A Descriptive Study of the Schooling and Higher Education Reforms in Response to the Refugees’ Influx into Greece

Abstract

Since 2015, a large number of migrants (refugees and asylum seekers) from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa have arrived in Greece and continued their onward journey to western European countries where they settled. As various European Union (EU) countries have later blocked the flow of migrants from Greece to their final destination, thousands of them have been trapped in Greece, confined in overcrowded, temporary camps (known as “hot spots”) and awaiting the processing of their asylum application. The current article examines the response of the Greek educational institutes (primary, secondary and tertiary levels) to the recent migrant influx, with ultimate goals to integrate, educate, and assist them. The number of refugees and asylum seekers living in Greece is estimated to be 58,000 (2018 data) with 22,500 children among them. Their schooling inclusion follows the plan 111, “Refugee Education Host Structures (REHSs)”, as initiated by the Greek Ministry of Education in 2017. Students’ leakage range is still high (10–40% at elementary school and 45–56% at high School). The disruption in their life results in the lack of regular attendance. Greek universities responded to the challenge of the refugee influx, especially the University of the Aegean (UAeg), which is located on the eastern Mediterranean migration route. The UAeg’s response plan focuses on four areas: (a) to provide education to refugees; (b) to conduct research on the refugee phenomenon and migration processes; (c) to increase local citizens’ awareness and improve social inclusion toward the migrants; and (d) to develop technologies to improve daily life in the refugee camps. These actions are significant toward the social inclusion and cohesion of refugees and the further improvement of their daily life.

Bordered Trajectories: The Impact of Institutional Bordering Practices on Young Refugees’ (Re-)Engagement with Post-15 Education in Greece

“…However, in practice, participation in these opportunities remains low. Only half of the 15-to 17-year-old age group in managed accommodation 4 across the country were enrolled in public schools by 2019, and of this number, half were said to eventually stop attending (Tzoraki 2019;UNICEF and REACH 2017;ESWG 2019). Engagement in higher education is also said to be very low (Leivaditi et al 2020).…”

“…Even in NFE, which many youth have said they prefer, participation has also been inconsistent (UNICEF and REACH 2017). Various reports have attributed these figures to challenges such as delays with implementing secondary-level reception classes; a lack of support with complicated enrolment procedures; a lack of capacity, coordination, and sustainability; fragmented responses; and insufficient teacher recruitment, skills, training, and working hours (Leivaditi et al 2020;MoERR 2018;Papapostolou et al 2020;Tzoraki 2019;Vergou 2019). There have also been reports of local parents' loud objections to young refugees' enrolment, particularly in primary schools, due to unfounded fears of insecurity and health issues-mostly associated with their residence in camps (Nagy 2018;Vergou 2019).…”

European Policies for the Inclusion of Refugees in Higher Education: The Case of Greece

“…6 Training programmes are aimed at all teaching staff, regardless of specialism, while programmes also need be implemented specifically for language teachers on how to teach Greek as a foreign language, and to School Councillors and Headteachers on issues of school management. 7 In 2018, the number of refugees who applied for asylum in Greece was 58,000, of which 22,500 were children (Tzoraki, 2019). 8 Holders of a Uniform Residence Permit, on the retention, where applicable, of specific deviations or reservations from specific national legislation.…”

“…Since 2015, large numbers of people -immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers 1from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa have reached Greece with the aim of moving on to other countries in Western Europe. Several thousands have been trapped in Greece, waiting for the processing of their asylum claims (Tzoraki, 2019). Specifically, the number of refugees • Policies related to the inclusion of refugees in Greek HE are for the most part limited and comprise of initiatives undertaken by academic teaching staff within Greek universities, mainly through European funding.…”

Views from Teachers, Children and Parents on the Reception of Refugees in Primary School in Greece

“…The integration of young refugees into the Greek education system has been a key concern of the Ministry of Education since the beginning of 2016. In March 2016, the ministry set up a Scientific Committee with the objective to develop a plan to integrate migrant children into education in order to facilitate their wider social integration (Tzoraki, 2019).…”