Web view(HPC) is an informative, rather unusual, periodical on educational and pedagogical issues...

Hellenic Pedagogical Cosmos, Vol. 14, no. 1, May 2017 1

VOLUME 14, NUMBER 1, MAY 2017

A Periodic Kaleidoscope on Education & Pedagogy in Hellas

‘FOLOI’

HellenicPedagogical

Cosmos


Hellenic Pedagogical CosmosA Periodic Kaleidoscope on Education and Pedagogy in Hellas

EditorDr Leonidas C. Bombas

Contributors (this issue)Fourla, ElenaGouva, DimitraKatsapi AnastasiaKoiliari, VenetiaKonstantatou EfrosyniKoraki AnnaKostarelos ChristosPapadimitropoulou, ElliToliou, Katerina

Hellenic Pedagogical Cosmos (HPC) is an informative, rather unusual, periodical on educational and pedagogical issues and developments in contemporary Hellas. It is not an academic review in the traditional sense by which such reviews have become known throughout the international academic community. The format is different, the contents as a whole are presented differently. Notwithstanding this, HPC seeks, primarily, to serve the needs of all those Anglophones whose access to the esoteric educational atmosphere of Greece is limited due to the Greek language barrier. Throughout the contents of the periodical, the non-Greek speaking reader may find a number of highly synoptic presentations of a variety of educational and pedagogical themes from a wide spectrum of ‘originators’ (e.g. academics, researchers, teachers, parents, students, journalists, politicians, etc) that rarely cross Greek borders via the medium of a ‘foreign’ language. In that sense, the heterogeneous panorama of the synchronous Hellenic pedagogy analyzed in this ‘Cosmos’ may always be of both theoretical interest and practical use to all those involved in the field of education.

Editorial correspondence should be addressed to: Dr Leonidas C. Bombas, 24 Efthimiou Papa Street, 17342 Agios Dimitrios, Greece.Tel: 697-4433234Fax: 210-9927659e-mail: [email protected]

HPC will be published two times a year, in May and November. These two issues constitute one volume.

© 2017 Leonidas C. Bombas

All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, provided that the original source (HPC) is mentioned.

Athens, Greece: ‘Foloi’ Publications

http://www.hpcosmos.gr/

mailto:[email protected]


ISSN 1790-1049

HELLENIC PEDAGOGICAL COSMOS

Volume 14, Number 1, May 2017

Editor’s lexis …and

Commenting and assessing the reforms of the 1975-77 periodpanorama of higher educationThe subject of composition in Greek primary schools (“I think & I write”Opening a school for refugees on the island of LerosGreek university entrance exam system: One more change! “Non-completion of compulsory schooling (early school leavers): comparing data of 2001 to 1991”Parents object to refugee children attending Greek schoolIt is a man’s…world!!!Greek teachers and the global teacher prize 2017Free of charge the education system in Greece… butGreek high school students score below OECD average More than a decade ago, the same old story…European Commission Report Slams Education in GreeceHere is the ‘National Dialogue’ under wayGreek Students Lack EntrepreneurshipThe central theme of this issue

What “type/kind” of students-with what basic personal characteristics-

I want to have in my classroomGreek children and Europe related issuesPrinceton University Athens Center for Research and Hellenic Studies Our Ministers of EducationTeaching adults, teaching children…The ‘seven wounds’ of our paideiaPrivate schools in GreeceWhat do the Greek austerity measures mean for education?A Greek Diaspora Fellowship ProgramWill Greece ever embrace private higher education?Students attending private schools on the increasePaid internships to young Greeks for summer 2017Ancient Greek can help children with dyslexiaFirst place for the student’s enterprise “Watch Out”Inauguration of Athens Uniersity Russian studies expansionTeaching two foreign languages in Greek schools

The valuable assistance of “Nea Ekpaideftiria – G. Malliara” in realizing this HPC publication is greatly appreciated


(“Greek Reporter” has been used as the source for several news items published in this issue)

Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies at Athens The Irish Institute of Hellenic Studies at Athens (IIHSA) was founded in 1995 to establish a distinctive Irish voice in the study of Greece and its culture from antiquity onward, and to promote mutual understanding of Greek and Irish culture.Under the direction of professor John Dilon, one of the foremost Plato scholars, the IIHSA has a permanent base in Athens which runs an active cultural program, while developing research and study programs, publications and archaeological work, including excavations in Cephalonia.The next lecture is by leading Joyce scholar, David Norris, who will speak on Joyce and Homer on June 1, 2005 at the auditorium of the Danish Institute, 14a Chairefontos (Aghias Aikaterinis Square) Plaka, at 8 p.m.


IIHSA tel. 210/884-8074

Editor’s Lexis

No doubt the issue of evaluation of the Greek education system in its entirety and the evaluation of higher education institutions in particular, continues to occupy much of the ‘educational scene’ at virtually all levels. The Ministry of Education, on its part, having already submitted to the National Parliament the draft legislation pertaining to the evaluation of Greek universities -among several other initiatives along the education system- appears decided to go on with this touchy and highly controversial policy, which is expected to bring the Greek higher education up to the ‘prerequisites’ and the ‘standards’ of the so-called Bologna Declaration. On the other hand, university teaching staff, strongly supported by the governing bodies of almost all higher education institutions and a considerable segment of the political parties/world, do not seem prepared to ‘give up’ to those ‘evaluation policies’ of the government. According to their arguments, such policies undermine both the quality and the public character of Greek universities. Meanwhile, the government and the Minister of Education have been the target of fierce criticisms for having done nothing of substance in the education field so far, despite the many pre-electoral promises and the very fact that this government has already reached its 20th month in power –since last elections in March 2004. As far as the ‘lower’ level of the Greek education system is concerned, the issue of cross-curricular approach to teaching-learning has come at the centre of the educational horizon of primary education. Seminars for primary school teachers, conferences and various discussions by different groups of experts along with the Pedagogical Institute officials are all exploring, defining and explaining to each other the newly proposed curricular arrangement of the so-called ‘Flexible Zone’. An innovative initiative which, as claimed, is expected to ‘untie’ the hands of the classroom teacher for developing and implementing in and with his/her pupils cross-curricular/thematic projects and activities (see ‘central theme’ of this issue of HPC). New school books along these lines of the (supposedly) innovative/new teaching and learning approach of cross-curricular school praxis are expected to be ready for the coming school year. At the same time, Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and the ensuing school paradigms and suggestions, have already made their appearance as the ‘progressive’ and the unequivocally necessary alternative schooling of our era. At any rate, as in the past with several other educational and pedagogical ‘must’, time will tell. Much remains to be seen on the actual school arena and the classroom praxis itself which, in its very essence, constitutes a ‘peculiar’ and ‘idiosyncratic’ ergon.


An ergon that is been constantly and painstakingly constructed/created every plain day (only) within the school walls and which –for its greatest part- continues to remain almost unknown, to all those postulating for educational issues outside the walls of the school building and the ‘traditional’ classroom door.

Dr Leonidas C. BombasAthens, November 2005

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Our Lexis of Today…in just four paragraphs!

A dozen years later and surprisingly (?) the educational arena/horizon/reality and concerns all over Greece seem to remain almost the same…

The main points underlined in the “Editor’s Lexis” twelve years ago continue to puzzle the Greek education system in its entirety, with very little -if any- significant “variation” or noteworthy improvement.

It is, therefore, both instructive and useful in the present context of the year 2017 to see and consider -once again- all these very crucial issues under the prism of today and in the framework of the severe economic (and only) crisis permeating the entire Greek society for more than eight years by now.

If nothing else, many “lessons” may be drawn upon reading again this synoptic account in the form of an introductory note, for both the present and the future of virtually all Greek educational “things” and “happenings”…


Leonidas C. Bombas Athens, May 2017 Comparative EducationalistDirector of Studies, “Nea Ekpaideftiria - G. Malliara”

From the history of the neo-Hellenic education system: a didactic nostalgia

Commenting and assessing the reforms of the 1975-77 period (right after the fall of the military dictatorship 1967-1974), as presented in a special issue of ‘Comparative Education Review’

Goals of educational reform policies In the Period 1975 – 77 we witness the most extensive educational reform in modern Greece. Article 16 of the Greek Constitution on the one hand and laws 309/76 and 576/77 concerning general and technical education on the other constitute the cornerstones of recent innovative educational policies. The goals of the reform have until now remained visions only, though referred to as necessities in the past. The educational reform legislated and initiated in 1975 – 77 can be summarized in the following main policies: the replacement of “katharevousa” with “demotiki” as the official language, thus putting an end to our national “bilingual” problem, the extension of compulsory schooling from 6 to 9 years (6 in primary and 3 in high school), the establishment of the Center for Educational Studies and Teacher Training, and the organizational development of technical and vocational education as an integral part of the educational system at the secondary and higher levels. (Vassilis Kontogiannopoulos)

Current educational reforms: An overview

The educational policy of Greece today, particularly in secondary and higher education, may be considered an important landmark in the history of intellectual and social life of the country. This will become clearer when the whole reform plan is complete. It is worth noting that the first two acts (laws 186/1975 and 309/1976) have been accepted nearly unanimously by all political parties in the parliament and warmly welcomed by eminent intellectuals of the country. However, the third act (law 576/1977), which concerns the reorganization of technical and vocational education (middle and higher), was not passed with the same unanimity. And in a climate of dispute, the Law for Private Education (682/1977) was very recently passed.(Fanourios Voros)

The movement for reform: A historical perspective


Since its establishment through legislation, in the 1830s, the Greek educational system has been characterized by structural and philosophical stability. Among the most striking examples of this is the fact that the percentage of time allocated to mathematics and the sciences in the weekly compulsory and uniform secondary school timetable was in the early 1970s the same as it was in 1836 (i.e., 19.2 percent). On the other hand, the history of the system is marked by constant demands for reform. Parents and students, teachers and intellectuals, politicians and administrators at every period seem to agree in their severe criticism of the system, even when fundamental differences may be observed in the proposed remedies.There are, in the history of Greek education, four periods when major reform plans were formulated: 1913, 1929, 1959, and 1964. Three of them (1913, 1929, and 1964) have a number of characteristics in common: They were compiled by liberal governments, they proposed the extension of compulsory schooling, they supported demotike, and they viewed the system in a global way. In fact, they are successive stages of the same attempt to organize and reform the system.(AlexisDimaras

Educational demoticismHe who has not been acquainted with contemporary Greece and has not studied the social and political problems of this small country will find it very difficult to understand how and why the language question is at the center of our national concern and constitutes the major issue around which the educational policy of the nation revolves. No other controversial issue has divided politician and educator alike in Greece and has become the cause of so many unfulfilled promises and irregularities in the development of our educational system as the language question.(Evangelos Papanoutsos)


A pseudo-euphoric antidote synonymous to asynchronous authenticity

On the teaching of Religious Studies in Greek schoolsThe Greek Ministry of Education has decided to change the lesson of Religion “(Thriskeftika”) in the new school year, according to several reports published in weekly news papers. It should be pointed out in this context that discussions, controversies and a number of different suggestions concerning the overall teaching of Religion in Greek primary and secondary schools has been going on for many years now. As readily understood, this has been (and continues to be) a very “touchy” and extremely sensitive issue not only among politicians and the Church leadership but also among the different “segments” of the entire Greek society. Nonetheless, this latest decision comes after a relatively recent clash between previous education minister Nikos Filis and the Church of Greece. Tensions have been quite high at this front and it is not a “mere coincidence” that the Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras took the decision to appoint a new Minister of Education just a few months ago. Interestingly (?), Mr Filis who has found himself out of the cabinet has started “an esoteric opposition” within his own governing political party called SYRIZA. Coming back to the teaching of Religion in Greek schools. Current Education Minister Constantinos Gavroglou has decided to radically change Religion classes and introduce changes in History, Ancient Greek and Mathematics. According to an official report, current Religion text books will change and if they are not ready by September, students will receive dossiers on religion, with the name of the lesson not decided yet. The President of the Institute of Educational Policy Gerasimos Kouzelis told in a recent interview that there will be radical changes in Religion classes and in the beginning of the new school year a dossier on the lesson will be distributed to students of all grades. The dossier will include religious texts and sources, references, literature texts and artistic works on the subject of religion. Current books will be withdrawn. “We will try the new material in the new (school) year and make an assessment,” Kouzelis said, explaining that Greek Orthodoxy will be prominently presented, as it is the nation’s official religion, but other religions will be presented as well along with cultural differences. Kouzelis used the example of Greek students learning that refugee children say other prayers. Kouzelis also said that there will be procedures to facilitate those students who want to be exempt from the Religion lesson, based on the freedom of religion principle.


A current informative panorama of higher education

Good news for a Greek universityThe Athens University of Economics and Business (OPA) ranked in the top 250 Business Schools worldwide, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) international university ranking list.Specifically, in the QS list, OPA QS ranks in the “Superior” category among the top 250 institutions offering Postgraduate Full Time Business Administration (full-time MBAs).The classification criteria are, on the one hand, the reputation of the institution in the academic community and, on the other hand, the reputation of its graduates in the global labor market.A total 76,798 academics and 12,125 employers took part in the survey for the classification of institutions.===================================================================

University Graduates and employment in today’s Greece One in two Greeks with a university degree cannot find work in the first three years after graduation, a Eurostat study says.According to the study correlating high level of education and employment opportunities, Greece ranks last among European Union member states as only 49.9 percent of university graduates find work within three years after they graduate. Malta comes first in the ranking as 96.9 percent of its graduates find work right after their studies. Germany and Sweden follow with 93.3 percent and 90.9 percent respectively.Southern countries overall rank low in that area, as in Italy and Spain 57.6 percent and 68.7 percent respectively of university graduates find jobs soon after they enter the job market. Both countries are just above Greece in the ranking.Economists say that it is not that Greece produces more university graduates than needed but that there are not enough businesses and foreign investments to absorb all the degree holders. The degree holders in Greece who are under 34 years old are 32.4 percent of the population, when the EU average is 34.2 percent.Economists contribute the phenomenon to overall unemployment, slow growth and lack of state and private investments, all of them linked to the economic crisis since 2010.

