Athens braces for battle on school reform

Significance

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Education Minister Niki Kerameus announced the reform on June 28. It includes hiring 11,700 elementary and high-school teachers on tenured job contracts. Since the performance of Greece’s school system ranks among the lowest on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) indicators, a major reform has been long overdue.

Impacts

• Given the high number of teachers to be hired, the government may have underestimated the financial cost of school reform.
• The state budget will simultaneously require funds for the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• The reform may open a new battle front for the government this autumn, uniting anti-government unions and opposition parties.
• A general election is not in sight, but a political crisis could upset the stability being sought to attract much-needed private investment.