The Politics of Refugee Education in Greece by Julia Sarna and Lora Dobreva
Greece is a country in South Eastern Europe, which is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the south and the Ionian Sea in the west. It’s border countries are Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the Republic of Macedonia. Greece shares maritime borders with Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, and Libya. The capital is Athens. Greece’s population is pretty low compared to other nations, including the United States, with a total of 10,722,816 people. The Origins of Civilization occurred between 3200-1050 B.C. The Greek government was a parliamentary republic. The first great civilization in Greece was the Minoan culture, which originated on the island of Crete around 2000 B.C. During ancient times, the country was divided into city-states, which were ruled by noblemen. The largest were Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and Corinth. Each state controlled the territory around a single city. They were often at war with each other. In modern times, family life is a very important part of life in Greece. Children often live with their parents even after they get married. Greeks live long lives and it is thought that their diet of olives, olive oil, lamb, fish, squid, chickpeas, and fruits and vegetables kept them healthy.
Refugee education across the globe
Education is a basic human right as noted in the 1989 convention on the rights of the child and the 1951 Refugee convention. Additionally, UNICEF released a quote saying, “Education is a fundamental human right: Every girl and boy in every country is entitled to it.” Filippo Grandi is the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Education is very important and without it these children could be put at risk. The current refugee crisis is as bad now as it was in WWII. There is limited access to education for refugee kids. Worldwide, refugee kids are five times more likely to be out of school than non-refugee children. 50% of primary school aged refugees attend school, whereas only 22% of secondary aged refugee kids attend school and only 1% of refugees attend college . The number of refugees attending school keeps decreasing. The problem is that children leave behind their education as their families leave their homes because of war or political insecurity. "Education enables refugees to positively shape the future of both their countries of asylum and their home countries when they one day return". However, not all refugees do return to their home country. Two problems with providing refugees with an education is a lack of funding and an expanding population. The population of school age children worldwide grew by 30% in 2014. Since there is a growth in population it requires teachers to get an extra 20,000 teachers. Less than 2% of humanitarian aid goes towards education, which is not nearly enough to give these children proper education. Education is the key to brighter futures for refugee children, as “Education is one of the few opportunities we have to transform and build the next generation”
Why people are resistant to refugees
Not everyone is okay with the fact that refugees come into their country and take it over, because some fear the risk of sickness, others feel like it makes an area look dirty and some say because it causes theft. Refugees would stay in makeshift shelters outside the walls of a Greek castle that decades ago provided sanctuary to refugees like them . Some aid workers and officials say attacks have been orchestrated by a far-right anti-immigrant group that advocates “clean ethnic states.” Meanwhile, some residents say that the attacks came after refugees and migrants broke into local stores, and that there has been an increase in vandalism and robberies.
The Greek government has begun a pilot program to educate refugee children stranded in the country, as nations along the migrant trail which refugees follow, as shown in the photograph across Europe and surrounding areas, have closed their borders to refugees. It is estimated there are more than 20,000 children in refugee camps in Greece. The plan is being resisted by some Greeks, who say they worry about refugees carrying infections and also about the cultural change the plan might bring.
Refugees in Greece
One of the most commonly discussed topics in the recent years is that of refugees. These are people who are forced to leave their country, so to escape war or persecution. They are protected by international laws, and shouldn’t be returned to places where their safety is at constant risk. Currently there are more than 60,000 refugees that have been forced to leave their country and that have sought asylum in Greece, with over half of them being women and children. Around 1.3 million refugees have travelled through the country in their search for safety, most of which arrive by sea from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Their trip to Europe is often a dangerous one, having in mind that it is conducted by smugglers and human traffickers. The problem with seeking asylum in Greece is that there are not enough staff members to process asylum claims, so refugees have no other choice but to live in temporary camps with little to no information concerning their future, and with limited services in terms of health and psychological support. Refugees are desperate to find safe places to live and to reunite with their families, some of which are scattered around different European countries. All of them have suffered a great amount of psychological trauma by the conflicts they have been trying to escape, and are still subjected to the stress of uncertainty. Luckily, there are organizations like the International Rescue Committee that aim to ensure refugees’ safety, but it is of importance for the whole society to make sure that refugees meet their basic needs and are protected, so that they can build a better future for themselves and for their families away from the conflicts of
their countries.
http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/12/30/refugees-syrian-boy-jsten-orig.cnn/video/playlists/intl-refugees-seeking-a-new-life-jsten/ - This young boy is talking about being a refugee and how it makes him feel.
Education In Greece
Organizations concerned with the education of refugees in Greece claim that around 40% of the 60 000 refugees in the country have lost years of education or have missed it out entirely. So far most of the children’s education is taken care of volunteer-ran organizations, but the government of Greece plans to enroll thousands of refugee children in schools across the country. According to statistics, 22 000 children are eligible, and to begin with they will be taught separately from Greek students until they are integrated in the society. "All these children in Greece are facing a very challenging situation," said Eric Durpaire, chief of field operations for UNICEF, the United Nations children's fund. "They are what we have called 'the lost generation.' " From all the refugees surveyed around the temporary camps in Greece it was a priority to go to school and continue their education. "It's a very simple, basic right," Durpaire told Reuters. "They have a right to education." The problem raises as students that have been out of the classroom have no reason or motivation to go to school and make an effort after all they have been through. Moreover, some parents believe that sending their child to a Greek school suggests staying in Greece for a longer period of time, which is not certain, neither planned at all. Learning Greek is not a priority for refugees either. It is not an easy path for the refugees to settle, nor for the organizations to make sure that every child undergoes proper education. UNICEF says, “more European funding is needed to support Greek efforts as the welfare services have collapsed after years of crisis. Funding so far was directed less toward education and more toward housing.”
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