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The University of Crete being the most illustrious of GreeceThe Times Higher Education’s global league table of universities released its international rankings placing the University of Oxford in the top position, pushing the California Institute of Technology into second place. Greek universities lagged behind the 301st position, with the University of Crete being the most illustrious of Greece.The universities were ranked according to the level of teaching, research, citations and international outlook, characteristics that Oxford topped across the board.The top 10 were as follows:University of Oxford (UK)California Institute of Technology (USA0Stanford University (USA)Cambridge University (UK)Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)Harvard (USA)Princeton (USA)Imperial College London (UK)ETH – Zurich Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Switzerland)University of California (Berkeley)While Asian university rankings were climbing, Greek universities were lagging behind:===================================================================

Greek university entrance exam system: One more change! The current system of university entrance exams, which he called “educationally unacceptable,” will be changed within three years, Greek Education Minister Constantinos Gavroglou announced in Parliament on Thursday. The minister was addressing the plenum during a debate on a government bill for state-issued foreign language certificates. “The last two years of high school must be radically upgraded and children must come away with a diploma that has serious standing in society,” he said. He also referred to the problems caused by the emphasis on exams and the “hijacking” of secondary education by ‘frontistiria’ — after-school tuition schools prepping students to sit the exams. “All society is aware that the last two classes of high school are invalidated and this is not the fault of teachers, there is a collective responsibility,” the minister noted. He urged everyone to consider that “there is an institution outside of schools that has succeeded in swallowing up school, an institution that provides education without being in the body of the school.” For this reason, he added, high schools needed to be essentially founded again from scratch. “…the exams need to be de-dramatized; they have no educational role since the children memorize their lessons verbatim and then sit the exams and those that don’t memorize fail. This is an educationally unacceptable system,” the minister noted. What needs to be preserved is the integrity of the current system, Gavroglou said, so that young people can get a place in university on the basis of their high school diploma.


Pedagogical analysis of diagnostic prognosis

The subject of composition in Greek primary schools (“I think & I write”, as formally called since the 1980’s)

The so-called school subject of ‘composition of ideas’ has always been considered, for both the student and the teacher, as an area of great question and concern. A very specific area/school subject of concern that extends from the usefulness of this procedure for the student, goes to questioning the different methods of teaching and instruction that the teacher employs in real classroom praxis and analyzes the entire evaluation per se as well as the individual phases of the evaluative process of this procedure.In a rather general sense, most people hold the view that only a small percentage of school children appear to like writing school compositions. Even excellent students manifest their opposition or their repulsiveness vis-à-vis this school practice. As far as the students are concerned, their principal objections focus on the time available (considered not to be enough) to develop the theme/topic of the composition in question adequately, as well as on the type or the kind of the theme/topic given for writing the composition. Furthermore, primary school students often refer to difficulties encountered due to their ‘un-programmed/ un-planned positive attitude’, since they are asked, on a specific day and time, to write down their views and thoughts following a very concrete text structure. The apparent lack of willingness on the part of the student (writer) to communicate with the reader of the said composition makes things even worse at both the level of attitudes towards writing the composition and the actual praxis of writing. On the part of the teacher, one may observe a number of different, yet equally important, obstacles that, in turn, hold back the pleasure stemming from reading the compositions of the school children. At any rate, there are quite a few ‘types or kinds’ of teaching that the classroom teacher may use upon undertaking to be involved with the subject of composition (or ‘think and write’, as called nowadays in Greek primary education). The most commonly followed procedure-teaching seems to be the one that centers around gathering and processing informative material which is relevant to the theme/topic of the composition, the effective use of a basic vocabulary, and the making up of a skeleton-diagram for the entire composition to be written. Expectedly, different types or methods of teaching may –one way or another- influence the entire planning and the organization of the school curriculum. On the other hand, these different methods may necessitate a more flexible planning on the part of the teacher. When it comes to the assessment/evaluation phase of


the composition, one may speak of an ‘oppressive’ type of school practice which consists of correcting the expressive and the spelling skills of the children’s writings, as well as the whole content of the composition itself. Additionally, a number of compositions that presumably represent positive or negative ‘writing samples’ are often read in front of the entire class. In this context it should be stressed that there is a different perception on the emphasis given by the children as opposed to that of the adults. Thus, a composition characterized by a better structure and a near perfect expressive form will touch and move only a handful of students while it may, actually, surprise some others, given the fact that the language used in this case appears to be quite different from the everyday language spoken by both the children and the adults. The classroom students argue that they do not understand the content of the composition, even if the written text has no syntactic and expressive mistakes. As a concluding observation on the basis of the fore-mentioned synoptic remarks concerning the school subject of composition, the following should be stressed: Beyond the various concerns about the whole issue of school composition, the aims, the objectives, the teaching approach, etc. of this school subject, it seems that the degree and the level of communication that is developed between the teacher and his students play a particularly important role in pursuing a more integrated and more successful dealing/management of this issue. It is this ‘variable’ of communication which increases the need on the part of the children to inform the ‘other’ mainly on issues and aspects that are of interest to both the sender and the receiver.

Dionyssios Alexandropoulos (Prepared in Greek more than ten years ago expressly for the HPC, but -undoubtedly- “keeping in touch” with our educational reality in the school year 2016-2017 and being “alive” in all respects)


Cultural pluralism in our xenophobic cosmos: contemporary philanthropists

and stoics… in action

Opening a school for refugees on the island of LerosA new educational facility called “LEDU” was opened on the island of Leros on Thursday, aiming to help around 170 refugee children integrate smoothly in Greek schools and continue their education.The school, located in the area of Lepida, will welcome children aged six to 18 in three classrooms, where pupils will be taught Greek, English, mathematics, geography, computers and art. They will be taught by Greek teachers and personnel from the charity organization Save the Children.The school teaches around 80 students per day, to accommodate all the refugees enlisted in the program.“With LEDU we strengthen the educational process of children and help them integrate in the educational system, after a long and arduous period away from classrooms,” said Andreas Ring, Save the Children’s Greece Humanitarian Representative.The creation and operational costs of “LEDU” are covered by the European Union and the UNHCR, while the operation and organization of the school is managed by Save the Children.===================================================================

Greek-French private schools and the refugee childrenAt a time when Greek society is divided on the issue concerning the education of refugee children at Greek schools, twelve Greek-French private schools have stepped to the plate with a statement that they would accept refugee children in their schools. The decision came following the request of the Federation of Private Education Providers in Greece (OIELE) on October 12. A week later, the Secretariat des Institutions d’ Enseignement Libre En Grece (SIELG) of Greek-French private schools responded positively to the call.“As you know, all Greek-French schools that have a long plight in our country, always view education having a steady base of values and principles that serve Man, regardless of race, religion or social class. Our interest is geared towards all children, especially the vulnerable,” they wrote in a letter, dated by October 21, signed by the group’s president.The letter states that students from vulnerable groups have already been integrated in their school as a show of Christian values. Now, these services will be extended to unaccompanied minors that are victims of the refugee crisis.===================================================================


Help children refugees integrate better and fasterThe Greek education system needs to become more flexible to help children refugees integrate better and faster in their new country, University of Toronto’s language Professor Jim Cummins said on Wednesday during a one-day conference dedicated to his work.“Every country chooses what policy to follow to integrate the children of refugees in schools, based on its tradition and priorities,” he said, speaking at “Languages, identities and rights in school: on the occasion of Jim Cummins’ work”. “But the general direction of linguists is that the sooner these children enter the basic educational curriculum, the better,” he added. Cummins noted however that the fast integration has an important precondition: the system’s flexibility. “Integration doesn’t just require us to throw children in at the deep end and ask them to swim. There must be some flexibility from the teachers, there must be support for the students to learn the extra language and, ideally, there must be support to learn their maternal language,” he explained. He gave the example of Canada, where schools allocate 2.5 hours for kids to learn their maternal language, outside the regular school hours, in programs funded by the government. There’s also support to learn English. “But this is quite far from the Greek system,” he said. “Greece has a much more specific and centrally driven [by the Ministry of education] curriculum, which teachers must follow strictly and so it becomes more difficult to adapt to the needs of pupils coming from another cultural background and may have suffered a trauma. I believe the Greek system should show some flexibility to meet the needs of these children.” Asked what Greece should do to change this system, Cummins said there are several experts in the country who understand Greek reality and could work together to discuss the best steps for the state to take. “It’s important that there is knowledge and experience from the systems of other countries but because every country is unique, solutions must be found that will develop in the Greek education system,” he said.Cummins became an Honorary Doctorate of the Department of Education and Education in Early Childhood of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His areas of specialization include literacy and multiliteracies, technology and academic language learning, English as a second language and critical pedagogy.


Agonies and ecstasies within the educational liturgy

Greek (“free”) education is very expensive!The latest annual Report prepared by the “Center for Developing Educational Policy” (KANEP) of the “General Federation of Greek laborers” (GSEE) and presented publicly this April of 2017 is quite revealing with regard to the total amount of money spent by Greek families for educational services in today’s Greece. A grand total of 3.8 billion Euros have been taken from the pockets of millions of parents so that their children may have the necessary (appropriate?) education in this highly demanding and competitive world of ours.Of course, one should always bear in mind that this extremely expensive “sport” of educational services in Greece outside the formal system of education is in no way a new phenomenon, or some sort of “side-effects” of the (very well known, by now) economic crisis that literally tortures at many levels the entire Greek society over the last 7-8 years. The so-called “para-paideia” or “shadow education” has been around in the Greek educational arena for decades and decades. Numerous and strong criticisms have repeatedly been voiced/written concerning this very phenomenon that forces Greek parents to spend a lot of money for education, despite the fact that education in Greece is absolutely “free”.Nonetheless, a number of selected figures from this latest KANEP Report (covering the years from 2002 to 2014) are both quite indicative and illuminating in that respect. First of all during the year 2014 Greek parents spent the total amount of 3.8 billion Euros for fulfilling every “kind” of educational need of their children. A percentage of 40% of that amount spent, approximately 1.4 billion Euros, were paid for tutorials, private (compensatory) lessons and tuitions for learning one or more foreign languages, educational services and activities, that is, which should have been offered/covered for free within the formal/public school system.In addition, 973 million Euros were spent for tuition in primary and secondary private schools, 834 million for higher education of Greek students abroad and in Greece, 253 million for extra school books/material, 186 million for attending ICT and Arts classes, while the amount of 66 million were spent in baby-sitting so that parents can continue to work.As a grand total where both the public and the private spending for education are included, the amount of 9.387 billion Euros were spent, of which a percentage of 60% of this money was allocated by the state budget and the 40% by private Greek citizens.


Chronic searching for classroom catalysts in the Hellenic pedagogical

arena

“Non-completion of compulsory schooling (early school leavers): comparing data of 2001 to 1991”

by Manolis Drettakis, in “Sychroni Ekpaidevsi” (Contemporary Education), 140, 2005, pp. 20-26)

Conclusions This analysis demonstrates that despite great progress in the 1990s, the percentage of men and women aged 20 years and above who had not completed compulsory schooling (high school, gymnasio) in 2001 exceeded 40%. This percentage increases in older age brackets and exceeds 50% in both the male population over 55 years of age and the female population over 50 years old. The most ominous finding however is that there is also a significant percentage of early school leavers among younger age groups. These percentages in 2001 were:

13.8% of men and 9.4% of women in the 20-24 age group 15.1% of men and 11.3% of women in the 25-29 age group 18.1% of men and 15.9% of women in the 30-34 age group

This article serves to highlight that non-completion of compulsory schooling remains one of the major issues facing Greek education today. Subsequently, full compliance to the constitutional article/directive for compulsory schooling should be one of the first items on the agenda in any review of the educational system. In conclusion, an overview of the proposals previously raised through the pages of this journal is briefly presented. The issue of non-completion of compulsory education in age groups of 20 years and above should be met through the establishment of adult lifelong learning. This has recently come to the forefront mostly in reference to older age groups but is also a necessity for younger age brackets. To this end, “second chance” schools (primary and secondary schools, ‘lyceum’/senior high school, included) must be established/ developed, with a particular focus on those geographical areas presenting a higher need. This must be accompanied by a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of completing compulsory education in order to maximise participation in these schools of the younger age groups. In order to ensure this situation does not perpetuate itself, both central and local governments need to focus their efforts on ensuring that parents and


guardians, as well as students, endorse the importance of completing compulsory schooling as a minimum requirement. These target groups need to appreciate the importance of compulsory schooling in today’s environment as well as the potential consequences of non-completion in later life. Added support must be provided for students who are poor performers or from vulnerable groups. The main driving force in an effort to drastically reduce the percentage of early school leavers should of course be the Ministry of Education. However, the Ministry of Employment, the universities (Departments of Education, in particular), the Teachers’ Unions and the media can all make a significant contribution toward reaching this goal. The state apparatus in its entirety should legislate incentives which, in turn, would help achieve these targets. In addition, relevant funds should form part of the annual State budget.

Victoria L. Bombas

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Note: This entire “picture” concerning “early school leavers” in Greece has not changed at all. The respective figures of today are more than indicative of this highly alarming “trend” characterizing the Greek (and not only, of course) system of education in the year 2017. As a matter of fact, one may claim that even more Greek youngsters today do not complete the so-called compulsory schooling, with all negative consequences from this ‘state of affairs” absolutely (ever) present and operative at all levels of both personal and social lives.


