Parliament approves upgrade of Academy of Athens, new primary school teaching positions

Supporting the bill in principle were ruling New Democracy, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, PASOK-Movement For Change (KINAL), Elliniki Lysi, New Left and the Spartiates. Communist Party of Greece (KKE) voted "present," while Niki and Plefsi Eleftherias voted against. The unusual consensus of most parties in parliament was especially noted by Minister of Education Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

Pierrakakis also referred to the approved amendment which provides for the establishment of 1,723 permanent teaching positions in primary education as well as 1,555 positions in Special Needs Education Schools. The bill foresees the abolition of an equal number of positions in secondary education. Specifically, he stressed that "all parties agree to reduce the number of temporary positions in favor of permanent appointments. Despite stakeholders' assessments that we will have three to four thousand appointments this year, we are implementing approximately ten thousand."

ND, PASOK-KINAL and Spartiates voted "yes" to the amendment while the other parties voted "present."