
In the epicenter of greek media in recent hours there has been a serious event against a 10-year-old schoolgirl of Albanian origin that has sparked reactions in the country's public opinion.
According to the new measures of the Ministry of Education for the merger of classes in schools with a maximum of 25 pupils, the Local Education Directorate has decided to exclude from the 10-year-old school in the village of Simantra, Halkidhikia, not to create a second grade parallel to the 5th grade of primary school.
The student in question must attend school in a school in the neighbouring village, specifically in Portaria, which is 8 km away and the family cannot send her there.
The little girl's father, Altin Tocila, testifies that one day after the school year's commencing ceremony, the headmity has notified the decision to exclude the Directorate of Education, as the 5th grade has 26 children and cannot have another student.
After the girl's parents objected, the headteacher alerted the police to remove the child from the school premises. The ten-year-old even got scared and started crying so dad took him with him to his job all day.
The family in question has another older child who goes to mudhania high school, 9 km away and cannot afford to transport two children, nor let a 10-year-old go to the school in the neighbouring village only by the bus.
The Tocila family was forced to move from Imathia to Halkidiki, in search of more stable income and better living conditions. After being settled in Simantra, Halkidikia, the chief family has found work in an olive processing factory and his wife is unemployed.
Denouncing this event the Association of Primary Education Teachers of the region declared a stoppage and protest yesterday at noon in front of the Education Directorate in Polygyros of Halkidhiki.
For their part, the local education bodies, after the publication of the event and the reactions, have stated that they are trying to find a solution by making an exception for the number of students in the case in question.