Pragmatism in the abyss of educational un-orthodoxy

It is a man’s…world!!!...after allWhat a surprise…one may quite readily exclaim…in humor, when reading the following news item concerning one of the particular characteristics of the Greek educational system. Men occupy the majority of senior positions in the hierarchy of the education ministry and Greece’s education administration system, based on the data supplied by the education ministry, IT platform “my-school” for the last school year (2015-2016). Women only hold the lowest administrative rankings, at the level of school head teachers — where they outnumbered men by 60 percent to 40 percent, while the number of women falls off as one rises up the hierarchy. The next step up is that of education directors, where women make up only 15 percent of the total, while among the 13 regional education directors there are only two women. At the highest level, the leadership of the education ministry itself, the number of women that have served as education ministers is just three since the fall of the junta in 1974, including Marietta Yiannakou in 2004-2007, Anna Diamantopoulou in 2009-2012 and Efrosyni Kiaou in the caretaker governments of Panagiotis Pikrammenos in 2012 and Vassiliki Thanou in 2015.===================================================================

Greek teachers and the global teacher prize 2017Aggeliki Pappa, founder of I love dyslexia, was nominated for the 2nd time to be among the 50 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize 2017, according to the establishment’s press release. Papa’s i love dyslexia (ILD) was established to allow children, adolescents and adults with dyslexia learn English as a foreign language. The Varkey Foundation, which is in charge of the Global Teacher Prize for 2017 recently announced the list of the 50 distinguished teachers who were selected out of 20,000 candidates from 179 countries. Pappa was listed for her accomplishments as the founder of ILD as well as her experience as a researcher of special education. In a statements following the nomination, Pappas said: “I express the deep emotion and my gratitude for my selection for the 50 best teachers in the world


for 2017, for the Global Teacher Prize and the world’s recognition of innovation of I love dyslexia for second time!”.

The educational horizon through statistics, figures and numbers

diachronically

Mean number of years of education for men and women aged 25-49, all across Greece

Age men & women men women25-29 11.69 11.39 12.0030-34 11.46 11.27 11.6635-39 11.00 11.07 10.9340-44 10.44 10.69 10.1945-49 9.89 10.22 9.55From the abovementioned figures it is clear that the younger both men and women are the more years of formal education have; and this appears to be more so the case with regard to Greek women. Thus, when men and women are compared in the two younger age groups (25-29 & 30-34), the corresponding level of women is higher than men’s.===================================================================Free of charge the education system in Greece… but with one billion Euros per year spent by Greek families According to a relatively recent study (Center for the Development of Educational Policy – General Federation of Laborers in Greece) based on data and information provided by the Greek Ministry of Education and the National Statistics Service concerning money spend by parents for their children’s educational activities/lessons/programs outside the formal schooling, the following picture emerges:-For the ‘frontistiria’ (extra school group lessons run by individuals -university graduates- as private business all over Greece) attended by junior and senior high school students (virtually all senior high school students in order to be better prepared for the university entrance examinations every year), their parents pay a total of 162,030,000 Euros each school year;-For private lessons (‘idiaitera’) attended by secondary school students, Greek parents spend the amount of 405,075,000 Euros annually;-For the (private) foreign language centers/schools attended by students aged 6-19 years, a total of 246,408,000 Euros are needed per year for these extra school lessons;-For the ‘idiaitera’ private lessons in foreign languages for youngsters between 6 an 19 years of age, a total amount of 184,806,000 Euros is spent each year.


The figures are quite revealing and the results disappointing. The ‘goods’ of education may be formally free of charge in Greece, but the notion/practice of equal opportunities does not apply to all Greek students. If someone wishes to secure a good outcome/mark in the university entrance examinations and eventually become a university student, he/she must attend ‘frontistiria’ and/or ‘idiaitera’ private lessons that cost a lot of money to their family. For obvious reasons (large populations), the greater areas around the big cities of Athens and Thessaloniki spend most of the money. And this has been going on for decades now -regardless the public declarations and the repeated promises of Greek political parties/governments to ‘solve’ this serious problem.Females ‘against’ males The female population in Greece today is estimated at 51.5% of the entire population of the country compared 48.5% for men. When it comes to corresponding figures for the entire tertiary education population, girls reach the noticeable percentage of 57% compared to 43% for boys. These figures indicate that females are doing much better than their male age mates at higher education level attendance.Foreign and repatriate students The total number of foreign and Greek repatriate students in all Greek schools today (data provided for the school year 2003-2004) is 130,144. More specifically, 18,497 of these students attend Greek senior high school classes, another 33,385 are presently attending junior high, a total of 67,149 pupils are to be found in Greek primary schools, and 11,083 in kindergartens.Fewer students in Greek schools It is estimated that over the last decade the total number of students across Greek primary and secondary schools (grade one to twelve) has been decreased by approximately 120,000 individuals. Considering that the entire student population in question reaches the 1,503,475 figure (795,904 primary school pupils and another 707,571 secondary school students), this decrease of 120,000 students may not be considered small or negligible figure.It is quite expensive to be a student… According to available statistics it appears that, for a public school student, his/her family spends – on the average- the following amounts per school year: Grade three of senior high school: 4,200 Euros (approximately 3,000 for ‘frontistiria’); Grade two of senior high: 2,800 Euros; Grade one senior high: 2,100 Euros. During the attendance of junior high school it is estimated that a family spends a total of 1,700 Euros for foreign languages learning and other ‘out-of-school’ activities. As far as the elementary school is concerned, from grade three onwards each pupil needs about 1,100 Euros annually for –mainly- foreign languages learning and other extra school activities.Funding for education and research: at the very bottom As has been pointed out time and again in different circumstances and documented through a variety of national and international sources, Greece’s total spending for her education system is considerably less (3, 5% of the GNP of


the country) when compared to most EU members. Furthermore, the country spends only 0.68% of her GNP for research compared to the corresponding figures of 1.66% for EU and 2, 7% for the USA.

Apnea in the educational galaxy

Greek high school students score below OECD average The latest PISA test which demonstrates students’ abilities in science and math has revealed that Greek students score below the average of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD organized the PISA exam, or Program for International Student Assessment, and tested 540,000 students across 72 countries. When the results came in, Greeks placed 43rd in science and math and 41st place in reading. Some 5,500 Greek students took part in the test from 212 public and private schools throughout the country. According to comparative data from this year’s exam and previous PISA exams, Greek students have shown a decrease in their ranking among their foreign peers since 2006. In fact, OECD Chief of Staff Gabriela Ramos commented that the report shows that Greek students would need to attend an additional 2.5 years in school just to catch up to their peers in Singapore which is at the top of the list in the number one position and scored top of the class in all three categories. ANA-MPA reported that Greece’s high school students earned 455 points in science questions, down six points compared with the last test, 467 points in reading which is down eight points since the last test and 454 in math which is up one point since the last tests.==============================================Greek Students Lack EntrepreneurshipA global study of 122,000 university students of 1,000 universities in 50 countries, showed that Greek students are lacking in entrepreneurship while also abandoning their dreams of entering the civil service. The research data will be presented at the conference, titled “The Culture of Entrepreneurship in Education,” that is to take place at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki on Saturday, November 19. In Greece, the data was gathered by focusing on a sample of undergraduate and postgraduate students from 11 universities. A coordinator for the study in Greece, lecturer Katerina Sarri, and post-doctorate researcher Doctor Stavroula Laspita noted that:


•Greece is beneath the international average for entrepreneurship intent following studies (Greece: 4% — International average: 8.8%). The level is the same as other southern European countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy)•Most students want to work in small, medium and large organizations following their studies.

More than a decade ago, the same old story…

Priority to education Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis appeared optimistic as regards the future of education in Greece. He announced a number of concrete governmental initiatives in the education sector, underlining with emphasis that education is at the very top of the list of his government’s priorities. Visiting the Ministry of Education, Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that his government gives great emphasis to the on-going “National Dialogue” on educational issues, and went on to announce:-the institutionalization of a quality assurance system in tertiary education;-the establishment of an ‘international university’ based in Salonica;-the voting of pertinent legislation concerning life-long learning; -the solution of operational problems faced by TEI (Technological Educational Institutions);-the development of new Information Technology programs; -the provision of (free of charge) 20,000 computers to all students in special education classes and another 30,000 computers for the Information Technology Labs of all Greek schools; -the institutionalization of continuous in-service training systems for teachers in the use of new technologies.(‘Metrorama’, 13/05/2005)

Three-day padlock for all Greek universities The federation of university teaching staff has announced that on May 17, 18 and 19 all universities will remain closed as a gesture of protest upon the opening of the Summit of the European Ministers of Education in Bergen (Norway). This strike will be accompanied by a series of activities which are part of the European Action Week for Education under the central theme ‘education is not for sale’. This slogan reflects and expresses the collective reaction of the federations of teachers who believe that with the new organizational system of tertiary education Europe-wide its public and tuition free character is seriously threatened. According to J. Maistros (Secretary General of the Federation of University Teaching Staff), the Greek Minister of


Education, Mrs Giannakou is intended to declare the integration of the Greek university system into the so-called Bologna procedure. This specific development, the Federation argues, will signal the downgrading of university studies in many respects.(‘Kathimerini’, 12/05/2005)

Un-trained primary school teachers ‘produced’ by Education Departments According to a recent study (professor Ch. Constantinou, Chairman of the Primary Education Department of the University of Ioannina), there seems to be a major problem in the initial training of those studying to become primary school teachers. The Departments of Education, which over the past few years have become among the most ‘preferred’ choices of Greek youth due to observed demand for primary school teachers, do not appear to prepare/train their students adequately, as far as teaching and pedagogical aspects/methods are concerned. The students themselves, in responding to relevant questions posed by the investigator of the study, indicated that they do, in fact, perceive a ‘deficit’ in their didactic skills/techniques preparation upon graduating (68.3%). They also stress the need for more actual classroom/school practice (39.6%) during their university years of study. These findings were based on a total sample population of 278 university students (Department of Education) and another total of 230 primary school teachers employed in the prefectures of Arta, Preveza, Ioannina, and Fthiotida (North-western Greece).(‘To Vima’, 13/02/2005)

Greek teachers on the brink of nervous breakdown The results of this particular empirical research seem to be quite illuminating as regards the psychosomatic well-being of school teachers in Greece today, by pointing out the many and serious problems faced by a large segment of the Greek teacher population. Of equal interest and importance are several of the explanations-analyses offered by the teachers themselves concerning this alarming ‘state of affairs’ within the education system. Thus,-57% of those questioned indicated that they experience a feeling of exhaustion during their working/teaching hours, whereas 53% would like to change profession/work if that was possible;-59% of the sample made specific mention to tensions and conflicts with their students, resulting even in authoritarian teacher behavior against their students. They furthermore note that many teachers tend to ‘retreat and remain closed to themselves’, a situation, that is, that leads to apathy and to a desire/tendency to quit the daily ‘fight’;-63% proposed and asked for the substantial cutting down of the teaching material/syllabus and the re-adaptation of what is being taught to children’s actual interests;


-a high percentage of 33% experience headaches, cardiac problems and stomach related symptoms. It is surprising to note that several instances of deafness are also mentioned in this respect;

-in all the so-called burnout symptoms are manifested through somatic and psychic tiredness, indifference for the profession, low self-esteem and lack of enthusiasm for the job and -even- life itself. (Dimotiko news, March 2005)

Polychromatic symbols in the pedagogical marathon

Ancient Greek can help children with dyslexia

The systematic teaching of the ancient Greek language can help children with dyslexia, linguistics and psychology professors say.According to a theory of Harvard Classics Professor Eric Havelock (1903-1989), based on philosopher Plato‘s ideas, ancient Greek generates many abstract concepts that activate unique parts of the brain.Havelock’s theory along with other findings by scientists and academics is included in the book “The Alphabet and the Brain: The Lateralization of Writing,” published in 1988 by Springer.The scientific results that contribute to the theory of Havelock include:1. The “Broca’s area” in the left hemisphere of the human brain, which is linked to speech production, was activated more than usual due to the Greek alphabet, which for the first time had successfully employed vowels for writing.2. The human brain was radically redesigned.3. The above mentioned change in brain function caused a substantial change in the attitude of the ancient Greek alphabet’s users, for which the need of communication with other citizens through the art of theater appeared.Another published scientific research by a team led by Greek psychiatrist Ioannis Tsegos, showed that the measurable indicators of verbal intelligence and deductive thinking were accelerated across a group of 25 non-dyslexic children, ages 8-12, who were taught Ancient Greek through accepted methods for two hours per week.In another equal group of children that weren’t taught Ancient Greek, the study revealed that the respective indicators were decelerated. Both groups were taught similar lessons.Australian university researcher Kate Chanock, however, took Tsegos’ study a step further in her work “Help for a dyslexic learner from an unlikely source: the study of Ancient Greek” (2006: Literacy), the Australian researcher describes how she cured an English-speaking person from dyslexia by using Ancient Greek.“A severely reading-disabled adult student taught himself to read and write Ancient Greek, and in so doing, improved his ability to read and write in English,” her abstract says.


Meanwhile, children in elementary schools in Oxford, U.K., have been learning Ancient Greek since 2010 in addition to their other school subjects.

