Higher education policy, lifelong learning and employability: the European context and the Greek case

In a globalized environment characterized by constant change, education is called upon to play a leading role in the European Union's effort to meet the challenges posed by the multidimensional crisis and consequently the recession. This paper seeks to outline the evolution of European education policy and more specifically the evolution of the higher education policy at the European level, while examining both the role of the state, which is under constant “pressure”, and International organizations, which play an active role in shaping it. The central point of the doctoral thesis is the development of higher education policies and their relationship with lifelong learning and employability, as reflected in the twenty-year Bologna Process. At the same time, it is examined the degree of implementation of the measures taken for higher education in the Greek case, in the effort to achieve the goals set in the Bologna Process. In addition, attempts are being made to link the goals set in the European strategy "Europe 2020" for education, training and employment with higher education policies, as expressed through the Bologna Process. Finally, individual issues and challenges facing higher education, such as unemployment, NEETs and the "brain drain", are explored.Σε ένα παγκοσμιοποιημένο περιβάλλον που χαρακτηρίζεται από συνεχείς μεταβολές, η εκπαίδευση καλείται να παίξει πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο στην προσπάθεια της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης να ανταποκριθεί στις προκλήσεις που δημιούργησαν η πολυδιάστατη κρίση και ακολούθως η ύφεση. Η παρούσα εργασία επιδιώκει να αποτυπώσει την εξέλιξη της ευρωπαϊκής εκπαιδευτικής πολιτικής και δη της πολιτικής για την ανώτατη εκπαίδευση, εξετάζοντας παράλληλα τόσο το ρόλο του κράτους, το οποίο βρίσκεται σε συνεχή «πίεση», όσο και των διεθνών οργανισμών, οι οποίοι αναλαμβάνουν ενεργό ρόλο στη διαμόρφωσή της. Κεντρικό σημείο της διατριβής αποτελεί η εξέλιξη των πολιτικών ανώτατης εκπαίδευσης και η σχέση τους με τη δια βίου μάθηση και την απασχολησιμότητα, όπως αποτυπώνονται στην εικοσαετή πορεία της Διαδικασίας της Μπολόνια (ΔτΜ). Παράλληλα, εξετάζεται ο βαθμός εφαρμογής των μέτρων που ελήφθησαν για την ανώτατη εκπαίδευση στην ελληνική περίπτωση, στην προσπάθεια επίτευξης των στόχων που τέθηκαν στη ΔτΜ. Επιπρόσθετα, επιχειρείται η σύνδεση των στόχων που τέθηκαν στην ευρωπαϊκή στρατηγική “Europe 2020” για την εκπαίδευση, την κατάρτιση και την απασχόληση με τις πολιτικές ανώτατης εκπαίδευσης, όπως εκφράστηκαν μέσα από τη ΔτΜ. Τέλος, εξετάζονται επιμέρους ζητήματα όπως η ανεργία, οι NEETs και το “brain drain”

The Necessity of a New Welfare Culture in the Context of Financial Crisis in Greece

The South European countries have been extensively affected by the financial crisis which is followed by austerity measures and public expenditure restraint, especially for social policies. It is well-known that in the countries that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has become the financial supervisor, because of the extensive economic problems that they encounter, the implementing fiscal adjustment measures concentrate on the reduction of the expenditure and as a result, at the retrenchment of the services provided by the welfare state. Since the onset of the financial crisis, data show that the most affected socioeconomic groups are the middle and especially the vulnerable. It is true that the reduction of the spending for social benefits and services has not yet been associated with an increase in the effectiveness of the social services and as a consequence, the impact on the society is severe. This paper aims at examining the alternatives, from a welfare culture perspective, which can offer viable solutions to the process of reforming the welfare state policies in order to become sustainable while promoting the notion of social solidarity and responsibility

Solidarity and the Welfare State in Greece

During the years preceding the financial andfiscal crisis, Greece’s welfare state had been mainlyextending provisions in order to serve the politicalpatronage system built after regime change in 1974. Thissystem reached its limits as the number of active insurancecontributions given by the working population wasgradually reducing while the number of inactive members(pensioners) was increasing at an exponential rate.Because of this situation, after the outbreak of thefinancial crisis, the "obvious" concepts of social securityand solidarity were in dispute and are currently in aprocess of redefinition. Undoubtedly, insurance is a way ofproducing solidarity and nowadays redistribution methodsare put into question. At this point we note that theproposals of the Left proved unable to address the viabilityproblem of the social security system and as a result couldnot prevent the appearance of “social exclusion”. This isevidenced by the fact that in Greece during the economicdownturn, not only are the vulnerable affected but also themiddle classes. These results stem from the requirementsof the Medium Term Fiscal Strategy Programme 2013-2016, signed by the Greek government, the IMF and theEU, that proposed a selective welfare state which reduceswastage by the extreme reduction in the Health andEducation services. One main aspect of the welfare state isthe existence of solidarity with social content but how canthis be implemented when solidarity becomes a form ofcharity? Does the introduction of a revolutionary tax planwhich aims at increasing the development rates provide asustainable solution to this problem? The purpose of thisarticle is to investigate the transformation of the concept ofsolidarity and the formulation of policies that will makethe welfare state in Greece viable while not restrictingsocial goods