Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-07-03

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou promises 'structured dialogue'

[01] Papandreou promises 'structured dialogue'

Addressing PASOK's Political Council, Papandreou said that the government "creates enormous insecurity among citizens and the young generations" adding that when the main opposition party comes to power it will "establish a new relation between the state and citizens".

The main issue of Monday's meeting, he said, was education, on which the government, as he said, "gets a grade below average". The same happens in the case of sports, culture, foreign policy economy, health, social insurance, regional dsevelopment, meridocracy and the fighting against unemployment, he also claimed.

Referring to educational issues, Papandreou said that the government "with its fragmental and autocratic measures disinherits a whole generation. The government's positions are autocratic and ineffective, have no chance to succed and open no perspectives for the young."

"Given the government's inadequecy," Papandreou went on, "PASOK undertakes an initiative for a structured dialogue with the new generations, as reforms in education are necessary but they should be based on certain conditions."

The opposition leader said that expenditures for education should be increased to five per cent of the GDP while forty per cent of the Fourth Community Support Framework funds should be allocated to education and professional training. He also proposed a reform of the examinations system and the handling of what he termed the "real class problem of education, which forces the average citizen to spend enormous sums of money" and the safeguarding of financially free access to universities.

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