Student walkouts, rallies planned through the week

Middle and high school students are planning a series of protests this week, starting on Monday with a walkout and rally in downtown Athens and other parts of the country.

“The students are giving the Education Ministry a suspension,” the Athens Students’ Coordinating Committee, which is spearheading the protest, said in a statement last week, calling on other student groups to join the action.

According to the statement, students are chiefly protesting the introduction of stricter disciplinary measures for infractions like flouting a recent cellphone ban. The ministry, the committee said, “is turning schools into reformatories with unjust penalties and suspensions, with a climate of intimidation and strict discipline that makes school even more unpleasant.”

They are also protesting conditions at the country’s public schools – such as crumbling infrastructure and packed classrooms. The Athens protest march is scheduled to start at 12 noon and is expected to cause disruptions to traffic and public transportation in the city center.

Certain teacher groups are reportedly planning to join the protests, meaning that many schools will effectively be closed. In the meantime, university students groups have also announced their intention to join the action, with another protest march at the same time.