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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-07-03
CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou promises 'structured dialogue'
[01] Papandreou promises 'structured dialogue'
Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader George
Papandreou on Monday accused the government of "leading the country to
decline" noting that his party's objective was "to put an end to this
course".
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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