Syndromes of lethargy and apocalypses of our schooling in Greece today

Parents object to refugee children attending Greek schoolThe whole issue pertaining to the actual education of refugee children in Greek schools has not (and could not, in fact) been an easy and straightforward “problem” for both the successive Greek governments and the Greek society at large. Intense skepticism, reluctance on many fronts, controversies and heated dialogues have (and, still, are) virtually reigned most segments of the Greek public arena with regard to the whole issue of the education of immigrants and (more recently) and the different groups of refugees on today’s Greek soil. Of course, to say the truth, the very issue of educating migrants and the latest waves of refugees across Europe (and especially so in countries like Greece which is experiencing a severe economic crisis for more than eight years now), is far from an “easy” task to be successfully managed and effectively implemented for lall parties directly concerned. Yet, this issue, or this “problem” is here in Greece to stay and the best solutions should be found, step by step.As always, time (but not alone in itself…) will tell! The following news item published recently, provides a “sample” of one side of the coin concerning this “ambivalence” characterizing the Greek society at large. There is a deep divide between the school faculty and some parents at the 26th Larissa Primary School regarding integrating refugee children into classes. Sources report that while the principal and teachers are making the best of the situation to accommodate the refugee children with the resources needed to receive an education, the head of the parents associate for the school, Stefanos Hahamis, has reportedly shown a Facebook video containing racists material to a group of parents. Hahamis has also sent a letter to Larissa’s Eleftheria newspaper saying parents are opposed to integrating the refugee children into the school’s classes. The recent out lash of protests from parents follows a local rally by the alt-right political party, Golden Dawn. The principal of the school, Katerina Stagianni, recently defended the school’s position in light of the parents objections saying the she and the teachers are


“offering adequate education to Greek and refugee children who we will soon be welcoming with an open heart, arms and mind.”

Looking for a catharsis in the Greek educational tragedy

European Commission Report slams education in GreeceEducation in Greece is on a downhill slope and Greek students fare worse than the EU average, says the European Commission “Education and Training Monitor 2016” report. According to the report, the new all-day school does not include an educational program, the teacher evaluation in public and private schools was wrongly abolished, student performance in reading and digital literacy is below par and spending cuts in education are counterproductive. Specifically, previous education minister Nikos Filis stopped the evaluation of teachers in public and private schools. “Given the positive impact they can have in the autonomy and accountability in educational performance, it is alarming that evaluation procedures (self-evaluation for schools and individual evaluation of teachers have been suspended), even in private education.” Regarding the all-day school system implemented this year, the report says it is a downgrade. “It will apply to a greater number of schools, but in fact it is a less ambitious version of the all-day school that existed previously. The system does not provide for the organization of integrated afternoon activities after the end of the morning classes, as originally planned.” Furthermore, young people lack in skills such as reading and math. “Their performance is disappointing, as reflected in PISA international competitions.” Also, Greece is ranked 26th among the 28 EU member states in digital economy and society index for 2016 and the participation of adults in education amounted to 5.7% in 2015, a far cry from the average 10.7% of the EU. In addition, teachers are aging and badly paid. “Half of teachers (49%) in primary education are over 50 years old and fewer than 1% are under 30. In secondary education, 39% are aged 40-49 years. Wages are lower in real terms than in many other OECD countries and by the end of 2017 they will remain unchanged in order to cut state expenditures. Regarding the restructuring plan for higher education failed, since in practice it did not lead to the expected economic rationalization. Autonomy of universities and higher education is reduced and the role of University Councils has been downgraded.


On spending cuts in education, general government expenditure on education amounted to 4.4% of GDP in 2014, compared to 4.9% of the European average.On the positive side, the report notes that the rate of school drop-outs decreased from 9% in 2014 to 7.9% in 2015, well below the average of 11% of the EU 28.

The hegemony of changes, innovations and reforms

Here is the ‘National Dialogue’ under way…again & again! The so-called ‘National Dialogue’ for education in Greece today has already started –once more- since January 2005 amidst mutual suspicions, tensions and accusations on the part of the Ministry of Education and virtually all other participants (opposition political parties, federations of teachers, representatives of labor unions, members of the academic community, representatives of university students, educationalists, etc.). This ‘dialogue’ is carried out at three levels: higher education, secondary education, and primary education.Thus, as far as primary (elementary schools and kindergartens) education is concerned, the following issues are to be tackled with corresponding changes concerning the:-Changes in curricula and modernization of teaching methods and school books in elementary schools;-Adopting revision exams in the last two (five and six) grades of elementary school;-Extension of kindergarten attendance to two years and improvement of its educational program.As far secondary education is concerned, proposed changes center at:-Changing university entrance examinations (the most ‘popular’ theme in the Greek educational scene for decades now);-Transforming TEE (Technical Vocational Schools) into General Lyceum (senior high school) combined with changes in their programs and the corresponding fields of studies;-Separating education from training;-Establishing an integrated system of training per field/qualification and per Ministry (e.g. Ministry of Education, Employment, Commerce, Industry, etc.);-Introducing changes in foreign languages teaching in public schools so that the language taught may be adequately learned at school;-Reforming school books and updating their content;-Assessing and evaluating the teachers, the school unit, the students and the content of education as a whole


On the tertiary education front, the proposed changes appear to place great emphasis at the:-European convergence with regard to number of years required for the degree, types of degrees/diplomas awarded, inter-universities collaborations and centers of liberal studies;-Distinguishing of professional and academic qualifications/rights;-The future of TEI ‘Technologika Ekpaideftika Idrimata’(Technological Educational Institutions of tertiary education level);-Professional rights of engineers, technologists, agriculturalists, information studies graduates and economists;-Re-planning tertiary education studies (rationalization and better planning with regard to the number of tertiary education entrants and graduates from each particular faculty and department, prerequisites for entering a specific department);-the evaluation of universities (AEI, ‘Anotata Ekpaideftika Idrimata’ Higher Educational Institutions) and TEI. ======================================================================================================================================

The Fulbright Foundation in GreeceThe Fulbright Program is the premier international educational exchange program in the world. It was established in the United States in 1946 by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. The Fulbright Foundation in Greece offers scholarships to Greek and American citizens – students, teachers, scholars, and artists – to pursue a wide variety of educational projects. The Foundation awards grants to Greek and US citizens to study, teach, lecture, or conduct research in the United States and Greece respectively.


The Fulbright Foundation in Greece operates an Educational Advising Center in Athens where staff offer free, comprehensive information on American institutions of higher learning. Visitors to the Center can learn about all aspects of studying at an American university: fields of study, kinds of programs, admissions procedures. They may then apply to schools most suitable to their educational goals and needs, while enjoying greater chances for admission.

Just for the record: an icon of names…

Our Ministers of EducationA quick glance at the ‘longevity’ of the Greek Ministers of Education and

Religious Affairs over the last four decades provides an interesting picture concerning -among others- the opportunity available for long-term(?) planning and implementation of respective educational policies. As shown in the table below, of the 27 different Ministers of Education between 1976 and 2017, only three of them remained in the Ministry for a total period of four years -let us say a full term in office. Interestingly, this Greek tradition with short lived Ministers of Education which has characterized the education system since its establishment, does not appear to ‘bother’ -as it should- those responsible for managing the educational affairs and developments in Greece. The crucial question as to how the Greek Minister of Education may be informed in detail (first) and thereafter develop/implement respective educational policies when he/she has been serving only for a year in office unfortunately- has not been seriously answered. Nonetheless, for the record, here is a list with the names of the Ministers of Education along with their years (or months) in office:

1. G. Rallis (1976-77) (also Prime Minister between 1980-1981)2. J. Varvitsiotis (1977-81)3. E. Veryvakis (1981-83)4. A. Kaklamanis (1983-86)5. A. Tritsis (1986-88)6. A. Kaklamanis (1988)7. G. Papandreou (1988-89)8. K Despotopoulos (1989-90)9. K. Simitis (1990-91) (also Prime Minister between 1996-2004)10. V. Kontogiannopoulos (1991-92)11. G. Souflias (1992-93)12. D. Fatouros (1993-94)13. G. Papandreou (1994-96)14. G. Arsenis (1996-2000)15. P. Efthimiou (2000-2004)16. M. Giannakou (2004-2007)

17. E. Stylianidis (2007-2009) 18. A. Spiliotopoulos (2009-2009) 19. A. Diamantopoulou (2009-2012)


20. G. Babiniotis (2012-2012) 21. A.F. Kiaou (2012-2012) 22. K. Arvanitopoulos (2012-2013) 23. A. Loverdos (2014-2015) 24. A. Baltas (2015-2016) 25. A. F. Kiaou 2015-2015) 26. N. Filis (2015-2016) 27. K. Gavroglou (2016-today)

The alpha hypothesis (Europhiles & Eurosceptics)

Greek children and Europe related issues The main points of an empirical research investigating very interesting aspects concerning the current ‘European making’ are presented below in ‘an abstract format’ As will become apparent when unfolding in the next few lines the specific findings of this study, the direct and/or indirect educational and pedagogical implications of the data briefly discussed here are both highly instructive and undoubtedly challenging. Thus, one hundred and fifty (86 girls and 64 boys) primary school children were employed as the total subject population of this research on Europe related variables. All children were attending at the time grades five (N=70) and six (N=80) of the same elementary (private) school located in the southern suburbs of the greater Athens area. The subjects were asked to fill out/respond to a four-item questionnaire that was especially constructed by the investigator (L.C. Bombas) for the purposes of this research and were instructed to indicate their attitudes and their preferences as regards several aspects of present day Europe (non-European Union countries included). The administration of the questionnaire was carried out by the investigator himself in the actual classroom of the children participating in the study, whereas no time limit for the completion of the questionnaire (which included both ‘closed’ and ‘open-ended’ questions) was set. Upon analyzing the data collected, both quantitatively and qualitatively due to the format of the responses elicited, the following interesting -yet, to a great extent, expected- picture emerged:-France (50%), Italy (16%), and Britain (14%) were the first three European countries that, as clearly indicated, Ss would like to visit (the city of Paris being at the very top of the list, followed by the city of Venice and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, by the city of London;-France (74.66%), Britain (62.00%), Spain (60.00%), Italy

(59.33%) and Germany (58.00%) appeared to be the countries that constitute or ‘make up’ Europe in the eyes of the Greek children of the study (Ss were asked


to choose and indicate the names of five European countries). Interestingly, from the non-EU countries (in the year 1998), Romania with a total percentage of 12.66% was at the top of the children’s preferences;

-Through their individual responses and their respective sentences produced in the course of the study, all Ss expressed very positive attitudes when writing about Greeks and about Greece (48.33%) and –though to a considerable lesser degree- they were also positive when ‘talking’ about Europeans/Europe (25.66%). On the whole, their ‘negatively-loaded’ sentences were very few indeed, Greeks/Greece having the lead over European/Europe (7.16% and 2.00% respectively). Sentences that may largely be characterized as bearing ‘intercultural dimensions and connotations’ were 10.00% when referring to European context and only 0.83% when the sentences of the children had to do with Greece. Furthermore, sentences expressing or including elements/aspects of ‘conflict’ between Europe and Greece were almost non-existent (0.0 % for Europe and 1.16% for Greece); -The perceived ‘similarities’ and ‘differences’ between Greeks and other Europeans were in:

appearance (30.66% Vs 22.66%) culture/life-style/traditions (44.00% Vs 50.66%) development (14.66% Vs 20.00%)

The variable ‘character’ did not appear to play an important role in delineating (according to the Ss of the study) similarities (6.60%) and/or differences (4.00%) between Greeks and other Europeans. Expectedly, the variable of ‘language’ (0.66% Vs 56.00%) was recorded as the leading variable differentiating Greeks for the ‘others’ in Europe, while ‘religion’ as a separate dependent variable claimed quite a few similarities (14.66%) vis-à-vis expected differences (32.00%).

======================================================================================================================================

Students attending private schools on the increase

According to data from the Diofantos Computer Technology and Publications Institute’s MySchool tracking system, there has been a steady increase in the number of students enrolled in both private middle and high schools.It didn’t take long for critics of the public education system to point the finger of blame at government cut backs in the education sector.


The conservative party official Maximos Harakopoulos commented that “The explosion in private school enrollment at a time when the income of the average Greek family is shrinking is evidence of the decline of public education resulting from the government’s decisions,” as ekathimerini.com reported. Data revealed on Monday by New Democracy’s shadow minister for education, does seem to reflect that despite harder financial times; more parents are choosing to place their children in private schools with enrolled middle school students increasing from 5,912 in the 2015-16 academic year to 9,189 this year. Also private high schools saw enrollments increase from 10,921 to 12,068. Public schools are not seeing any shortages of students, however, as their enrollment in middle schools dropped only slightly from 272,697 in 2015-16 to 271,583 this year and high schools increased enrollment from 207,718 to 210,043.

The central theme of this issue

What “type/kind” of students,

-with what basic personal characteristics-I want to have in my classroom

Undoubtedly, generally speaking, there are questions and questions that directly or indirectly concern virtually all different professions and occupations and those specific individuals daily “carrying out and implementing” the professions. Questions concerning both the format and the actual content of each single profession in real life, questions pertaining to both quantitative and qualitative aspects, questions centred around the money made though “exercising” one or the other profession, questions on the present and the future of all different professions and occupations in a given society/era, and so forth. Of course, nothing new is being said here by mentioning this “reminder” about the plethora of questions asked or implied at any given moment. More so, questions asked by different people within and/or outside a specific “professional group”, questions stemming out from a whole variety of motives and interests, questions aimed at different and -quite often- differing goals and objectives. In short, questions and questions begetting answers by and for


all those individuals directly and daily involved in “materializing” and “giving substance” to one or the other profession of ours. Thus being the case in the form of a rather general (introductory) statement with regard to the issue of “posing questions” within the framework of all different professions and occupations, let us turn our attention in the next few pages that follow to the teaching profession and the TEACHER her/himself as the central person of our principal concern in this context. More specifically, let us examine -even in a very synoptic and, by definition in these circumstances, in a fragmentary approach- only one of the many questions that are often concern the teaching profession and the classroom teachers in their entirety. A question of actual/great concern for the teachers across socio-cultural contexts, a question, however, which barely is voiced publicly –let alone be thoroughly investigated in a systematic and empirical way. The questions, that is, which in its most straightforward version may be formulated as follows:

“What type/kind of students I want to have in my daily classroom?”

