#kerameos

[elladastinkardiamou]

This week’s newsletter from AthensLive is out: * On a Greek island, desperately seeking a non-existent quarantine room. * Obligatory vaccination has just become legislated. * “Mrs. Minister, we refuse to become just another brick in the Wall.”

- are the main headlines to be found inside this highly informative weekly must-read from and about Greece. Greece proves poorly organized as to Covid19 and tourism. Cases are rapidly increasing and the Delta variant spreads. Obligatory vaccination for certain employees categories became a law of the state. The window was left open for extending it to more categories. Doctors warn: Yes to catholic vaccination, no to obligatory vaccination. Education Minister’s reforms amidst pandemic prohibit more than 20,000 pupils to be admitted in the University.

Add to these headlines and main features a lot more overview and details about a variety of aspects of Greece during the week - together with an abundance of links to further reading and to more knowledge about Greece today.

By reading the newsletter - and even better by subscribing or becoming a supporting member - you will also find a lot of links to other sources and to events and developments that you will not otherwise come across. And even if some of them are in Greek only, by using a Translator in your browser, it will be easy to read no matter how familiar you are with the Greek language.

It cannot be recommended strongly enough to read and share this week’s updates on the events and developments in Greece here:

https://us13.campaign-archive.com/?u=d4f2da07ebb5f5e4d14ad8e2d&id=2e6c4d09d8

For anyone with a wish or need to follow and to gain an insight into recent events in Greece and to read and support independent and investigative journalism in English, the weekly newsletter from AthensLive should be a core element in the reading flow.

If you want the best overview of the events and developments in Greece right now, this is the place to go. Not the mainstream Greek news, but independent journalism with sharp analysis and links to interesting and important topics from a variety of sources.

Become a member and get the newsletter in your inbox every week here:

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[elladastinkardiamou]

Bishop Amvrosios excommunicates PM Mitsotakis, Religion Minister

One of the most hardcore bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church, Amvrosios, excommunicated the Prime Minister, the Education & Religious Affairs Minister as well as the head of the Civil Protection over the dispute whether the faithful can get infected with the coronavirus through the Holy Communion. Bishop Amvrosios read the severe “punishment”  on the first day churches in Greece opened again after two months of coronavirus lockdown.

After the Sunday Mass was concluded, retired Bishop Amvrosios read the so-called “Great Excommunication” on PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Minister Niki Kerameos and Nikos Hardalias.

While Amvrosios was reading his text, the faithful started leaving the church one after the other, local media reported. The acting bishop who was not present was reportedly disturbed, the local priests said they were not aware of Amvrosios’ intentions.

With a post on his personal blog a few days ago, the former Bishop of Kalavryta and Aigialeia had threatened a few days ago that he will excommunicate Minister Kerameos after she said that the coronavirus is transmitted through the saliva.

Amvrosios considered the minister’s statement as an exhortation to the faithful to refrain from participating in the Holy Communion, where the symbolic “blood and body of Jesus Christ” is shared with a common spoon among several people.

[elladastinkardiamou]

Greece’s online education crashes on Day One under Lockdown

On the first day of online learning for secondary education children, the teaching platform on WebEx crashed just an hour after it went in operation. Thousands of students and teachers sat in front of empty PC screens. At the beginning the system was blocked, students entered the link for the e-learning room, but teachers could not see them and therefore accept them. And soon, the whole system collapsed. On the first day of e-schools under the second lockdown.The Education Ministry blames the platform.

Initially there was no problem when online classes started at 8 a.m. on Monday morning. the lesson concluded 40 minutes later, there was a short break .. but when students and teachers tried to reconnect at 9 o’ clock they got this: blank screens and with an error indication.

600,000 students and 80,000 teachers may enjoy a school-free day sitting in front of their blank PCs waiting for the “large scale experiment” to be restored.

Education Minister Niki Kerameos had threatened that students will be punished with “absence” if they abstain from the e-learning. Of course, she did not take into consideration that there is in average one PC per household, that a family may have a child in Gymnasium and one in Lyceum and maybe a parent forced for tele-working due to lockdown. No tot mention that internet connection is problematic especially in remote areas.

Deputy Education Minister Sofia Zaharaki told state broadcaster ERT TV said on Monday “students should participate in the e-classes via their mobile phones, tablets and even by landline [!].” She stressed that there will be no “absence” for those students who cannot connect with e-education because of the crash today.

[elladastinkardiamou]

Unable to protect students from the pandemic, Greek Education Minister proceeds with punitive measures

Greece’s Education Minister has threatened to block protesting students from the compulsory e-classes if they continue to occupy schools at the expense of an increase number of “absence” in their records. She went further and said even to mark their “behavior” as “bad.”

