by Theodore G. Spyropoulos
Feelings of concern and agony are being expressed mainly by schools currently running on a Greek curriculum which do not have enough teaching staff to fill the teaching hours of Greek Language, History and Culture courses. We do not know yet, if and how many educators will be recalled and from which schools, but a decision has already been taken to refrain from new detachments of teaching staff abroad for the 2010-2011 period. This current development affects us all as a community, in a collective sense.
We forwarded our request to the Ministry of Education, so as to give us time in order to seek alternatives for our schools. However, only the Coordinators of Education have a collective overview of the existing needs. According to their estimates, the absence of detached educators who are being paid by the Greek state, taking into account that some of the schools employ an average of three teachers, will lead to an extra cost of 50 to $60.000 per year. Nevertheless, apart from the financial implications for schools, we are being faced with the issue regarding the lack of qualified educators which will become an even greater problem, as the majority of Greek teaching staff abroad is reaching retirement.
We, as Greek immigrants, have always had the foundation and maintenance of schools our prime concern for the preservation of Greek language and culture subsequently. In 1944, under the aegis of Archbishop Athenagoras, the Philoptochos Society launched a large financial campaign, instituting the “monodollarion” (one dollar) annual contribution, under the motto “only one dollar per year”, in order to raise awareness among the Greek Diaspora here and support the institutions of its Academy.
Today, we proudly claim to be a successful community/ethnicity, coming first on the educational level and second in money. This issue however, brings us face to face with our responsibilities; responsibility for our contribution and especially financial contribution towards the preservation and dissemination of Education in Greek Language in the U.S., which is priceless.
Greece will pursue its valuable contribution to the most possible extend. However, we are the ones who must think ahead for the creation of academic programs leading to the graduation of certified bilingual educators and at the same time encourage our youth to attend these courses by providing scholarships. On a short term basis, we do not have to provide financial assistance to schools that need to retain or hire new qualified educators.
Let us prove that we respect the efforts of all those who created our schools and induced Greek curriculums in public schools and all levels of the American Education. There are companies of Greek American interests that are exempt from taxes for donations, which could take over the salaries of teaching staff on an annual basis. And all of us, according to our capabilities can collectively or individually contribute in this effort.
Let us learn from the example of the pioneer members of the Greek Diaspora and provide “ten dollars per year” (per family) as minimum contribution. Hundreds of Greek-American families, with their contribution of ten dollars annually, can raise half a million dollars in one day.
It is up to us to prove, first to ourselves, that we are capable as an ethnicity to turn this financial crisis into an opportunity for the future of Education in Greek in the country we live.
Theodore G. Spyropoulos is President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad, USA Region
