A new party in the opposition – but one with old political baggage – acknowledged the need for non-state universities just a few days ago, saying that its stance was a demonstration of “realism.” It’s a development that invites reflection on how much time has been wasted defending “ideological” stereotypes that no longer bear any relationship to today’s European realities. Nowhere is this more evident than in education, where the parties of the constitutional mainstream have, in practice, largely converged.
What remains is for them to translate that convergence into action: opening up higher education, strengthening public support for research, establishing a national school-leaving certificate, and expanding technical and vocational education. They should also abandon all the political grandstanding over simply abolishing the nationwide university entrance exams.