Perhaps, one needs not to attempt any exhaustive review of all pertinent literature world-wide in order to realize that this type of question that constantly “puzzles” the vast majority of classroom teachers (mostly silently...and, given the opportunity, in discussions among fellow teachers), has not been at the centre of theoretical and research interest on the part of related experts in the fields of Pedagogy and Education. A quick glance at a number of representative bibliographical sources dealing with pedagogical and educational aspects, is more than enough as an indisputable testimony to that effect. From the point of view of this author, it is, therefore, extremely interesting and potentially useful to “SEE” and “LISTEN TO” a number of classroom


teachers when they try to provide their own “experiential” answer to the above question concerning the “kind/type” of students they would like to have in their classroom. Expectedly, each individual methodological approach adopted by each one of the teachers and the very specific “angle” that each one of them “SEES” and “FORMULATES” her/his own answer(s) in the indicative texts below, could (and should) be taken as an exemplary panorama that may provide both the stimulus and the impetus for further research and analyses to this crucial “theme” on the “type/kind” of students that classroom teachers want in their classes. Finally, for the time being, as so many times, (time and again, in fact) has been pointed out through the pages of this HPC review over the last 14 years, the READER is expected to be ultimate judge of all this “experiential account” in its written form (always) by real classroom teachers in action! Thus, while expressing sincere appreciation and thanks to all contributors for their valuable insights on this very topic, let us “SEE” and “LISTEN TO” what exactly our fellow classroom teachers have to “SAY” in their own “professional and personal” wording!

L.C.B.

It is really hard to answer the question of what kind of students you would like ideally to have in your classroom

In the teaching profession you definitely meet hundreds of different personalities through your students' faces and acts. You also spend a large amount of time with them and try many different ways to approach each and one of them separately, almost resembling a chameleon adjusting in an instant from one student to the next. You invest in them and you believe in their good will and in the relationship that you have built with them. So, after all this effort and the natural teacher-student bonding, it is hard to define a concrete set of characteristics for your imaginatively ideal students; you realise that you wouldn't change any of them for something "ideal".


Having said that, it is an undeniable fact that there are times when the conducts of a student may cause not only a disruption to the lesson flow but also frustration and worry. So, what are the basic personal characteristics that I want my students ideally to have? Personally, I feel that characteristics such as innate curiosity as well as the sense of respect are the two personal traits that constitute the backbone of fruitful learning and teaching experience. Naturally, children, and especially in young ages, tend to have an innate interest to everything surrounding them. It is this constant "questioning" about everything, that triggers and enables learning from their early years. And this curiosity is what we, teachers, employ, try to employ or sometimes forget to employ, in order to teach our students and familiarise them with our subject matter as well as the world around them. It is their curiosity that makes them look at you with eyes wide open, when you narrate a story. There are times though when it happens that you have an intrinsically indifferent child in your class. And no matter how hard you try to find something to intrigue this child, it seems that your attempts continue to fail. You might convince the student to do his homework and maybe even do well at tests but his sullen look will always be there, leaving you to wonder whether you have any other ace left up your sleeve.What is more, it is my firm opinion that the cornerstone of any productive social interaction is mutual respect. The sense of respect is not an intrinsic characteristic but rather something to be taught and learnt gradually. Theoretically, it would be something easy to teach to a young child, and something that the child would be able to understand and apply in his everyday interactions. However, different perceptions coming from his background environment as well as the abundance of stimuli received from the media and elsewhere sometimes tamper with the teacher's attempts to prove to the child the importance of respect. Consequently, there are instances of misbehaviour that are difficult to handle. Moreover, there are times when while you think that your student has understood his mistake, later on you find out that it did not actually had any long lasting effects. In general, it is really hard to answer the question of what kind of students you would like ideally to have in your classroom since you end up caring about each one of them no matter their different personalities and even misbehaviours. For me, innate interest and curiosity and the sense of respect are the two characteristics that can fuel learning, making the lesson more effective and thus my day easier; and this is more than I can ask for.

Venetia Koiliari

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Private Schools in Greece Private primary and secondary schools come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (YPEPTH) and more particularly of the Directorate for Private Education, which supervises and inspects them by means of the same regional bodies that inspect public schools. Control is exercised mainly in matters of the curriculum (content and timetable), the competence of teaching staff and school premises, number of pupils per class, composition of the examination boards that conduct the upper secondary school-leaving examinations, issue of school leaving certificates and financial control, especially in connection with fee collection and increases in fees. There are also private schools which belong to the category of legal entities of a non-profit nature and are recognized as equivalent to state schools. Teachers of such schools receive pensions from the state, while teachers of “ordinary” private schools may receive pensions from the Social Security Fund. There is no difference between private and public schools as far as the curriculum and administrative structure is concerned; that is private schools are recognized as providing equivalent services to public ones. Moreover, private school teachers enjoy the same service status, including salary structure, promotion and evaluation procedures as their colleagues in public education. Both the relevant laws (Laws 682/77 and 1566/85) and regulations governing the working and professional status of private teachers present stability over years, and enjoy political and social recognition. Finally, private schools are financially independent organizations, and do not receive any state subsidies. They charge tuition fees, the level of which is regulated annually by the government in consultation with the Association of Private School Owners. In fact one of the major issues of negotiations between this association and the government is the freeing of tuition fees from state control. A thousandth of the tuition fees goes to a special fund managed by YPEPETH and is used to cover the expenses for in-service training and educational leave of private teachers. (OECD)

Who is the “ideal student whom we would like to have”?

As widely known, there is a plethora of both theoretical and empirical (research) well-documented evidence/data over the years within the educational field/reality pertaining to various types of descriptions and particular characteristics which a classroom teacher should have in order that this teacher may be “defined” as the “good teacher” or even the “ideal teacher”. On its greatest part, this literature dealing with the characteristics and the attribute of a good teacher seems to agree that every educator/pedagogue should be characterized and possesses a lot of “must be…”, which –quite often- expect/demand from the teacher to be a kind of…superman. Furthermore, it has been found/documented that many of these characteristics attributed to the ideal


teacher appear to have a linear correspondence with the preferences of the students themselves. Having said the all above, however, the classroom teacher himself how would he answer to the question posed to him concerning the necessary and basic characteristics of a student that he as a teacher would like to have in his own classroom? In order to have a clear and concrete answer to this very basic and, at the same time, very interesting/challenging question, the pedagogue concerned should have find out in advance to which “category along the continuum of the teachers’ typology” belongs, while he should also have reached an excellent degree of self-awareness and knowledge of his personality -a process/exercise very difficult on its own- so that he may, next, be in a position to “choose/select” the characteristics of the student that fit to the teacher’s idiosycracy and to the way that he carries out his own teaching in the class. Certainly, one may point out to a number of specific characteristics that most teachers would include in the list of desired/preferred characteristics which, in their turn, usually concern general values and principles that should characterize every individual for that matter. For example, a student who is characterized by his respect to all the other members of the entire school process and environment, characterized by his empathy, justice, responsibility, diligence and order and his continuous effort irrespective of the result, no doubt such a student would be “a preferable student” in any school classroom. However, almost inherent in this kind of reasoning there is the problem as to how each individual teacher defines the fore-mentioned “qualities/characteristics/concepts” and as to how he classifies them according to their degree of importance. From then on, all possible answers to such a question may very well be several and different, something that, undoubtedly, would bring concern and pondering on this very topic when it comes to have a relative discussion that may be fruitful for all parties involved in such a discussion. I personally consider that classroom teachers in general should give priority to the personal character and the particular personality of their students and, thereafter, in the academic achievement of each student to the individual school subjects. No doubt, an excellent (in school subjects) student is not the “type” of students that I would like to have in my school classroom. The excellent academic performance of a given student would be ideal if that performance came from a student with ethos, with critical thinking and eagerness for continuous personal improvement. On the other hand, this “type” of student might not be enough for some other teachers. In conclusion, however, I believe that this different point of view held by different teachers, this differential personal and professional “philosophy and pedagogy” and this exchange of ideas/viewpoints among both the teachers and their students, it is exactly these “different views of reality” which make the entire school process/practice interesting and creates and formulates (constantly) new concerns and questions begetting answers, questions like who is the “ideal student whom we would like to have”.


If and whether such a student exists!

Elena Fourla============================================================================================

The myth of Greece as an ethnically homogeneous emigration country

One of the most widely accepted concepts about migration and minorities in Greece, which in fact resembles a myth, is that the latter as a nation-state has always been a homogeneous country and that only recently, namely in the 1990s, it has become an immigration-reception one. Moreover, the state acknowledges the existence of only one minority - the Muslim one of the Western Thrace - recognized through international treaties of the early 20th century. It denies such connotation (‘minority’) for social groups like Roma, gypsies etc. In reality however, Greece of the 20th century has been an emigration, as well as an immigration country, especially following the exchange of populations after clashes with the vanishing Ottoman Empire, and due to territorial enlargement whether through wars and treaties, bilateral agreements, or by opening to the Arab world in the second half of the 20th century.

Some of our students do not have the basic characteristics which all of us want

I will start with a number of assumptions: when discussing among themselves about the different educational problems, primary education teachers usually put the blame on all the “others” (students, parents, the state) except on themselves. According to my opinion, this has to do with the degree/extent that our teaching profession is being socially accepted and valued. Secondly, when primary education teachers are discussing with their secondary education colleagues, more often than not such discussions are full of “blaming each other” dialogues. I believe that you see the contradiction. In the first case, the teachers bear no responsibility whatsoever, whereas in the second case the teachers have the main responsibility, but each participant in these


discussions about the educational problems does not belong to the specific group which contributes to the creation of these problems. There is, also, and a third assumption which has to do with our self-critique. In this context we all are both more lenient and harsh at the same time with our own self and we recognize our mistakes. And this is so because we are afraid to publicly accept/say that we too bear responsibility, while deep inside our self that can be done. Or, perhaps, because we see it as something that we are to be blamed for and not as a challenge. We are talking to fellow teachers and we are referring to students with problems/difficulties and how these students ended up in such “problematic situations” saying and putting the blame on their up-bringing from their home environment. When primary education teachers discuss with their secondary education colleagues, the former are lenient whereas the later discussants impose limits and rules. When, however, we are engaged in self-critique I believe that we all think about the true value of our teaching profession, if we can teach the specific group of intelligent and disciplined children and only this limited number of children? -Hey, more or less, this can be done by anyone, we usually say to ourselves. The interesting thing begins from then onwards. The interesting thing begins, when you make the difference. The challenge is there. In order that any teacher could be characterized as a “good teacher” he should have many characteristics. One those characteristics is the ‘variety” of students that he can teach. In order to manage/achieve this task you should confront and handle every type of student: gifted, dyslexic, hyperactive. Every child shows you the limits of yourself. It is not easy to enter your school classroom and look those students that you cannot help straight in their eyes.“This child does not pay attention!”“The other talks too much!”“This child has difficulties in Mathematics!”“That child is not among the smart students!” How many times and again these thoughts have not “passed” through our mind? How many times we are going to repeat them again and again? And what does this mean? Given the fact that some of our students do not have the basic characteristics which all of us want for our students to have (diligent, consistent, intelligence, discipline), these children and their parents do not have the right to dream? When we speak about a community of individuals, I do not believe that we should have choices with such parameters (which basic characteristics). On my behalf, I envision something frugal: every parent will leave/send his child to any school while being certain that the “school people” will treat his child with respect. And in case that a child is a “difficult child”, when the time comes, they will honor the child the way suited/needed to someone that pushes you to achieve the impossible. Finding myself as a classroom teacher in the specific field of private education and knowing the way that the selection of students is carried out, the whole situation is very different compared to the public sector of education where you


meet “difficult cases” of students who, in their turn, make difficult the daily school life of our fellow teachers employed there. In conclusion, as the years go by, I realize that I prefer to have/teach classes having less and less “difficult cases” of students. Undoubtedly, this has to do with my resilience/strength and, as such, I believe it is perfectly normal.

Christos Kostarelos======================================================================================================================================

A brief note on the Greek secondary education level The Greek education system – and, in particular, its secondary level – is supposed to provide general skills with particular emphasis on humanities. In this way it is not contributing intensively to the acquisition of practical or vocational skills. Several studies have pointed to the fact that, when compared to countries at her level of economic development, education has played a minimal role in spurring economic growth in Greece (Caramanis and Ioannides, 1980; Vaitsos and Giannitsis, 1993). Upper secondary education is primarily viewed as a means to enter the tertiary level and bears little relation to the needs of the economy. On the other hand, the technical-vocational lyceums and schools offer reputedly lower quality of education. Links with firms are scarce and there is no formal way to absorb and channel graduates in the labour market. Even though the education system expanded rapidly and enrolment rates have risen substantially in recent years, public expenditure on education did not rise accordingly.

