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The most impressive thing about Pirates in Education is that in “Aristotle”, one of the largest associations of Athens’ teachers, for the 4th time in a row, they got more votes than than their colleagues in the union ballot supported by the governmental party of SYRIZA.
The elections for the “Parliament of teachers”, the Representatives to the General Assembly of Greek Teachers’ Federation (DOE) consisted of more than 500 teachers, were held nationwide on 4 June 2015.
Pirates in Education participated by standing in ballots in 2 out of the 33 associations in the Region of Attiki (central Greece that includes Athens, Piraeus, islands and skirts), in “Aristotle” with 10 candidates (5 women/5 men) and for the first time in Peristeri with one candidate.
Pirate teachers retained the seat they had in “Aristotle” since 2013 and got 7.6% (68 votes) while the ballot of SYRIZA got only 4.1% (37 votes).
Thanasis Gounaris, chairman of the Board of Pirate party of Greece, re-elected as a representative to the GA.
“The results is the fruit of an unstoppable and continuing work that’s been going on the last 2 years”, Gounaris told to Pirate Times and added:
“During the electoral campaign, Pirates in Education visited their colleagues in every school of their area, published new posters with mottos like “a compass has 360 degrees” and “neither right nor left, but ahead”, had a dynamic presence in the school building on election day and eventually persuaded teachers to refresh their trust and vote for them. It is a great honor to represent the voice of the pirate movement in teachers’ parliament and looking forward to doing it again in the General Assembly of DOE at the end of June“.
“Pirates in Εducation” wish to thank our members, friends and supporters who gave us 7.6% in the election for the Representatives to the GA of DOE and helped us re-elect a representative and overcome in percentage and votes, the governmental unionist ballot of SYRIZA and the one of PASOK that didn’t elect any representatives.
The struggle for Democracy and the genuine participation of all teachers in decisions making about their lives and their work, continues.
The outdated operation model of the (Department of Education) DOE, with party-unionists following the choices of their parties, should be replaced by a system of Direct and Digital Interactive Consultation where teachers, as a union, should process, choose and put in vote their concerns for themselves.
In such a system, the role of the DOE will be purely implementing decisions of the teachers and nothing more.
The established unionist status quo and the systemic parties supporting them, fiercely oppose to this prospective because they will lose their raison d’être.
Pirates in Education
Freedom everywhere, power to the base”.
Pirate teachers had a dynamic presence in the school building on election day and published new posters with mottos like “a compass has 360 degrees” and “neither right nor left, but ahead”.
All pictures under: CC-BY-Pirates In Education
The English “pirate” is derived from the Greek word “πειρατής” (peiratēs) and this in turn from the verb “πειράομαι” (peiráomai), “I attempt”, which is a derivative of the noun “πείρα” (peîra), “experience”. Coming from the depths of the centuries, the word “pirate” took on another dimension in our days. The ruling classes saw pirates as rebels and hated them. Rebels without a state, they were not submissive to any law, except from the laws they instituted themselves, improvising together. This is the feeling of a Pirate: when something doesn’t work, you have to attempt to bring a new concept. Sometimes it goes beyond a certain point and perhaps exceeds certain limits, because it is an expression of challenge; the challenge to change the system. I’m a member of the Board (and former chairman) of Pirate Party of Greece, also a member of press team of PPGR, former journalist, now a free lancer. I’m in the team of Pirate Times from the start, I joined voluntarily and consciously because I am interested to meet pirates from around the world, to exchange views and spread the pirate spirit.
This post is also available in: GreekThe most impressive thing about Pirates in Education is that in “Aristotle”, one of the largest associations of Athens’ teachers, for the 4th time…
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