Hundreds of students with special needs -candidates for the university entrance exams – are undergoing an unbelievable stress test as the Minister of Education, Anna Diamantopoulou, abolished the special exams centres in several areas across the country.
Alone from the island of Crete 160 boys and girls will have to travel to Greek capital Athens and thus on their own expenses to be able to participate at the university entrance exams. In general, special needs students are dyslectic or have mobilization problems in upper limbs and need to take oral exams respectively be interviewed by teachers – therefore the special exams centers. This year the oral tests will be able only in Athens and Thessaloniki. A total of 1,152 candidates with special needs have registered this year for the university entrance exams.
These oral tests do not refer to very special needs students as they need not exams to enter the university.
Despite the public outcry the Ministry is adamant on its decision, claiming there are not enough teachers to give the oral exams. Oddly there was enough personnel for the establishment of these special exams centres in the previous years.
Parents’ associations have condemned the decision as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘callous’.
