High school students and teachers wearing masks and gloves protested on the streets of Athens on Friday to rally against the new Education law.
The first protest undertaken during the coronavirus pandemic, the objectors marched through downtown Athens and stood outside the Parliament. The protestors displayed giant banners urging for the withdrawal of the legislation.
With schools and universities shut since March 6th due to the pandemic, protestors also demanded that the Education Ministry set a specific date for the university entrance exams.
They also demand that “the government take measures to ensure that all children have access to modern tele-education and to announce the admission rate of 10% of EPALites in Higher Education”.
The Greek Government has announced that restrictions will gradually lift from May 4, yet experts are divided about the reopening of the schools.
The new legislation reportedly foresees, among others, increase of number of students per class in pre-school and elementary schools, age limit for EPAL, “exams-marathon” in secondary education, tightening the criteria for the promotion of one class to the next, and a return to anachronistic pedagogical measures such the noting of “behaviour” on diplomas.
