Primary schools in Oreokastro raise concerns over integration of refugee children

Education Minister Filis dismisses fears of infectious diseases

The parents’ refusal of two primary schools in Oreokatro to accept refugee children into classes, raising concerns over the possible spread of infectious diseases due to lack of vaccination, has brought the issue of the absence on the part of the Greek government of an organised plan to integrate refugee children into the education system to the forefront. Greek Education Minister Nikos Filis said that there would absolutely be no problem whatsoever, dubbing the reaction by the parents ‘incomprehensible’ and ‘contrary to the sentiments of love, solidarity and understanding by the vast majority of the Greek people’. Filis claimed that all the necessary measures had been taken for the smooth integration of the refugee children into the education system. ’Such phenomena cannot be accepted’, he stressed. He claimed that the refugee children would be vaccinated and then go to their special reception classes in the evening. The president of the parents’ and guardians’ association of the 5th Oreokastro primary school, G. Kyristis told Protothema.gr that 50% of school children had not been vaccinated against tuberculosis, alleging that the vaccination program had been suspended. ‘As a parent and a citizen I cannot accept the Minister’s decision, who told us to accept these children with no conditions and prerequisites, while the school administration demands that I present my child’s complete vaccination list when I go to register him’. said Kyritsis. ‘What applies to my child should apply to the refugee children’, he argued. According to the Education Ministry’s plan, a small number of refugee children will be spread across schools in the regions hosting refugee hotspots. One of the logistical problems with the program is that there have been no provisions as to how their transport will take place.