Winter holiday school break approaching for refugee and migrant children in Greece
23/12/2016
The winter holiday school break is approaching, and for more than 1200 migrant and refugee children the first semester in the Greek schooling system is drawing to an end. According to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 35 school buses transfer children from 13 accommodation centres to the nearest schools on a daily basis.
Οn October 10 2016, Greek schools welcomed refugee and migrant children from camps for the first time. In conjunction with the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, the IOM Mission in Greece ensures the safe transportation of migrant and refugee children from the facilities where they are being accommodated to their schools and equips them with school kits including notebooks, pens, pencils and other necessary educational material.
Funded with EU Emergency Support, the programme is part of the "Multi-sectoral assistance to and protection of migrants and refugees stranded in Greece" scheme.
"I had to stop my education last year, but now I’m back to school. I hope to become a pilot one day. I speak English but I have to study more," says 10-year-old Hamza from Syria. He attends classes in a primary school in Greece and adds: "Going to school is always nice!"
"Sourour, Niloufar and Shahiba are my best friends and we go to primary school together. I am sharing my desk with Sourour!" says 7 year-old Shabanen from Afghanistan, full of enthusiasm just before she catches the school bus.
"We have managed to fulfil the dream of every parent who wants to see their child go to school. We are very proud that, in excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Education and thanks to European Commission funding, we are participating in this programme - unprecedented in Europe," said Daniel Esdras, Chief of Mission for IOM Greece.
"Every child has a right to go to school. Education is not a privilege; it is a basic human right. In 2016, the EU provided over €10.5 million to support the provision of formal and non-formal education to thousands of refugee children stranded in Greece, offering hope and restoring a sense of dignity and normality,” said Panos Carvounis, Head of the European Commission Representation in Greece.
According to the planning of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, with the opening of schools for 2017, 400 refugee children from another 7 accommodation centers will begin to attend school.
For more migrants’ stories from Greece, please see: https://greece.iom.int/en/migrants-stories