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Ever since the dawn of the financial crisis in Greece, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has offered its assistance to the Greek governments tackling reform and austerity.  This assistance has been provided through the so called “OECD toolkit” covering a bouquet of reform propositions across the public sector.

As an opposition party, SYRIZA has criticized the involvement of the OECD in many cases, too many to be covered in a single KOLOTOUMBA post.  Indicatively we refer to the case of reforms in education.

In August 2011, the OECD offered a report on Greece’s education policy based on addressing three major challenges.  The OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurría, states in the Report’s foreward:

“To address the challenges, the government has established a bold agenda and sought advice from a task force on the development and implementation of reform proposals that reflect best practices in OECD countries. This report provides the outcomes of the work of the task force. It presents a roadmap for how the reforms can be successfully implemented, with pointers to relevant experience in other countries. The report stresses short-, medium-, and long-term actions that have the potential to generate efficiencies.”

Source: OECD (2011), Education Policy Advice for Greece, Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education, OECD Publishing.

Only last December, SYRIZA’s member Mr. Tasos Kourakis, who has just been appointed as  Alternate Minister of Education, stated in an article in the AVGI newspaper:

• The OECD Education Policy Advice  is a liberal gospel for the TROIKA.
• Its first challenge regarding “business development and human resource optimization” should be read as “lay-offs, staff assessment and increase in work intensity”.
• Greece’s educational policy as implemented by the Ministry of Education is stipulated by international organisations and supervised by the TROIKA.
• SYRIZA will fight with the education community to improve public education with no discounts and with no liberal interference.

Source: http://www.avgi.gr/article/5112597/to-upourgeio-paideias-%C2%ABektelei%C2%BB-kata-gramma-tis-upodeixeis-tou-oosa-tis-axiologiseis-tis-troika-kai-tis-desmeuseis-tou-mnimoniou

Outcome:  On 11 February 2015, Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and OECD’s Secretary-General, Angel Gurría met and agreed to work together on reforms.

Source: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_11/02/2015_547136