Return to Europe--Greece!

It felt strange to be traveling again after a couple of months back in the U.S., consulting and commuting between Philadelphia and New York, dealing with bad weather, and trying to gain some perspective on my research and writing, and to plan.  But here I am!  Greece!

Every trip has had surprises and this one has had several, beginning with the sense of how deep the cultural and political ties are to Eastern Europe.  As a nation along the Mediterranean and part of the European Union, I had expected more apparent alliances with neighhors to the west and north.  These are apparent, certainly, in the historical ties to Germany, France and Great Britain in politics, labor and language.   The creation of a forward-thinking democracy that was never realized from the 1820s is part of that legacy and influence.  The connections to all three are felt mostly among the upper class of Greece—and the divisions between the upper class and lower class are wide, with very little middle class.  There are few countries in Europe where I have heard such frequent and flawless English spoken and many street and market signs. 

But the ties to Albania (even those self-identified as Albanian-Greeks), Macedornia and Bulgaria are very apparent.  Part of this has to do with its history of immigration and shifting borders.  The most recent immigration has come from Turkey, which has created some challenges for the country, struggling to get on its economic feet.  The influx has been to the Greek Aegean Islands and it has reached a crisis point in the country with overstretched resources.   Here is a scene of the camps on Lesbos, where I had contact.  

It is estimated that almost half of the refugees coming into the country are children and adolescents.

This is in contrast to reports like what ran in the Washington Post, just this week, on Greece that proposed that there was a beginning of an economic turnaround.  But not one person I spoke to agrees wtih this—of any class.  There was a taxi and metro strike during our stay and it was in protest of the encroaching business of Uber in Athens.  There are many complaints made to me about the current government (which is quite left and radical in its philosophy), and it appears to have clamped down on policies in the area I was most interested in pursuing:  education. 

One of the key dynamics in this country is that the divisions among the people (those who consider themselves Greek and those who immigrate from other lands) are as much about religion as culture.  Those who are Muslim are in a much more marginalized position in the country, whether they have become enculturated and integrated into society or not.

The second surprise was how the city of Athens has grown around the ancient ruins of Greece (the majesty of the Acropolis, the Pantheon, and awe-inspiriting towering columns like these)—and many buildings that appear to be from a post-war environment.  In part of the city, however, there are ties to the more recent past (governmental buildings from the 19^th century, in particular).  Here are photos that show the incredible contrasts.

I had expected to be impressed by the art in Greece.  I may have brought a frame to my experience that was of little use, however, as the Contemporary Art Museum and the relocated National Gallery did not give a sense of the expanse of the country’s artistic community.

The public education system is—like many other countries—continually undergoing reform and has been since 1990 when the Ministry of Education became much more assertive in public schooling, its curriculum and teacher education.  A reform in 1997 led to available education (both public and private) to children starting at 2.5 years and compulsory education through “lower secondary” education, ages 6-15.  Until relatively recently, primary education was not necessarily all-day or involving a curriculum that included all disciplines.  Post-compulsory secondary education is divided up into “unified” and vocational tracks (with some crossover possible) for three years. 

Along with the mainstream schools, there are special kindergartens, primary and lower secondary schools and upper secondary classes are in operation, which admit students with special educational needs.  Special needs students often end up in vocational programs that are not part of the formal secondary system.  There are also musical, ecclesiastical and physical education programs available through the schools; very little about health in the holistic sense in the curriculum, however.  I HAD to include an image of the "modern" (1896) Olympic stadium!

One of the innovations that reflect after-school education in the U.S. is what is called “open school,” funded by the government and outside donors, running after regular school throughout Athens.  Many of these open schools have a more flexible curriculum and serve a more diverse student population, including refugees and special needs students.

I was unable to visit any of these formally as my requests for research time was denied by the Ministry.  Through contacts and persistence, my time in Greece was worthwhile, however.  The schools were closed off to me but the teacher and parent community were not.  I made considerable headway in understanding about the educational system and the support of students and teachers through two sources:  teachers who are in-house “coaches” (one in particular is someone I hope to collaborate with, Spyros Kasimatis) and teachers of refugees, often in teams and networks, many of whom come from other countries (the U.S. and the Netherlands) and are run through non-profits. 

Given the nation’s struggle economically, some of the innovation in public schools is coming from international corporations.  Coca cola has an annual competition on social media where schools present themselves and are voted on by the public for worthy of winning funds from the corporate giant to renovate and rebuild.

I should also note that the university system is extensive but most talented students graduating from secondary programs go overseas to school.  I did manage to get into the oldest and most well-known preparatory school, Athens College (which has several Adelphi applicants, apparently), and has an International Baccalaureate program.  The counselors there noted that the U.S., Britain and Germany are the big draws and that there is a national concern about “brain drain” rather than educated Greeks returning to their homelands.

Teacher education involves a required college degree but like so many other countries, pedagogy is offered more to those in primary teaching and secondary teachers are considered content experts and not needing to have pedagogical coursework. 

I was struck by the contrasts during my time in Greece as I hope comes across in this blog.  It is a country of great beauty and great hardship.  I loved every minute of being there...