The role of the classroom teacher is to teach by trying to inspire every “type/kind” of student

In the Old Testament, the twelve sons of Jacob were selected to become the leaders of the twelve races of Israel. Christ, following this paradigm, selected twelve men as his disciples. No doubt, his selection was not a random one, but a symbolic selection. Among his disciples, there were fishermen, telones, men of humble/poor origin, others with comparatively more wealth, most of them with a significant cognitive and spiritual background. Christ selected these specific men, because he saw in them the qualities of faith, of promptness to teach and to be taught, the diathesis to trust him. All these 12 men differed among themselves because his teaching should have been addressed to every type/kind of anthropos. That teaching could touch and move the soul of both the brave and the more coward, the soul of both the poor and


the rich. At the same time, however, these 12 men selected him as their leader/shepherd and their teacher and they followed him to the very end. Undoubtedly, every teacher has thought even for a moment if he could be able to select all by himself his classroom students, the way that Christ did, so that he may organize the “ideal class”, if such a class can exist. Such a school class will be made of students who combine good behavior with good/high academic performance. Students who participate within the framework of the teaching/lesson, diligent, consistent who uphold and obey to the rules/regulations of the school with no complains and they continuously try for the best. Furthermore, they will respect the teacher and classmates and they will appropriately function as the members of a team/group. Who would not like to have students that are thirsty for knowledge, not to interrupt the lesson, to pose apt and insightful questions and to embrace the new knowledge offered by the school. In reality, things are quite different. As has been said, time and again, a school classroom is not a typical gathering of different individuals. It is a dynamic social group which, most of the time, is consisted and includes many heterogeneous elements/persons. In such a group, one may meet the student with “mental inertia” who needs encouragement in order to advance, the student who tries hard but he does not progress, that student who learns and learns easily but he avoids trying, and the student who systematically shows signs of improvement having also sentiments of gratitude. It is crystal clear that each one of them needs/demands a different and a differential approach by the teacher. It is here, then, that the role of the classroom teacher is to teach by trying to inspire every “type/kind” of student, from the more diligent to the more distant and indifferent. Only then the teacher will feel strong, useful and effective in carrying out his profession/task. What in fact should every teacher seek during his entire professional life is a flame in the eyes of his students, a flame that will make these eyes shining and excelling. This very characteristic is enough in order to show the path/road so that the teacher in question can lead his students way from the darkness.

Elli Papadimitropoulou

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Greek visually impaired pupils win international award

Three Greek pupils with visual impairment won first prize in an international map painting competition.The international competition is titled the “Barbara Petchenik Competition” and the theme was “My place in today’s world.”Three pupils of the Special Elementary School for the Blind of Kallithea, in Athens, were awarded the first prize in the 9-12 years category. Alexandra Papadopoulou, Maria Katopodi and Christina Louko presented the project “My place in today’s world through my perspective.” The map they designed is a tactile painting.A total of 189 paintings from 38 countries were presented and judges selected 12 projects for awards from four age categories.The Greek participation in the contest was organized by the Hellenic Cartographic Society and from the 360 projects submitted by students of primary schools and high schools from all over Greece, six were selected. Then they were submitted to the 27th International Cartographic Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The tactile map created by the three pupils is exhibited the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki for the 14th National Cartographic Conference, entitled “Cartography in a changing world”.

The perfect student for me

Some years ago I was sharing classes with a teacher who used to say: “I am lucky; this class consists of wonderful students. They are the kind of students I have always dreamt of teaching.” The strange thing is that she had the same feeling for every student in each class. I could certainly appreciate her love for the students. I could recognize the importance of each student inside the class and I could also understand that the energy and the dynamics of a class stem from the particular combination of those students. However, I admit that I used to find her words quite peculiar. How was it that all her students were the perfect students for her?At the time I used to believe that teachers usually want to teach students who are quiet and obedient. I was also sure that clever and mature students are more favorable than the others. My colleague’s words made me wonder if there are any other characteristics worth appreciating in a student’s behavior rather than obedience and intelligence.


Since then I started observing my students more closely. I kept diary and wrote down the characteristics of my favorite students. I ended up creating a list that could describe the perfect student for my class. According to that list the perfect student is an intelligent child with a sense of humor, great social skills and a lively personality. The student I would like to teach would also be curious about the world around him, eager to learn new things, able to listen to others’ opinions and above all creative. Moreover, he would be kind and he would dare make mistakes. I soon realized I had to accept that such student does not exist. Yet, if you take a closer look, it seems that each and every student has at least one of those characteristics in his personality. So each and every student is an aspect of the one I would like to teach. I guess it‘s up to me to recognize those characteristics in them. Maybe, after all it‘s up to the teacher to have a classroom full of wonderful and appreciated students. On the other hand there are some students who are difficult to communicate with. Maybe some very shy students who never express their opinion and their feelings. Or some angry and naughty kids who seem to have a defensive behavior. How can a teacher want students like them? How could she recognize the characteristics of her perfect student in them? What a teacher can surely recognize in those students is the challenge. Those students, the less appreciated ones, are sometimes the most valuable for the teacher. They are the ones who inspire her to improve her teaching skills and broaden her horizon. All in all, even though some students have personalities which are really helpful for the teacher’s job, I believe that every student could be the student we dream of teaching as long as we are open-minded and open hearted.

Anastasia Katsapi

26 students and obviously 26 different personalities with their own moral behaviors-attitudes, values

Every human being constitutes a separate, unique personality having his own particular characteristics from the very moment that he was born until the moment during which he will come into contact-relationship with us. His family, social and cultural environment has made its influence felt on him and has created attitudes which, in turn, influence his social relations. Mentioning the word “attitudes” we mean the psychic attitudes-behaviors which include both cognitive and emotional elements vis-à-vis other individuals, facts, ideas or objects. The behavior of every student within the entire school environment shows and denotes -to the possible extent- these attitudes. Over the last few years, these attitudes have been called “Attitudes of Life” which are often used by adults in order to justify (rationalize?) their life choices in general.


The child, the student entering school has already acquired and consolidated to a certain degree his basic characteristics of his personality, which characteristics are probably under change and constantly developing via the process of learning and his daily school life. Whatever process of change or development of these characteristics will be there for all future years of his life given the fact that the experiences, the knowledge and the child’s maturity as a result of those experiences-knowledge will always be in a constant relation with the identity of the personality of that specific individual. Therefore, 26 students and obviously 26 different personalities with their own moral behaviors-attitudes, values. It would be a word out of reality if we argue that the basic personal characteristics that we wish our students to have are different from those characteristics which we ourselves strive for through our life path for our own self. That is why we recognize as precious/useful those characteristics which for each one of us separately have great value and are found at the highest level of our individual moral conscience. In concluding, we may say that when we speak for desired personal characteristics of our students we reveal our own psychic attitude, our own Attitude of Life. Unfolding the skein of my own desires concerning the character of my students, I discover the kindness, the respect, the politeness that stem though the need for real and honest relationships which are extended having as their aim the interest and love for the fellow human around us. These desires continuously grow as in our era virtually all present-day humans run, rush to catch up, to excel. Today’s individual feels stressed and his relations are antagonistic, massive, indirect and impersonal. That is why the school and the teacher should invest on those human relations which value feelings/sentiments, cultivate social awareness and sensitivity, thus improving human relations. It is necessary that the school teacher works in such a way that he sees the development of the personality of the individual-student in the long run, while at the same time building foundations with reference to each anthropos and his emotional world, aimed at the improvement of the quality of all human life across different societies, all over our planet. The teacher can and has both the power and the knowledge, if he wants, to provide stimuli for cultivating the psyche and the spirit/mind of his students because he can “lead” (his role is to lead his students) towards the change of a social scenery. Today, the interest and the love for the fellow human come second, given the fact that every substantial and deeper thought concerning the future of the human existence is absent. We, the school teachers, can decipher and not “by-pass” in our daily school life these signs which show a society that lives/experiences a battle of one human against the other. A society which takes part in a fight/race that is born by the ambition of the individual to excel in the financial and/or the social arena at any cost. Having our thought focused on the school environment and to the personal characteristics of our students, let us ask ourselves: Can the school inspire the children so that they may accept the loss of a personal “benefit” in order a classmate could be assisted in exchange? Can our students be led to analyze in


depth a specific fact that is taking place in the school, and more than that, can they stop for a while their own personal/selfish race so that they may “accompany” the other? In any case, all these answers have to me exclusively positive. “Today we should choose, immediately and forever. Or all humans will learn to love each other and every human being to live as human, or all humans will disappear altogether” (R. Follerau (Σχεσιοδυναμική Παιδαγωγική –Αλέξανδρος Κοσμόπουλος Αθήνα 1995). Quite often we, the school teachers, are searching to find out why our students are antagonistic, aggressive. Is it, perhaps, so because we ourselves through our own stance/practice cultivate these types of attitudes and behaviors to our students? Undoubtedly, if it were honestly to ask ourselves at any point in time, among the desired, basic personal characteristics of our students we would not include neither antagonism nor aggression. We would readily say and advocate cooperation and dynamism. As far as I am concerned, when I am referring to the positive characteristics of a person, very often, I stress to my students the ability/skill of the person to cooperate, to establish and develop relations as well that the person should have a dynamic “strong” personality. By using the words dynamic and “strong” in this specific context I explain to my students that I characterize the individual who knows how to behave while helping both himself and the others. In addition, I also mention to them that “strong” dynamic is he (or she) who can control and restrain himself, control and manages his anger, gives in when he should, solves whatever problems through discussion by putting himself into the other person’s shoes, with dignity and honesty accepts his own mistakes and makes it up for those mistakes. Whoever can recognize his own feelings and the feelings of all others with whom he finds himself, he certainly has a very important element in his character which is useful for every type/kind of relation with his fellow humans. The role of the family in any transmittance of moral values is decisive, as decisive, of course, is the role of the teacher. If, however, one teacher simply wants to exorcise his own responsibility and to downgrade his own power in the molding/formation of characters, he may simply argue that his students are not going to change (if that is needed) using as a justification for such an argument the fact that he thus “accepted” and “took over” his students from their families. Such an argument-pretext or justification on the part of the teacher will not function as believable alibi, given the fact that during the course of his entire life he will not be able to convince even his own self. On the contrary, in his personal account/retrospection of his work such a stance will remind his own responsibility and will be a burden to his own consciousness. It will, mainly, remind him his personal choice for an Attitude/Stance of Life… I am not going to call this choice as one right or wrong choice (the readers may draw their own conclusions). I will simple call it indifferent choice vis-à-vis the other anthropos-his student.

Dimitra Gouva


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The first Greek Community School in CanadaAlthough there have been some claims that the first steps of

Greek organization in Montreal are to be found even before the turn of the century (Bombas, 1983), it was in the year 1906 that the first “Koinotita” –Hellenic Community- was established in Montreal. That same Koinotita was also the very first of its kind among all Canada’s Greeks. On October 25, 1906 the first Greek Orthodox priest came from Athens and the first Greek Orthodox service was held in Montreal. With the establishment of the first Koinotita and the first Greek Orthodox mass held in Montreal, the social and cultural roots of an ethnic identity outside Greece were laid. It took only another four years for the Greek collectivity in Montreal to expand and consolidate its socio-cultural organization by establishing additional communal institutions. On December 15, 1910 the first Greek Orthodox Church “Evangelismos” (Annunciation), bought and owned by the Koinotita, opened its doors at 753 St. Lawrence Blvd. In the same year, 1910, the first Greek school was established – some sources have argued that the school was established in 1909. Nonetheless, it was a day school under the eloquent name, “Plato”, aimed at serving the cultural but also the educational needs of the Greek origin children at the time who were not more than a few dozens.

… I appreciate students who attend the lessons punctually…

It is a fact that most of us teachers, while trying to teach, come across many different types of students with diverse personalities and we are asked, not only to teach them, but also to contribute into shaping their character, and at the same time make sure that we manage to cover all teaching material. Attempting to answer the topic question I would state the following. First of all I have to say that I like students who take part in conversations and are communicative. It is very positive when they ask questions and make comments regarding the lesson, but also when they talk with other students when they gather together. They talk about issues concerning the teaching material or other matters. I am impressed by students who try to answer questions, even if they are not certain about the answer. This way the whole class can be benefited because it is an opportunity to learn more. On the other hand there are students who are not confident enough, do not believe that they can do much to make a difference regarding their progress and therefore they do not try to improve


themselves as students. This last kind of students may make my work more difficult. Nevertheless, I always try to encourage them and integrate them in the class. I appreciate students who attend the lessons punctually and whenever they need to be absent, they make sure that they inform us in advance. I also admire students who are precise with their school work, always well organized, keep notes during the lesson and are easily adapted to the school schedule. I think highly of those students who do not hesitate to ask for help and who have prepared their questions before the lesson. This way they show how interested they really are and that they have already worked hard enough from home trying to find answers to the questions that arise while they study. There are students who are very careful with their schoolwork, they pay attention to what the teacher says. Therefore the teacher makes sure that is well prepared for each lesson. Some other students are willing to help their classmates with their school work and the result is a very positive atmosphere in the classroom. Students who participate in conversations in class regarding different issues, help the teacher to avoid confronting teaching. The teacher can divide the students into groups so that dialogue and discussion are encouraged. We should also think of students who start the school year with an average performance, but as time goes by they improve considerably, being encouraged by the teacher. Apart from the class performance, some students have very interesting personality, showing good manners, a sense of humour and trying to do more than what it is asked from them. Others have a special talent, like in music or in maths, and try to develop it. There are students who are interested in what kind of books I have read recently and would like us to talk about it in class. They seek knowledge and motivate me to organize move similar activities in class. A quiet class could mean that everyone is paying attention, but I personally prefer it when new issues arise and all of the students want to talk about it. They are at the same time benefited because they enrich their general knowledge. Finally, I would like to mention the students who, even though they are not very strong, they pay attention because they want to learn, are always in a positive mood and they are also honest. I have met many students who are impatient, disappointed and anxious and the result is that they cannot comprehend the lesson satisfactorily. These students make my work more difficult, as they are not very cooperative, and I need to put more effort and energy into helping them to concentrate. On the contrary, there are those students who are disciplined, show team spirit, respect each other and they deserve my appreciation.

