Radical changes are made in educational system in Greece

Halit Habip Oğlu: “In planned changes in the education system by the Greek government, autonomous structure of the schools belonging to Western Thrace Turks should definitely be taken into consideration and our request for opening bilingual minority kindergartens within the minority system should be fulfilled urgently".

Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of Greece with Minister Kostas Gavroglu explained about the changes the government plans to enforce in education system at the press conference during the visit he made to the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs On 9 May 2017. Tsipras and Gavroglu noted that changes and innovations in education encompass pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education.

Within the scope of planned changes, compulsory pre-school education would be increased from one year to two years and total duration of compulsory education would be increased to fourteen years. As of September 2017, in all schools throughout Greece full day education will be practiced. Number of students in primary schools will be reduced gradually and this number is targeted to be decreased to twenty-two within three years. And entrance exams to university will also be abolished gradually. Related draft bill will be put to vote at the Greek Parliament in the coming autumn and the changes in education are planned to be enforced within three years.

Concerning the issue Halit Habip Oğlu, President of Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) made the following the explanation: “Increasing duration of compulsory education to fourteen years and pre-school education to two years will also directly impact the Turkish minority education with the autonomous structure in Western Thrace. The Western Thrace Turkish community of which educational autonomy is guaranteed with the 1923 Lausanne Treaty has the right to establish, administer and control its own schools. In planned changes in the education system, the Greek Government should avoid interventions which would harm the autonomous structure of the schools belonging to the Western Thrace Turkish community and our request for opening bilingual minority kindergartens that would provide Turkish and Greek education should be fulfilled urgently”.