ABTTF President: “As ABTTF, we fully support the protest action of our students and parents against this decision of the Directorate of Secondary Education of Xanthi, which is completely devoid of good will, and we demand that the authorities urgently take steps to eliminate the grievances of our children by providing a new building for the Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School and completely ending shift teaching’’.
The parents and student representatives of the Turkish Minority Secondary and High School in Xanthi, belonging to the Turkish community in Western Thrace, are protesting on Monday, 18 September, to as regards the imposition by the Directorate of Secondary Education of Xanthi of shift teaching at the school and to demand a solution to the school’s building issue, which has been ongoing for several years.
The School Board, the Parent-Teacher Association, students and their parents are holding a protest march to the building of the governor, where the offices of the Municipality of Xanthi and the Directorate of Secondary Education are located. In accordance with the decision taken unanimously at the meeting held on Friday, 15 September, classes are also boycotted.
“Not a day goes by without a new one being added to the injustices and discrimination our community is facing in the field of education. Just two months ago, nine more primary schools were closed, disregarding our educational autonomy which is based on the treaties. Now, although there are enough classrooms at Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School for all students to have morning teaching, it is incomprehensible that the Directorate of Secondary Education of Xanthi insists on shift teaching, which aggrieves many students and parents this year too! Indeed, the number of students in the school has decreased this year, and the school administration, taking this into consideration, informs the parents, together with the school board and the parent-teacher association, that all students will be morning students this year. However, the Directorate of Secondary Education of Xanthi insists on having some classes at noon, even though all students and parents are against it. It is really unbelievable! As ABTTF, we fully support the protest action of our students and parents against this decision of the Directorate of Secondary Education of Xanthi, which is completely devoid of good will, and we demand that the authorities urgently take steps to eliminate the grievances of our children by providing a new building for the Xanthi Turkish Minority Secondary and High School and completely ending shift teaching”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
*Image: gundemgazetesi.com