Efrosyni Konstantatou


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GREECE: Adult education -- pathway to the future Adult education has taken a backseat in Greece until recently, although the education level of the population has been pushed substantially upwards in the last half century as a result of the country's rapid economic development and, following its membership of the EU, it has accelerated enormously. Greece came out of WWII badly bruised as it also suffered a divisive civil war which retarded its progress. Primary, secondary and higher education had to be given priority. Today, it would be difficult to find anyone under 40 without at least a first degree, many with MAs and a fair number of PhDs, (most of them from well-known foreign universities): a significant achievement in a country where the majority of the population was largely illiterate just after the war. Adult education was not the first priority in the third part of the 20th century but once the huge problems of primary, secondary and higher education were dealt with attention was given to this extremely important area Today, adult education is a very important part in the drive for improved conditions and services in the country. An executive public body, the General Secretariat for Adult Education is responsible for the design and application of a wide range of programmes, in the area of lifelong learning, a substantial part of which is adult education.

The answer from the very beginning is ALL

“I'm actually part of a number of minorities. I grew up being a horribly awkward kid. A terrible student. And now I find myself as a filmmaker, and you feel kind of

alone in the world because you're separate from everyone else.” ― BRYAN SINGER

Probably the most challenging fact about teaching is that there is no set mould on the type and kind of students in a single class. A class of twenty – five students most likely has twenty – five different personalities at equal places academically. The most important thing is that one student’s strengths are another one’s weaknesses and vice versa. Even the most effective teachers find it difficult to reach all students with only one single approach.


Even though it is widely accepted that having an array of personalities and academic traits can be challenging it is at the same time what makes the profession exciting and interesting. Who could ever imagine a classroom where all students would be the same? That would make teaching a really terribly dull job! Even though students are different in various areas in both personality and academics, there are several combinations of two, especially concerning personality. If the question that arises is what types and kind of students I want to have in my classroom, the answer from the very beginning is ALL.This answer is mainly the product of an almost fifteen – year struggle to interact effectively and substantially with students of all types into the classroom. I clearly believe that each of us perceives the world from their unique perspective and while each perspective is valid, at the same time it is limited. It is our personality that carves out the way we perceive the world and interact with it. It also shapes the way we teach, we learn, we communicate and we work. As teachers, we interact with many different types of students, most of whom possibly perceive the world differently than we do. It is clearly a matter of different values, perspectives and preferences that most of the times lead to frustration and misunderstanding. This awareness can gradually lead us to greater acceptance and compassion of others. If we try to apply this knowledge in order to adapt out teaching style – even in small ways – we may make a big difference in how well our students correspond and learn. If we also understand that motivation is the powerful force that drives most of our behaviour, we will find the way to reinforce and support our students’ motivation in order to assist them stride towards their aspirations and true wishes. By finding ways to align with our students’ motivation we will finally watch them soar. If I had to refer to some more general traits that my students have, I would more specifically spot quite a few positive and negative ones. Regarding the positive traits, I would mention motivated students who work extremely hard and set specific goals which they try methodically to achieve. They may be naturally smart or not but at least they are eager to learn and to do anything that helps them reach their educational target. There are also organised students who are always well prepared for the class and their desk is exceptionally orderly and neat. There are respectful students who have nothing unpleasant to say and they are very kind and obedient but not always famous and sociable. There are natural leaders who are admired by almost everyone and are enthusiastic and well – rounded. They have the ability to get the other students to listen carefully to them when they speak. There are socialites who always like expressing their opinion and are the first to raise their hands when a question or topic arises. What they have to say is not always meaningful but at least they are keen on participating in class discussions by expressing themselves openly. Finally I would mention the artists who can belong to either of the above categories but along with that


they have an inbuilt tendency to portray their abstract art in ‘notebooks’ rather than writing ‘notes’. On the other hand, I would spot the unmotivated students who are typically labelled as lazy and they lack the internal drive to try and succeed academically either because they do not have the parental support needed or because they have a tremendous potential but do not comply with deadlines. There are unorganised students who constantly forget to do their homework or keep chaotic notes as well as usually turn in crumpled papers due to being crammed into their books or school bags. There are quiet students who are pretty shy and usually sentimentally and socially withdrawn and only have a few friends who typically share the same characteristics. They seldom participate in class discussions and they avoid drama and conflict. Teachers can never really estimate what and to what extend they really learn. There are also class clowns who believe that it is their duty to keep their classmates entertained. In fact they love the amount of attention paid on them at all cost even though they are almost always referred to the office and they undergo the consequences. There are also smart alecks who are extremely arrogant, sarcastic and argumentative and usually have the ability to irritate almost everyone including their teacher with their sharp wit and quick response to every situation, as well as pot stirrers who love to create and reproduce drama without even being in the centre of attention. They are well – known for their mastery in manipulating others and changing up a story to make sure that there is enough drama. To put things in a nutshell, it is widely acknowledged that as generations come and go, there are transformations that students undergo in both a mental and hormonal level. Nevertheless, there are some traits that have remained unchanged throughout the centuries. We, as teachers, have to closely observe them so as to let the students become active members of our classroom and school society as well as find their unique identity and always have the right to express themselves freely but consciously. The right to express one’s real tendencies is mainly what gives them motivation to live and evolve.

Bibliography: Bloom, B. (1976). Human Characteristics and School Learning. Kauffman, J. (1997). Characteristics of Emotional and Behavioural Disorders of Children and Youth.Marzano, R., Gaddy, B., Foseid, M. & Marzano, J. (2005). Handbook for Classroom Management that Works. Walker, H and others. (1995). Antisocial Behaviour in School: Strategies and Best Practices.

Katerina Toliou

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The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA

The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) strives to maintain and enhance its position as the preeminent center for the study of the Greek world from antiquity to the present day.The American School of Classical Studies at Athens advances knowledge of Greece in all periods, as well as other areas of the classical world, by training young scholars, sponsoring and promoting archaeological fieldwork, providing resources for scholarly work, and disseminating research. The ASCSA is also charged by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism with primary responsibility for all American archaeological research, and seeks to support the investigation, preservation, and presentation of Greece’s cultural heritage.The study of Greece from antiquity to the present day is critical for understanding the civilizations, history and culture of the Mediterranean, Europe, and Western Asia. The ASCSA supports a multidisciplinary approach to Hellenic studies, encompassing the fields of archaeology, anthropology, the archaeological sciences, topography, architecture, epigraphy, numismatics, history, art, language, literature, philosophy, religion, and cultural studies.

Student behaviour: the new challenges of the contemporary school

Nowadays many teachers express their concern and often their dissatisfaction with the difficulties they face with their pupils at elementary school. Difficulties focus not only on performance issues in terms of learning goals, but also on social / emotional behaviors they observe in their pupils during school life. The day-to-day discussions between teachers centre around the problems that arise more frequently in the school environment as a whole and in finding the most effective “treatment” of them, so that the educational work/task may be carried out seamlessly.


The difficulties generally observed among students, difficulties which as often argued they are becoming more intense over the years, focus on the lack of interest in the educational process, the students’ reduced concentration span during the lesson, the sloppiness and inconsistency with which they face schoolwork. However, even though these can be considered as complementary factors, the greatest concern is expressed in terms of the social / emotional behavior of the pupils. It is often the case that students show violent and deviant attitudes towards both their classmates and their teachers. They are involved in conflicts, they show uncontrollable anger without hesitation in hitting or humiliating their classmates and acting impolitely. The range of abusive language used by pupils is often unpleasant to teachers, since it is often “disproportionate” to the age of children concerned. Their behavior seems to have no boundaries, despite the fact that, according to their teachers, a multitude of concrete initiatives are taken so that students and teachers agree on a framework of mutually acceptable behaviors in the classroom and the school environment in general.

Keeping always in mind that the school as a formal institution is ultimately a place of socialization for pupils after their family, it has a leading role in managing and “normalizing” the above behaviors. As such, therefore, it needs to explore and be aware of the causes that lead to the above mentioned behaviors.

We would, thus, argue that the causes referred to in this context, could be explored in direct relation to the following factors:

a) The wider socio-cultural context: rapid social / economic / cultural changes in the modern world are (also) reflected in the daily functioning of the school which, of course, should always be considered and examined as an integral part of the society at large. So far, predominant perceptions and stable/traditional values have been seriously challenged and are replaced by new ones. This results in individuals living in an environment of absolute relativism where everything is permissible and tolerable under certain conditions. It appears that the content of what is allowed and what is not allowed is inconspicuous enough to create feelings of insecurity, fear and anger manifested in the form of abusive behavior in all social and virtually all age groups. Following this reasoning, social behaviors that have traditionally been the models to be imitated as of today, give way to behaviors-examples that were clearly to be avoided in the past. Thus, even the school as a social/cultural institution and its entire operation and contribution are constantly being called into question and its role/impact is continuously diminishing.

b) The family: the difficulty of children to adhere to rules at school often reflects the family's own difficulty of working within rules for all of its members. Often parents, under the burden of obligations and pressures resulting from a series of wider socio-economic conditions, become permissive, both to themselves when violating agreed rules, and, also, vis-à-vis their children when these children fail to comply with the rules. This kind of inconsistency, especially so during the preschool and primary school age, results in bringing up children being the recipients of an ambiguous message, a message which, more often than


not, is perceived as plain indifference. Thus, children seeking the “limits” that are indispensable for their socio-emotional development, they resort to provocative and/or degrading behaviors.

c) Media: as a result of the fore-mentioned permissiveness on the part of the parents, the uncontrolled exposure, both quantitatively and qualitatively to the media ought to be pointed out in particular. It is common for pre-school and primary school children to watch either television programs that are unsuitable for their age or to be exposed over-exposed, in fact) to the vast world of the internet and computer games.

d) School: as a “communicating vessel” with the wider society but also as a place of knowledge of all-round development of children and as a powerful medium of shaping the citizens of tomorrow, the school should seek in fulfilling its responsible role. A role that concerns both the pedagogical and the scientific aspects/content characterizing the methods used for managing and resolving of problems arising from abusive behaviors, and, also, the role that concerns the functioning of the school relationship and its supporting structures (directors, counselors, social services of the municipality, institutions, legislation Etc.). In other words, fragmentation that distinguishes interventions in both "who intervenes" and how "we intervene" is a big part of the problem. For example, the value of building a good relationship between teachers and students is unquestionable. However, individual efforts by teachers to solve or prevent the occurrence of such phenomena are not sufficient if they are not supported by the whole school community (including parents) and are not methodologically supported and organized by wider structures within commonly agreed goals.

If, then, our present-day school does not want to remain an observer and a mere follower and a plain “recorder” of wider developments, but to assume its responsibilities in shaping physically, spiritually and mentally healthy individuals who are members of a just, democratic and law-abiding society, it must rise to the occasion. The school must take an active role in defining and pursuing its goals/objectives, in choosing the methods and the most appropriate “prevention tools”, in fostering effective means/channels of communication and cooperation with the family within the framework of its own principles, values and goals, in developing collaborations with supportive bodies for the family and the school, and in using an all-round evaluation / self-evaluation technique/strategy as a tool for achieving its ultimate goals.

No doubt, such a school is -definitely- in need of highly qualified and truly motivated teachers along with education officials having a shared vision, but also realistic and long-term educational planning on the part of the official State.

Anna Koraki

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Hellenic Centre in London

The Hellenic Centre, founded as a charity in 1994, has the complementary aims of providing a focus for the Hellenic community and promoting an awareness of Hellenic Culture in the United Kingdom. To these ends, the Centre offers a programme of exhibitions, conferences, lectures, concerts and cultural events. The Hellenic Centre is housed in elegant, light and spacious premises with lift service to four floors. Equipped with a particularly fine grand hall, the Centre welcomes members and non-members alike who wish to use its comprehensive range of facilities for business, professional, cultural and social purposes.

New synergies, new promises and new enthusiasm in the horizon

Princeton University Athens Center and Hellenic Studies Princeton University has inaugurated the Athens Center for Research and Hellenic Studies in Athens, a project three years in the making. “An academic home in Greece embodies some of the key goals of the Stanley J. Seeger Hellenic Fund, established in 1979,” said Dimitri Gondicas, founding director of the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies. “Creating the Princeton Athens Center was consistent with the vision of our benefactor, Stanley


J. Seeger ’52, whose legendary generosity made it possible for Princeton to be a world leader in Hellenic studies,” he added. The Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies supports more than 100 Princetonians for study and research in Greece, said Gondicas. After welcoming attendees with a warm Greek “Kalos orisate!” Gondicas said that, “Princeton has enjoyed strong, enduring links with the Hellenic world, and it has been an international leader in the study of Greek culture. As scholars, educators, philanthropists, public servants, business people, art collectors and writers, Princetonians have contributed immensely to the cultural and international relations between Greece and the United States.” Princeton President Christopher L. Eisgruber participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and greeted the guests including faculty, students, friends and alumni.“This is the first time Princeton University has opened a research and scholarship center anywhere outside of the United States,” said Eisgruber, Class of 1983. Eisgruber said that one of the reasons the University chose to establish the center in Athens “as we become a more international university” is Princeton’s “extraordinary humanistic tradition that finds its home here in Athens and in Greece.” The purpose of the center is to “build upon the study of ancient and modern Greece and to do so in a way that understands the broad influence of Greece in the world. As we seek to make this enterprise succeed … we will depend on our connections here in Greece to make this a thriving hub of activity.” The center is located in a 1930s-era townhouse in central Athens, renovated by Nasos Antachopoulos and Yannis Younis of Athens-based A6Architects. The house features conference facilities, a seminar room, offices, study spaces, informal common areas and a terrace with a view of the Parthenon. It is situated close to Aristotle’s Lyceum in a historic neighborhood, close to libraries, museums and archaeological sites. In the ceremony, Greek native Nikos Michailidis, a 2016 graduate alumni in anthropology and Hellenic studies, sang a Greek folk song that he composed for this occasion, accompanied by the pontic lyra.

