PASOK. Our meeting with

him, and his enthusiastic acceptance of our offer of U.S. help on

university entrance testing, has opened the door to U.S. input and

expertise on one of the most important reforms in recent Greek

history. In the coming months, Post will consult with the

Department on best ways to provide U.S. advice and assistance.

SPECKHARD

sibilla