Greece National Education Sector Working Group

MEETING MINUTES
MONDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2019 @ UNICEF, ATHENS, GREECE
MEETING AGENDA
1. REVIEW OF ACTION POINTS FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING;
2. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT UPDATES;
• PRESENTATION OF ASSESSMENT ON ENROLLMENTS, JUNE 2019
3. UPDATES ON NON-FORMAL EDUCATION;
• PRESENTATION OF ISLANDS NFE GAP ANALYSIS
4. AOB

AGENDA ITEM DISCUSSION POINTS ACTION POINTS (by whom

and when)
1. REVIEW OF ACTION Invite someone from PWG
POINTS FROM THE to talk about what is
PREVIOUS MEETING happening to adolescents
that become adults and
are living in shelters
2. SCHOOL ENROLMENT UNICEF met the Regional Director of primary education.
UPDATES
The ESWG task force dealing with the challenges regarding enrolment of children in
formal education has asked for a meeting from the Directorate of Education of A’
Athens.

Praksis:
Currently 64 applications for enrolment pending in Athens.
They received a protocol number from the Directorate.

Arsis:
Currently 20 applications for enrolment re pending in Athens.
From those 20, 2 are in Nea Smyrni. They were referred to the Directorate of Primary
Education to register the children and were advised not to go directly to the school.

30 of the children living in the Arsis-run Safe Zone of Schisto registered in schools of the
areas of Perama, Elliniko and Peiraius. Out of those, 22 attend on a daily basis. Children
are moving with public transportation.

ADDMA:
69 out of the 475 applications for public school registration pending.

GCR Pyksida:
18 applications for public school registration pending.

UNHCR:
ESTIA data, 81% of children are enrolled in public schools.

Caritas:
15 applications for primary school education enrolled.
KEDFX:
Do not have many children at the moment in their accommodation scheme. All children
enrolled or in the process to be enrolled

Transportation of children residing in Open Accommodation Centers, shelters and hotels

outside urban areas:

MoE proceeded with IOM to address the issue at least till December. It is not clear yet,
how and who will accommodate school children with transportation after December.

About 800 children from the Open Accommodation Sites go to school either on foot, by
busses of the Regional Prefecture, busses of the Municipalities or by public
transportation.

A Ministerial decree for DYEP was issued. The process to appoint teachers will start.
DYEP kindergarten will operate in all camps except Volvi.

Reception classes for primary and secondary education were also announced a few
weeks ago.

Coverage of school kits is a need. The Non-Formal Education partners of the SMS
program try to identify resources to cover this need for the sites.

ADYM and vaccinations are currently taking place in accommodation sites.

2.1 PRESENTATION OF
ASSESSMENT ON
ENROLLMENTS, JUNE 2019

Assessment on enrolments – June 2019:

The sample was larger than in the previous assessment, with 5,800 out of 8,600 children
living in apartments, shelters, UAC shelters and hotels and SIL apartments being
reached. The positive trend on enrolments has not changed.
Overall, 67% of the assessed children 4-17 are enrolled in public schools.

The number of children on kindergarten decreased in relation to the previous

assessments.

The percentage of Afghan children enrolled is significantly lower than that of Syrian and
Iraqi children. More information is needed in order to understand this finding.
Share the assessment
The partners mentioned that in some cases children are registered but then are not dashboard with ESWG.
attending.

A discussion on assessing with interviews and FGDs these qualitative questions

emerged.

Arsis:
Due to the exit of the ESTIA, parents are more motivated to enrol children in formal
education, thinking that in this way to postpone the exit.
3. UPDATES ON NON- METAdrasi:
FORMAL EDUCATION METAdrasi is currently focusing on school readiness for students in Kara Tepe, Lesvos.

The population in Vial-Chios has doubled and they will add more shifts in order to
accommodate as many children as possible. There is no REC in Chios. Follow up on the literature
on monitoring attendance
METAdrasi is reporting difficulties in enrolling children in their SIL apartments. in formal education –
come back next time

Since the termination of the Open Schools programme, METAdrasi is trying to go ahead
with the framework of concession of school space (Parahorisi Sholikon Ktirion) which is
complicated.

The METAdrasi urban NFE programmes run previously on a volunteer basis are now
funded.

In Moria due to riots in Section B of the RIC, the RIC escorts hired by the RIC are not
escorting the UAC downtown to join their classes.

Moreover, there have been changes in the camp managers of Moria and Kara Tepe.

Zeuxis:
Zeuxis is running a day center in Exarcheia.
Their NFE is focusing on English language, Greek language for children 6-15+ as well as
life skills and health education.

A clinical psychologist is present there every day between 10:00 – 14:00.

 People evacuated from the squats of downtown Athens:
Parents are asking where and when their children can go back to school. Some families
that were transferred to a new accommodation site in Corinth have returned to Athens
in order for their children to return to their schools and join educational activities.

3.1 PRESENTATION OF After a quick gap analysis conducted by the ESWG, on the NFE coverage in the islands
ISLANDS NFE GAP of the Eastern Aegean, 41% of the children are accessing NFE activities. The highest
ANALYSIS percentage is in Chios (69%) whereas the lowest is in Samos (31%).

4. AOB Tentative dates for the ESWG meetings till the end of the year:
21/10, 11/11, 2/12

The next national ESWG meeting will be held on Monday 21st October @ UNICEF at 10:00am.
Organisation Name E-mail
Action for Education Sophia Agathocleous halcyondaysproject@gmail.com
ACSAR Foundation Marta Paricio Montesinos Marta_paricio@hotmail.es
ADDMA Mara Vandorou mvandorou@developathens.gr
Arsis Eva Kontodima ekontodima@hotmail.com
Arsis Eirini Topsi eirinitopsi@yahoo.gr
Caritas Baxevanidou Varvara baxevanidou@caritas.gr
ELIX Eirini Pathiaki e.pathiaki@elix.org.gr
GCR Adamantia Kotsoglanidi a.kotsoglanidi@gcr.gr
Hellenic Open University Eleni Georgakakou georgakakou@daissy-eap.com
JRS Hellas Carmen E. Bandeo Carmen.bandeo@jrs.net
KEDFX Christina Antoniou Christina.ant@gmail.com
METAdrasi Katerina Downward k.downward@metadrasi.org
PRAKSIS Katerina Kougioumtzi k.kougioumtzi@praksis.gr
RefugeeEd Ana Campos coordination@refugeeed.com
UNHCR Xenia Passa passa@unhcr.org
UNHCR Lydia Kaloteraki kalotera@unhcr.org
UNHCR Vasiliki Stampolidou stampol@unhcr.org
UNICEF Naoko Imoto nimoto@unicef.org
UNICEF Tita Kaisari-Ernst pkaisariernst@unicef.org
UNICEF Giorgos Simopoulos gsimopoulos@unicef.org
UNICEF Antonios Alexandridis aalexandridis@unicef.org
Zeuxis Anastasia Diamantopoulou Daycenter.referrals@zeuxis.org.gr
Zeuxis Dimitrea Christina c.dimitrea@zeuxis.org.gr