Minority Education

Firstly, it has been observed that many minority schools have been closing due to a lack of students, which is according to EPATH Graduate Teachers a violation of the Lausanne Treaty.

Secondly, Amet Omer has argued that the minority nowadays is turning more towards Greek schools because of all the issues the minority schools face. People’s opinion differed on how faulty the system actually was but all argued that it did to a certain extent. Some said the teachers ‘weren’t serious’, or that the Greek level of the classes didn’t meet the needs required to be fully fluent. Ibrahim Mustafa, a teacher in a minority school, explained in more detail the problems with the minority schools:

‘The problem is not the hours but the system of teaching. (…) The method that was created years ago, twenty years ago is not so good for the students anymore and now it is difficult to change it. The books also come from Turkey, so sometimes this takes many many months. So they (the teachers) have to improvise, and try to find a different way so use old book. The Greek government doesn’t respond to the schools demands and they don’t communicate with the Turkish side of things anymore or hardly. For example, it is difficult if one country changes and the other does not. The discussion is with our government but they also have to discuss with the Turkish government.’

In other words, the issues outlined here are outdated teaching methods and materials, a difficult communication with the Greek State and a failure to improve the system because of a reluctance to open a dialogue about these issues with the Turkish State. Additionally this participant also pointed out: ‘Most of the schools continue to operate in constructions built with limited facilities from before 1960, which currently restricts the activities of minority schools to a significant degree’ . Therefore, this participant outlines many issues in the minority schools and points out that the problem doesn’t necessarily come directly from the teachers but also from the whole system. Hence, it is clear that because of these issues the students’ academic level suffers, which as a result leads them to leave Greece to acquire higher education in Turkey.

Many of the participants have pointed out education is essential to a good integration and this is without a doubt one of the biggest challenges the Greek State has to face in regards to the minority of Western Thrace. If Greece were able to provide a good education for the minority, other measures such as positive discrimination at university would probably be a measure that would disappear. As a result every individual regardless of their ethnic and religious background would start off in life on an equal educational footing, which, could help them to then grow to have equal opportunities.

In addition, it is essential to mention one of the participant’s arguments. Of course Greek is important for the minority’s well being and to learn one’s mother tongue is also important to shape a sense of identity. However, for both Muslims and Orthodox what would be a great progress is to promote building a critical mind in children through their education

To conclude, some details about the system of minority schools were clarified, which helped to understand that it is not directly organised in order to turn the minority towards a Turkish identification. Then, some issues with the minority schools were presented and it was argued that if there are improvements in the educational system there might be a change in the tendency of Muslim minority turning towards a Turkish superior education at University. Thus, education is key for the integration of the Muslim community in Greece.