In all seriousness: amid deepest economic crisis Greece’s Tourism and Education ministries consider to close secondary education schools for a midterm vacation week in March in order to boost skiing tourism. And thus in a country where skiing is not a tradition, and furthermore this sports art needs expensive equipment.
The so-called “white week” – a Greek first – is to be approved by the ministers following a relevant proposal by the tourism industry in order to boost winter tourism in Greece. the school-free days are to be right after the long weekend of Clean Monday on March 3rd 2014, while it is not clear yet whether the school break will be two days or a whole week.
“We study the proposal with the necessary care and seriousness. The decisions taken will be appropriate to the social and development policy of the government,” Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni said after the meeting with her Education counterpart.
Representatives from the tourism industry, especially those in winter resorts, said that they will make special price offers and packages.
Against the ‘white week’ is the Federation of school teachers. “The government puts corporate interests ahead those of parents and students and it accepts to close school for a certain time because hotel business is not running well,” Federation president Kotsifakis told daily Ta Nea.
Also parents are not particularly happy with the perspective of skiing vacation for their kids, and Supreme Confederation of Parents of School Children demands that the “white Week” vacation will be subsidized by the state.
The proposal seems indeed weird in times where many households have cracked under the burden of over-taxation and income decreases, especially when skiing is considered rather exotic and expensive sports art.
Many internet users reacted with ironic comments and some even called the tourism minister “Marie Antoinette”.
PS Let’s ski our misery away, let’s recreate our kids on skiiiiiis 🙂
