Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who won a second term last year, and the conservative government are expected to submit a bill to parliament this month that would permit private universities to operate inside Greece.
The government intends to act as branches of foreign universities, sparking fear that this move could diminish the value of degrees from Greece's public universities. Moreover, there's concern that the private system could lead to exclusion for those who cannot afford it.
The change will "tear apart the public university as we knew it", said student Christina Iliopoulou who joined the protest in Athens. "It will destroy our daily life in terms of how we will be able to find a job after we graduate," she told Reuters.
The protests were predominately peaceful, however, there was a brief clash in Athens between protesters and police, who fired tear gas. Students have vowed to continue their demonstrations until the government withdraws its plans.
Universities in Greece are government-funded institutions where admission has been free for decades. Greece has implemented a series of education reforms in the past despite its unpopular reception and the fierce opposition from students and staff.
Reuters also reported that the government, which enjoys a parliamentary majority, has argued that the reform would bolster the economy by luring back some of around 40,000 students now studying overseas and reverse a brain drain of academics prompted by the 2010-2018 debt crisis.
According to the government's announcement last week as further revealed by Reuters, the curriculum would adhere to rigorous academic standards. The reform aims to reduce bureaucracy in public universities and empower their self-governance.
In a past interview with The Guardian, Niki Kerameus, Athens' education minister and the architect of the reforms told the publication, "What we are seeing is part of a long-term conflict between two sides of Greek society. One is international-looking, seeks meritocracy, has liberal values, and is aspirational for Greece to compete in the world," he said. "The other is insular, fearful, non-meritocratic, dismisses excellence, and wants academic institutions to operate on very different values. It's a culture war through and through."
