Debates over Albanian language courses in Crete

Debates over Albanian language courses in Crete

 Albanian language courses will be held on Sunday, February 11 at the Krisopouli High School, stated with a joint statement the Association of Primary School Teachers and the Teachers' Union in the city of Chania, on the Greek island of Crete. 

According to local sources, the two unions invited Greek residents of the coastal town of Chania to the reception ceremony of Albanian children on Sunday. Through a joint statement, the teachers' associations in Chania believe that "the cancellation of Albanian language courses was a shame". The statement estimates that "the origin of these children was the only criterion for allegedly blocking mother tongue learning and therefore constitutes a racist and fascist act." "Second and third generation migrants from Albania are our students. They are our children. We will not allow any criminal to celebrate the expulsion of these children from their right to learn their mother tongue," says the joint statement of trade unions in the Greek town of Chania.

Greek teachers' unions estimate that "they are fighting for a school where all children, regardless of their origin, race, sex, class, physical ability, to have the same access to schooling. Discrimination is a bad memory of the past and we will not allow it to return," is said in the statement. The education unions state further that fascism, racism and nationalism have led to hundreds of millions of dead people. "It is our duty as employees, educators, parents not to let the ghosts of the past lift their heads in whatever form they are appearing. We will not allow small minorities to import their poison into our schools," estimates the Greek Teachers statement. 

The two unions have estimated that in cooperation with the Albanian community they will work for the realization of the Albanian language courses. The unions have welcomed the unanimous decisions of the Hanias Municipal Council for the immediate resumption of classes in Albanian.

Debates over the learning of Albanian on the Greek island

The Albanian immigrant community in the town of Chania on the island of Crete said two weeks ago that the beginning of the Albanian language classes for children of Albanian emigrants was postponed. Greek sources said that on Friday, January 26, the director of the gymnasium where the Albanian course was expected to begin in Chania resigned. Some Greek media praised the drive as "an outbreak of nationalism and xenophobia at a school in Chania at the time when Athens and Tirana are making efforts to improve bilateral relations." Greek youth groups blocked one week ago, on February 3, the teaching of the Albanian language even in a school in Paliohora, neighboring town, while the first course was normally held for 38 Albanian children.

Sources from the Albanian Immigrant Association in this area told VOA that the planned Albanian language courses to develop in high school in this city were suspended by the pressure of the people gathered before the siege of the school. Greek local portals published photos at the entrance of the building, standing in a bunch of young people, and Greek flags were placed at the school gate. Local Greek media reported that the situation was tense, as a photo of an Albanian student wearing a blues that had printed on it the "Greater Albania" map and the inscription "Autoktonus" began to circulate on social networks. The photo belonged to the ceremony of the beginning of the Albanian language courses of the children of Albanian emigrants residing in the area.
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