29-09-16 Nikos Filis’ office director Takis Katsaros says new religion programme will go ahead

One has respect for the Church, but regarding the religion course, as for all school courses, the State decides, following a structured dialogue it conducts through the competent organ, the Institute of Educational Policy, the director of Education Minister Nikos Filis’ political office, Takis Katsaros, told SKAI TV in an interview.

“The [new religion curriculum] will be implemented as planned,” Katsaros said, noting that all programmes are evaluated after they are implemented.

Katsaros said the Education Ministry will listen to the observations of the Church, but without being bound by them.

Katsaros noted that the new religion course curriculum has been implemented on a pilot basis at certain schools for the last three years, under New Democracy and Pasok governments. It was evaluated and the implementation of the new curriculum was decided.

Katsaros said that a very positive element of yesterday’s parliamentary debate on education was the agreement of main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the changes that are necessary in the manner of religious instruction.

The director of the ministerial office stressed the importance of university admissions reforms which Nikos Filis tabled in parliament. He said the ministry seeks a broad inter-party consensus to bring the matter to the parliamentary education committee, so that any decisions taken will not be only by the Education Ministry, but will reflect the views of other political parties as well on a crucial issue.

New Democracy’s alternate spokesperson Sophia Zaharaki lauded the education ministry’s major success in appointing substitute teachers in a timely manner. Having worked at the education ministry until April, Ms. Zaharaki was aware of the great efforts required to achieve the positive results.

Mr. Katsaros said that all pending appointments of special education teachers will have been completed by 15 October.

Katsaros also responded to criticism that the education ministry is downgrading education by reducing the course material, noting that New Democracy had proposed a reduction of the course work load by 30 percent, but that this would not have been possible without cutting instruction hours.

Katsaros said that the overwhelming majority of parents and teachers have long demanded the removal of material of minor importance, over which the ministry is now being criticised.

As for the last hour of school that was cut this year, Katsaros said that it represented only 25 minutes of instruction, and that by that time students were too tired to perform.

Finally, he noted that a two-thirds majority of university departments will decide on the structure of graduate programmes.