Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-05-21

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Arts Academy to open in September 2009

[01] Arts Academy to open in September 2009

Voulgarakis said that a bill for the foundation of the new academy prepared by a joint committee of the culture and education ministries will probably be passed by Parliament in its summer session this year.

The Academy, which will offer courses in dance, music, theatre and film-making, is to be supervised by the culture ministry.

The minister said that it would admit 120 talented students each year, 30 for each department, who would be chosen according to extremely strict criteria. These would be taught, in turn, by the very best teachers the country possessed in these four areas, he added.

The school would be classed as a "higher learning" institute offering three-year courses and applicants would have to be high-school graduates but would not be admitted via the nationwide university entrance exams. On graduation, they would receive a certificate of study but not a university degree, since their education would not be in theoretical matters but in "practical knowledge", Voulgarakis explained.

Under the draft bill, the arts academy is to be governed by a seven-member school board serving a three-year term, which will be appointed by the culture minister and will submit proposals to him regarding its running.

Regarding the fees, the minister said that these would be largely "symbolic" and that the ministry also intended to establish an extended system of scholarships for talented youngsters studying there.

The academy itself will be funded from the state budget, and will be able to earn revenue from sponsorships, endowments and by making use of its own assets, as well as through EU programmes.

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