Statement on the state student aid cuts
Lately, we have witnessed another anti-popular and anti-youth manipulation concerning the student welfare aid by the Government of DISY which promoted a bill for the abolition of the “Student Package” along with cuts in the fund of the state student aid. This development was announced to the youth and students organized movement by the media as no social dialogue was held. Moreover, the government didn't dare inform the students.
EDON, warned many times in the last two years that the government of Anastasiades will mutilate the state student aid. We were accused of populism but unfortunately we were right because the only concern of this government is to serve private interests rather than the interests of students and their families.
The government claims that this development comes as a memorandum obligation. They said that we are obligated to maintain the " rationality and transparency in public spending” by transferring any funds from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education. But of course, abolishing the “Student Package” was not a memorandum obligation. The “Student Package” was implemented by the previous government and aimed at supporting students from lower income groups and social strata covering absolutely necessary areas such as food, housing, purchase of books and PC.
The government has also reduced the limit of family property value ownership for student grant eligibility from €1.2 million to just 500.000 Euros in today’s values, which was neither a memorandum obligation. Too many students, whose families are unemployed with low income or without any income, are in danger of being excluded from the grant because they may have a simple private-owned house and a piece of land. All the above are the result of the political choice and philosophy of the government and not just obligations deriving from memorandum.
We call upon all parliamentary parties to protect the students and their families. To protect the right of young people to education. To maintain and increase student welfare aid and support students so they will not postpone or stop their studies. We declare our firm commitment along with the organized student movement, which is to defend the fundamental right to education.
Bertolt Brecht gives the answer to the government policy of DISY quite lucidly: "Those who stole the book from our hands accuse us that we are uneducated."
Press Office of the Central Council of EDON
20/01/2015