The Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights, Elena Perikleous, following the publication of a study conducted in response to complaints from teachers and children regarding the operation of sports, music, and full-day schools.
Ms. Perikleous noted that a series of complaints had been received by the Commissioner’s Office, leading to the decision to place particular emphasis on the voices of the children themselves. The report is based on the views and suggestions of 155 children from 10 different schools. “The children feel very lucky to attend these schools because they truly give them the opportunity to develop their talents,” she noted, as they are given the opportunity to develop their talents and skills.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
READ ALSO: “Parents Need Support”: What Michailidou Will Do to Ensure Parents Aren’t Forced to Leave Their Children Home Alone
The Commissioner also expressed her satisfaction that several of the findings in the multi-page report appear to have been taken into account by the Ministry of Education, as part of the process of establishing these specific schools.
According to Ms. Pericleous, the institutionalization of special-purpose schools was one of the key issues raised by the children themselves. As she noted, the new regulations for establishing these schools are in their final stages, while issues concerning, among other things, admission criteria are still being finalized. She described as particularly positive the new framework’s emphasis on the child’s holistic development rather than solely on academic performance. “The Ministry is stepping in to correct a previous situation and is setting a goal of holistic development rather than focusing exclusively on performance,” she said.
At the same time, as the survey shows, the children expressed concerns about their particularly heavy workload, the lack of flexibility, and the need for specialized teachers. Ms. Perikleous noted that it is encouraging that several of these issues have already been identified and documented by the Ministry of Education.
“We are in contact with the Ministry of Education and hope that these issues will be taken into account and that a meeting will be held so that they can be discussed, with the best interests of the child in mind,” he said.
The “15/20 cap” and the transition from middle school to high school
One of the most important issues that emerged concerns the exclusion of students from sports schools when they do not achieve a score of 15/20, as well as the transition process from the Sports Junior High School to the Sports High School. Ms. Perikleous emphasized that the Commissioner’s Office evaluates these institutions exclusively through the lens of children’s rights, with an emphasis on the right to holistic development and well-being.For their part, the teachers, as she noted, did not express a view different from that of the students; on the contrary, they largely share their concerns and suggestions.
Children without a place and students from remote areas
When asked about cases of children who are excluded either because they do not meet the required criteria or because there are no available spots, even when they had previously attended a Sports Junior High School and were unable to continue on to a Sports High School, Ms. Perikleous emphasized the need for a clear and transparent framework.At the same time, she raised the issue of access for students from remote areas.
“The goal and intention are to establish the right framework so that there is transparency and, at the end of the day, we support the children rather than burdening them even more,” she noted.
As she pointed out, an excessive workload can even lead to student burnout. In fact, one of the issues raised by the children themselves is that they feel they are among the hardest-working students, particularly in sports and music schools.
In this context, the proposed reduction in core curriculum courses is a positive development, as it will limit the overall burden on students.
The case of the student who was forced to choose between sports and her studies
A typical example is that of a student who was pursuing the Classical track at school while also attending the Sports School and participating in the National Volleyball Team.
To enable her to combine the two activities, a mixed class of three students was formed. Over time, two of the three students chose to continue exclusively in either the athletic or the classical program, leaving this particular student on her own. At that point, as described, she was faced with the dilemma of having to choose one or the other.
The situation turned into a particularly frustrating ordeal for the family, as the student’s mother found herself being referred from one ministry to another, without any solution being offered that would allow the child to continue in both tracks.
Ultimately, the student was forced to choose the classical track, as she wished to pursue a degree in law. As a result, she set aside sports and her participation in athletic activities, despite the fact that she was a member of the National Volleyball Team.
In response to this specific incident, Ms. Perikleous stated that the new institutional framework currently being developed will be flexible enough so that it can meet the needs of children in both their academic and athletic pursuits, without restricting them in their preferences.
