Greece’s private schools do not want students with disabilities to attend classes. In an unprecedented memo, the Association of Private Schools reacted to an Education Ministry draft legislation which among others foresees that
- Pupils with disabilities or special educational needs have the right to enroll to private schools with the same terms and conditions as to the public schools of the country.
- Refusal to enroll pupils with disabilities is forbidden.
In its memo to the ministry, the Association of Private Schools describes the draft as a “soviet-style legislation” and a “demonstration of humanity of dubious expediency.”
The ASPS accuses Education Minister Kostas Gavroglu of having an “ideological rage against private schools” and claims the piece of legislation was “legally debatable and ethically disputable.”
“The over-regulated and rigid class schedules allow the smooth integration of pupils with special educational needs only in few cases,” the APS said further.
The chairman of APS told media that the legislation was “a coup d’ etat against the democratic procedure”, he demands full autonomy in the school educational programs and threatens to go to courts.
The Ministry returned the Association’s memo describing it as “unacceptable”.
On its part, the National Confederation of People with Disabilities spoke of “extreme racism” and accused the APS of “grave deficits in the field of human and constitutional rights.”
“The equal integration of pupils with disabilities or special educational needs is a fundamental human right, it is a family and personal choice,” the NCPD said.
The Confederation of Private School Teachers accused the APS of “extreme antisocial behavior that has not only inferior financial motives, it also touches the limits of social racism.” According to CPST, the APS had refused to enroll refugee children.
Sources of the Education Ministry told news247.gr, the legislation was necessary as some private schools denied the enrollment of pupils with disabilities claiming shortage of places.” the families of children with disabilities need to be protected, the sources said.
There are special schools for pupils with special educational needs and chronic health disorders across the country, however, apparently not enough to cover the needs.
It is also an issue of constitutional and human rights.
I cannot say whether the APS objection has to do with a matter of higher cost – as some pupils would need a special teacher or companion-, or it is just elitist-image approach with clear racist features.
Nevertheless, an outrage against the Association of Private Schools broke out on Greek internet with some users commenting the APS had the same mindset like those who do not want refugee kids in public school.
Some user urge private schools that enroll pupils with disabilities anyway to distance from the APS as the memo shreds a bad light to all private schools.
Some compare the Association of Private Schools with the fascists of Golden Dawn.
The Good News
A team of students from the Athens University invented the smart parking bar that identifies through a sensor whether a car belongs to a driver with disabilities or not.
We all know this wide-spread phenomenon where careless drivers simply park at the slots reserved for disabled people.
