Greek Education Minister Andreas Loverdos appears determined to deal with the unique Greek phenomenon of the “perpetual student,” or “eternal student,” as they call them. Figures released by the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show that only 10% of students enrolled in Greek higher education institutions graduate. The rest of them stay enrolled indefinitely in academic programs without going to classes or taking examinations, while at the same time costing millions of euros to the education budget. The new education minister is willing to face this thorny issue by deleting these students from university registers. According to the education minister, about 200,000 students will be deleted by enrollment lists by September 2014 while no extension period will be given. As Loverdos reported, perpetual students have already been given enough leeway and opportunities to finish their studies, but they choose to remain stagnant. Only few made use of the opportunity for repeat examinations that was offered. The minister also said that a large number of inactive students have not shown any interest in acquiring a degree. It is estimated that currently there are 230,000 students actively studying in higher education institutions in Greece. This is the first time that an education minister is trying to release student positions in universities that are presently occupied by eternal students who have abandoned their studies.
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