How 'intercultural' is education in Greece? Insights from policymakers and educators

• Published in: Compare 2012-07, Vol.42 (4), p.563-584
• Main Authors: Palaiologou, Nektaria, Faas, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cultural Pluralism; diversity; Education; Education policy; Educational Change; Educational History; Educational Policy; Educational Practices; Educators; Ethnocentrism; Foreign Countries; Greece; Immigrant students; Immigrants; Intercultural education; interculturalism; Migrant Education; Migrants; Migration; Multicultural Education; multiculturalism; Policy Formation; Policy making; policymakers; Population; Public Policy; Public schools; Schools; Student Diversity; Students; Urban Schools
• ISSN: 0305-7925; 1469-3623
• DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2012.658276

Schools in Greece particularly in inner-city areas, have seen a considerable increase in the number of migrant students over the past two decades. In this article, we discuss the intercultural education policy, which was introduced in 1996, in response to the migration and diversity the country has seen since the mid-1980s. We explore how policymakers and other stakeholders in the field of education have defined the notion of interculturalism and its implementation in schools. Our discussions draw on two separate studies, which used very similar tools and methods to elicit information. The article provides new insights from educators about how to respond to Greece's diverse student population. The results not only highlight gaps between government policy and school practice, differences between traditionalists and progressivists, but also show that Greece has still a long way to go, to leave behind its ethnocentric image and fully implement intercultural education within all public schools, not only in the so-called intercultural schools.