What if the government plans to enroll refugee children into Greek public education system. Some parents categorically oppose the plans to have there children sit side by side with the refugees and vulnerable little ones from abroad.
Last week, the Parents Association in the 1st Elementary School in Oraiokastro, a suburb of Thessaloniki in Greece’s north, took the unanimous decision to not allow refugee children enroll in the school. The association threatened to occupy the school if enrollment of refugee children takes place.
What is striking is that the Parents Associations did not express concern about let’s say the education difficulties that might arose if the refugee children attend lessons without speaking Greek. They did not argue at all. They simply wrote “we unanimously decided the not enrollment- positioning of refugees’ children in the premises of our school.”
Today, Tuesday, the Parents Association of another elementary school in the area, the 5th Elementary School, took a similar decision, thus threatening with school occupation.
Oraiokastro is an area in Thessaloniki with the majority of locals to be or refugee background. Greeks from Pontus and Caucasus who had to flee the Ottoman Empire in 1922.
“Τhe refugees forgot the pain of uprooting and decided to behave with cruelty to the next ones,” notes a Greek commentator in website news247.gr.
PS “our school”? Much to my knowledge this is a public school and not a private one…
No doubt, the same families collaborated with the Nazi occupation of Greece, and betrayed any Jews they knew. These scum are a disgrace to Greece.
get a grip, you racist, hating honest Greek citizens.do you have any facts on these people or are you just living in your own little world….racist.
Your head is on upside down. You need to get it fixed properly.
My family and I left Greece in 2013, and are saddened daily upon hearing reactions such as these…the rise in prejudice and hatred when more and more people are suffering. As a foreigner married to a Greek, I always felt excluded, but to read this is beyond disgusting….I always have to keep in mind those stories of GOOD individuals reaching out and helping refugees, to put this in perspective, and to hope that more people are inspired in such a manner as that than what we read in today’s article here online.
“our” school….hmmm….shall be bring back the discussion about carrying the flag in the parade, too? what is going on over there?????
On the other hand doesn’t it really depend on how many migrant children are expected to be enrolled? If the number is less than 10 then there should be no issue, but if the number is 100 or more then the education of the local Greek children will naturally suffer as the school tries to accommodate a mass of non-Greek speaking children. I think I’d be concerned in that case.