Pragmatism in the abyss of educational un-orthodoxy

We dare you!!!

New changes in the Greek education system are being prepared by the Ministry of Education. Whether these changes are going to succeed or not …is a matter of secondary importance! And this is so because it is almost certain that the upcoming changes are not going to live for long. The next government, whenever


that government comes to power, will change the education system. Most probably, a change of government will not even be needed. The change of the education system could be carried out after a cabinet reshuffle and a new Minister of Education. As we have argued in the past, this is the main characteristic of the Greek education system. Since 1964 (the specific year that a massive educational reform was implemented by the then liberal-centrist government of G. Papandreou) up to this very day, every government changes the basic features of the education system in Greece, especially so those features and structures concerning the higher education institutions –e.g. the entrance procedures into the higher education institutions. Every Greek government wants to impose its own political platform. Thus, always, the newcomers tear apart whatever has been ‘built’ by the outgoing administration in the education sector…. The two big political parties (‘Nea Dimokratia’ & ‘PASOK’) which in turn govern the country should agree in the implementation of a mutually acceptable educational policy, so that this series of changes could stop. Do they dare? (‘To Vima’, 10/10/2004)======================================================================================================================================

Seventeen years ago the above news item published in one of the most prestigious weekly news papers was trying to remind and –at the same time- to underline the chronic (endemic?) “desease” characterizing the Greek educational system for decades an decades. The direct reference to the “Sisyphean task” of attempting to design and implement a REAL & LONG LASTING educational reform was at the very centre of this short article, while at the same the writer was challenging the official Greek state to go ahead with such a reform of the system of education. There is no doubt, whatsoever, that the very essence and the core argument of this “reminder” at the time f the year 2004 continues to claim not only relevance and urgency in all respects, but also “cries” for immediate and concrete action along the lines described above.

Teaching foreign languages: thesis & antithesis

Teaching two foreign languages in Greek schools A letter addressed to parents and guardians by Emeritus Professor of the University of Athens Vassiliki Dendrinou who is presently acting as one of the


experts of the “Scientific Committee of Foreign Languages” of the Institute of Educational Policy (Greek Ministry of Education). The Greek state recognizing the importance of learning/mastering different languages (glossomatheia) within the framework of the globalized space of contemporary knowledge and responding to the needs of the Greek society, implements the linguistic policy that has already been adopted by all member-states of the European Union, starting with a systematic effort to upgrade the education of foreign languages offered in public schools with new curricula and digital learning material, along with relevant in-training programs for all teachers in collaboration with foreign educational/cultural institutions. The opportunity/possibility for all children to learn within the regular school program to communicate in at least two other languages in addition to their mother tongue, constitutes a basic right for every European citizen given the fact that such a development increases his/her opportunities for education and employment while at the same time broaden his/her horizons. No doubt, the pertinent literature on this very important topic of foreign languages learning has always been more than supportive along these lines. Within this framework, the Ministry of Education, Research & Religious Affairs, despite the severe economic crisis/environment affecting all of Greece for the last 7-8 years, has introduced the teaching of English in the public elementary school from the grade A onwards as a compulsory school subject. The teaching of the second foreign language (French of German) is introduced to grade five and six –as has been the case for some years now- and is presently extended to public schools operating with the four first grades only across the country. The special Committee on the Teaching of Foreign Languages of the Institute for Educational Policy of the Ministry of Education, from this day onwards, will be watching/monitoring very closely the day-to-day teaching of foreign language in Greek schools and aims at providing all the support/guidance needed in each case.

Ephemeral hedonistic hydration in the morphology of the system

Paid Internships to young Greeks for summer 2017The Libra Group is offering paid internships to bright and ambitious young Greeks and people of Greek origin for the summer of 2017.


The interns will have the unique opportunity to gain valuable experience working in the environment of an international business group with 30 subsidiaries operating throughout the globe. The program has already helped hundreds of youth to gain confidence in a professional environment and create a professional network of contacts and mentors. The interns will be placed in the Libra Group companies in Greece (Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Heraklion, Kimolos) and cities around the world including New York, Miami, Boston, Los Angeles, London, Madrid, Dublin, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. The fields offered are Hotel Operations, Engineering, Finance, Social Responsibility, Cross-Disciplinary, Human Resources, IT Support, Sales & Marketing, Accounting, Shipping, Communications, Culinary, Legal, Shipping, Aviation, Real Estate, Renewable Energy, Policy & Government Affairs The trainees will receive a salary and work together with industry professionals. A specialist consultant (mentor) and a friend (buddy) are assigned to each intern to help them in all stages of practical training in the company.In addition to remuneration, the Libra Group bear all travel costs and helps the candidates with all visa procedures (where required). To date, about 200 young Greeks or people of Greek origin have participated in the program. “This makes us proud and confirms our view that over 70% of the Greeks who participated have work in Greece today. They choose to return to their country and we, as far as we can, based on our capabilities, we put a brake on the escape of talented young people from Greece,” Gareth Zundel, Communications Director of Libra Group, told Vima newspaper. “We do not necessarily choose those who excel academically, we strive to maintain a balance. We are interested in passion and skills as well, we do not make distinctions,” he added. The program is aimed at undergraduates of all disciplines with excellent knowledge of English and an average grade greater than 7. The application deadline for the summer internship is January 6, 2017. The internship will take place from June 12 to August 11, 2017

Dialectic methods to pedagogy?

The ‘seven wounds’ of our paideia The weaknesses which give rise to the so-called pathogenesis of our education system today may be summarized as follows:

a) Low spending for education by the official state, despite the public declarations on the part of each government;


b) Changing, reforming and counter-reforming every time there is a new government or (even) a new Minister of Education of the same government;

c) The short-term ‘reforms’ (usually) during one term in office for the Minister of Education, instead of a long-term strategic planning;

d) The un-systematic and rapid expansion of tertiary education in the Greek periphery, without having (in advance) examined the viability of those new faculties and departments;

e) The increase of the number of new university entrants-students without the corresponding increase of the funds needed;

f) The non-institutionalization of the autonomy of the senior high school (Lyceum) and its ‘un-tying’ from the tertiary education entrance examinations;

g) The low prestige/status that the school carries today due to the obsolete didactic methods it adopts and the subsequent ‘turning’ of the Greek student to extra- out of school help.

(“Eleftherotypia”, 01/10/2005) ======================================================================================================================================

Once more, if nothing else, the more recent historical “record” of the Greek system of education as has been quite often presented (and) through the pages of the HPC review, shows its persisting consistency in –for its greatest part- perpetuating an apparent and well-documented “arterio-sclerosis” characterizing the system at virtually all levels. The so-called “seven wounds” of the educational system as very briefly described above, all these “wounds” with their persisting characteristics and their unavoidable consequences, continue to “hurt” the entire system across its very existence/operation. Of course, if one wants to be absolutely honest/pragmatic and correct to the point he has to admit that analogous “wounds” may readily be pointed out to many other systems of education across the globe. And that has to be always kept in mind for any related analysis and understanding. Yet, as the pertinent literature on the Greek educational system shows -along with the personal/experiential accounts of all those directly involved in “serving” the system have testified time and again- the “Greek case” claims its own (almost) unique “presence”. And continues to do so…

Schooling in the austerity chaos of today’s Hellas

Greek austerity measures and their meaning for Education


Greece will receive a second bailout from the European Union — to the tune of €130 billion ($173 billion )— as part of a deal reached by Eurozone finance ministers on February 21st.Last week, the Greek government passed new austerity measures, making even deeper cuts to the country’s public sector. Thousands of Greek citizens have taken to the streets to protest the plans, which will include more cuts to the education budget.“The country is in a very deep crisis and, naturally, education is affected,” Panos Tsakloglou, a professor in the department of International and European Economic Studies at Athens University of Economics and Business, said in an email. “If we really believe that human capital is the most important factor associated with economic growth, these cuts are likely to have a lasting impact.”Already this school year, the government has had trouble supplying textbooks to its students, and many schools are struggling to afford keeping the heat on throughout the day. Schools also haven’t been able to invest in new technologies, “an area where Greece was already lagging behind most European countries,” Tsakloglou said.Nearly 2,000 Greek schools will be closed or forced to merge . Most of the schools were very small and in rural areas; students will be transferred to the nearest school that is still open. The decision was made for educational as well as budgetary reasons, according to Tsakloglou, over objections from local communities.The country’s education budget has been falling for years, being cut by nearly 8 percent between 2010 and 2011 alone and an additional 2.9 percent between 2011 and 2012. Considering all of the factors, such as inflation, Tsakloglou estimated that “in real terms” the decline in education funding has been about 20 to 25 percent.In 2005, Greece spent just over 4 percent of its GDP on education, placing it in the bottom third of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. It has now likely slipped further, Tsakloglou said.Although the newest austerity measures do not specify which cuts will be made, public education will likely be hit once more. Still, the measures have coincided with an effort to reduce wasteful spending in education, meaning the impact of the cuts will be somewhat mitigated, Tsakoglou said.“The main victim of the cuts was the investment budget,” he said. “A number of building programs were postponed or abandoned and, further, maintenance was kept to a minimum. At the same time, the number of new teacher appointments was cut rapidly.”Prior to the Greek crisis, the country had some of the lowest student-to-teacher ratios of OECD countries. Many positions vacated by retiring teachers have not been filled, and some of those in non-teaching, administrative positions have ended up back in the classroom. There have been salary cuts across the board.“It is still too early to have a full picture of the cuts and implications,” Harry Patrinos, a lead education economist at The World Bank, said in an email. He noted that financial crises in other countries reveal a pattern of the well-educated


being hurt less than the poorly educated, and that such crises can deepen existing inequalities.“The gap increases even after the recession and on into the recovery. Thus, inequality increases over time as a result of a crisis, and the beneficiaries tend to be the better-educated,” he said. “There will definitely be a lasting effect.”

Sarah Butrymowicz===================================================================

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH, EKKE www.ekke.gr

The National Centre for Social Research constitutes the evolution of the Centre for Social Sciences, which was founded in 1959. EKKE is a Legal Entity under Public Law. Its headquarters are in Athens. It falls under the jurisdiction of the General Secretariat of Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development and is the only public agency in the area of social research.

The research personnel of EKKE consists of scientists of various disciplines: sociologists; anthropologists; political scientists; geographers; economists; demographers; criminologists; statisticians; historians; etc. The comprehensiveness of its scientific work is enhanced by the activities of administrative and specialised technical personnel, some of whom work in the fully equipped Computer Centre.

EKKE strives to achieve a mutually beneficial relationship between its researchers and the entire scientific community, as well as with other research centres and with institutions of Higher Education, both in Greece and in the European Union.

Anthology of educational/pedagogical issues as presented via the press

February 9 institutionalized as “Hellenophony Day”

The Greek government has decided to establish February 9 as World Hellenophony Day, the date of the death of National Poet Dionysios Solomos.


The announcement was made by the House Permanent Special Committee of Hellenism of the Diaspora, presided by Deputy Foreign Minister for Diaspora, Terens Quick.“Our language, has now its own international day. Our language is enriching most languages on the planet on a daily basis. Our words appear on a daily basis in sciences such as medicine, but Hellenophony must have its own day so that Greek-speaking people can celebrate,” Quick said.===================================================================Sit-ins by a small group of students should no longer be toleratedThe Deputy Education Minister, Dimitris Baxevanakis, has taken to criticizing the efforts of students who occupy themselves with sit-ins in protest against various issues.On Friday Baxevanakis told Parliament that students who participate in sit-ins are in the minority and should not be able to shut down an entire school, stating: “It is not considered a student mobilization when three, five or 10 of them shut down a school, defying the will of the majority of students.” He also mentioned that the majority of sit-ins occur without first being voted on by the student body.===================================================================Inauguration of Athens Univ. Russian studies expansionThe University of Athens Slavic Studies Department will be renamed Department of Russian Language and Literature and Slavic Studies. A special ceremony to honor the department’s expansion will be attended by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos. Russian Education Minister Olga Vasilyeva will address the event that is viewed as an exciting time for the university that will offer Greek students a chance to study the Russian masters of literature in a curriculum that includes works by Dostoyevski, Tolstoi, Chekhov and other important names.The department had first opened its doors to Greek students interested in Slavic studies in 2008. Now, it has 100 students per annum and a total of 458 students in the department, which is expected to grow thanks to the new initiative.===================================================================Top student flag-bearer in Patra is middle-aged mother Mrs. Giota, aged 54, graduated from the 3rd Professional Lyceum of Patra with a grade of 19.5. As is customary, the top student of the class carries the flag at the October 28 public holiday. Mrs. Giota, mother of three, performed this duty during the parade on Friday.


The central theme of this issue

What “type/kind” of students,

-with what basic personal characteristics-I want to have in my classroom

Thus being the case in the form of a rather general (introductory) statement with regard to the issue of “posing questions” within the framework of all different professions and occupations, let us turn our attention in the next few pages that follow to the teaching profession and the TEACHER her/himself as the central person of our principal concern in this context. More specifically, let us examine -even in a very synoptic and, by definition in these circumstances, in a fragmentary approach- only one of the many questions that are often concern the teaching profession and the classroom teachers in their entirety. A question of actual/great concern for the teachers across socio-cultural contexts, a question, however, which barely is voiced publicly –let alone be thoroughly investigated in a systematic and empirical way. The questions, that is, which in its most straightforward version may be formulated as follows:

“What type/kind of students I want to have in my daily classroom?”

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