
Minister of Education Kumbaro has finally reacted to the protest.
She condemned the violence against institutions while calling for dialogue between students and the government. In her response, she noted the investments made by the government in the field of education.
reaction
We are following with great concern what has happened these past two days around and inside the Ministry of Education building and in other institutions. Regardless of who is protesting and what they are protesting for, it is difficult to see situations where physical clashes and destruction of property take the place of the Word, replacing argument and dialogue.
As a university student who has protested myself whenever the need arose to use this democratic right earned through sacrifices, I have the utmost respect for the right of students to demand more and more from institutions, but student civic protests and
-violence against public buildings and property;
-violence against the workplace of public employees, even more so against Education employees, have no connection to each other! This dividing line must remain clear for everyone. The Ministry of Education, although severely damaged by the violence of the last few hours, has been and will be an open door for communication with universities, with students, with parents and with anyone who builds dialogue, as we have always done. We listen to concerns and consider proposals together, without prejudice and without turning disagreements into clashes. Today's acts of destruction do not represent the relationship of the Ministry of Education with students.
Beyond the investments that have been made and will continue in every university in the country,
-Every year, over 12 thousand students from families in difficulty receive financial support for their studies;
-Over 40 thousand students benefit from reduced fees or exemption from study fees;
-Hundreds of excellent students and those pursuing priority programs that the country needs benefit from scholarships and monthly support in the amount of the minimum wage of 500 euros!
I am convinced that students can never destroy their institutions and public and private property. Students cannot destroy their own home. In an institution where one can normally enter for dialogue through the door, there is no need to break windows and burn down offices.
Despite the fact that the first floor of the Ministry of Education has burned down, damaging not only the material base but also documents, making it unusable until it is repaired, the staff of the Ministry of Education is on duty and the Ministry of Education will have its doors open as always, because institutions are created by people and people know how to speak and communicate, and who better than students and teachers can do this.
Bars that break windows do not solve any problem, just as paving stones do not build the future; we build it in the auditoriums, with vision, with knowledge, with arguments and with responsibility. Dear students, take care of yourself and do not let anyone push you towards acts of violence. Your voice has value precisely when it is heard through ideas and arguments!