Refugee children's first day at Greek schools

By Idyli Tsakiri

ATHENS (AA) – Armed with big smiles and eyes that screamed excitement, refugee children carrying colorful backpacks attended Greek schools for the first time on Monday.

About 1,500 children began their schooling amid mostly positive reactions from local communities and the Greek government, officials said.

However, some Greek parents remain against the move, officials added.

Myrto Anastasopoulou, a member of the parents’ association of the 72nd Primary School of Athens -- one of the institutions which will host refugee children -- spoke to Anadolu Agency.

“We believe education is an inalienable right for every child -- regardless of their origin,” she said.

The youngsters will start classes at 2 p.m. every day after the Greek pupils have finished. They will receive language tuition among other subjects.

“We are completely against the xenophobic decisions of some other parents’ associations [from different schools] that stand against refugee children being taught in Greek schools,” Anastasopoulou added.

Although some parents from the 72nd were also against the program, Anastasopoulou believes this can be resolved through dialogue: “[Some parents] have questions and objections, but we will have a meeting and address these issues in order to answer all of their questions and resolve the problem.”

Last week, Education Minister Nikos Filis announced the schooling program for refugee children would start with six refugee and migrant camps and 20 public schools participating.

The program will be expanded to include further schools as more refugee children receive vaccinations to ensure the safety of other pupils being taught at the same premises, according to the minister.

-Local objections-

In the past weeks, some parents of Greek pupils have reacted against children of refugees attending the same schools.

Greek media reported how in Oreokastro, northern Greece, a parents’ association made an official announcement saying refugee children were not welcome.

On Saturday, parents in Lesbos island put chains on the doors of local schools, saying they would keep them locked so refugee children could not attend, local website Lesvos News reported.

According to the mayor of the island, Spyros Galinos, that situation has now been resolved.

“Children attending schools is a very positive thing. It is completely irrational to keep them away,” the mayor told Anadolu Agency.

“There were some reactions by certain parents who got caught up in misinformation and overreacted. One of them, who even locked a school, went back the next day and unlocked it,” he added.

“We have always been the island of peace and solidarity and this is what we will remain. Children are always welcome [in our schools],” Galinos said.

Lesbos is the most overcrowded island in Greece in terms of refugees and migrants. According to official government numbers, almost 6,000 migrants are stuck on the island after an EU-Turkey deal was signed in March.

The deal states that migrants and refugees who entered Greece illegally are obligated to remain at the point of their arrival until their asylum request is processed, a procedure which has proven very time-consuming.

-Education rights-

Back in Athens, Giannis Pantis, General Secretary at the Education Ministry, attended the first day of classes at the 72nd Primary School and stated, amid tears, he was “very moved”.

“There is no reason for negative reactions,” he said. “The [refugee] children will be vaccinated; the European Commission will cover the expenses for the extra use of the premises. We will not accept any reason for this program not to continue,” Pantis said.

Pantis said the children will learn Greek, a foreign language of their choice, mathematics and computer science. Books will be provided free to all the students being taught in Greek.

Greece’s General Secretary for Migration Policy, Vasilis Papadopoulos, was also at the school to welcome the children:

“We are here to watch the children from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan -- from every country that are in Greece -- attend schools. This is what will happen for all children regardless of them staying in Greece or moving on to other European countries or going back to their countries.

“We owe them the right to be educated,” Papadopoulos said.

“From what we hear, the reactions towards this program are generally positive. When there are minor reactions against it, they are simply the result of ignorance,” he added.

UNHCR numbers show that almost 60,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Greece. However, the number of minors among them remains unclear.