Obsessed with the “punitive education system” of the 1950’s, conservative Education Minister Niki Kearameos apparently believes and falsely thinks that she owns the secondary education in the country. In the bubble of arrogance she lives in, she considers it as given that every school child has a computer at home and an internet connection. In this sense, she made e-learning compulsory for students in schools under occupation and in addition she “punishes” them with “bad behavior” and “absence.” It is not even clear, whether Education Minister’s genius measures are conform with the laws and the Constitution. Fed up with the lack of will on the part of the Minister to find solutions to protect students and teachers from the coronavirus and Kerameos’ threats and blackmails, thousands of students took to the streets also on Thursday morning.

[elladastinkardiamou]

Education Ministry suspends free-meals for 185,000 pupils due to “bureaucratic problem”

Τhousands of elementary school pupils are left without free meal, due to “a bureaucratic problem” as the Greek Education Ministry claimed. Τhe meals for 185,000 pupils are suspended “until further notice.”

The principals of the school units included in the free-meal program were informed only on Friday, February 26, that there will be not meals in schools as of Monday, March 1, 2021.

According to the Ministry of Education, “a bureaucratic problem makes it impossible to distribute the meals.”

What is the bureaucratic problem? According to the Autonomous Network of Teachers, the Education Ministry did not sign the new contract for the free-meal project on time.

“The reason for the interruption in the delivery of school meals is the delay in the approval of the new project contract by the Court of Auditors, due to the fact that the Ministry of Education did not take care to initiate the necessary procedures to ensure the smooth continuation of the program,” the Network reportedly revealed.

As a result, it remains unknown when the meals distribution will be possible to start again.

The 1,227 school units, which participate in the feeding program, were informed completely unexpectedly for the meals suspension.

The Network highlights that the Education Ministry has failed also in other issues like the distribution of 90,000 tablets to students for online classes due to the several lockdowns imposed in the country, and vouchers for 560,000 pupils and students.

“It is a disgrace for the political leadership of the Ministry of Education to leave thousands of students without meals all over the country and thus in a particularly difficult socio-economic situation.”

[aritsam]

[spoilersgr]

Νίκη Κεραμέως: Θετική στον κορονοϊό η υπουργός Παιδείας

Θύμα του κορονοϊού και η υπουργός Παιδείας Νίκη Κεραμέως. Περισσότερα σε λίγο… Πληροφορίες από nassosblog

[spoilersgr]

Κεραμέως για επεισόδια: Κανένας κουκουλοφόρος δε θα κρατήσει την Ελλάδα μας πίσω

Μετά τα επεισόδια που εκδηλώθηκαν έξω από το υπουργείο Παιδείας, αλλά και την επίθεση που πραγματοποιήθηκε στο γραφείο του πρύτανη του Εθνικού Μετσόβιου Πολυτεχνείου, η υπουργός Παιδείας, Νίκη Κεραμέως, έστειλε αυστηρό μήνυμα προς πάσα κατεύθυνση. Η δήλωση «Δύο θλιβερές εκδηλώσεις βίας την ίδια μέρα. Κουκουλοφόροι πέταξαν μολότοφ, μάρμαρα, πέτρες και ξύλα έξω από το Υπουργείο Παιδείας και ταυτόχρονα άλλοι κουκουλοφόροι εισέβαλαν στο γραφείο του Πρύτανη στο Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο καταστρέφοντας ό,τι έβρισκαν μπροστά τους. Δεν θα αφήσουμε τις θορυβώδεις, απομονωμένες αυτές μειοψηφίες να κρατήσουν την Ελλάδα πίσω. Ούτε θα τους αφήσουμε να ”κουκουλώσουν” τους όποιους προβληματισμούς μπορεί να έχουν μαθητές, σπουδαστές, φοιτητές. Όπως έχουμε πει επανειλημμένως, το Υπουργείο Παιδείας είναι πάντα διαθέσιμο για διάλογο. Και για αυτό, παρότι κουκουλοφόροι επιχείρησαν να συκοφαντήσουν κάθε προσπάθεια διαλόγου, απαντήσαμε στο αίτημα των μαθητών για διάλογο και επικοινωνήσαμε με εκπροσώπους τους προσκαλώντας τους σε συνάντηση. Θα είμαστε πάντοτε διαθέσιμοι για να συνομιλούμε με μέλη της εκπαιδευτικής κοινότητας, για να καταγράφουμε προβληματισμούς, σκέψεις, προτάσεις. Για να βελτιώνουμε κάθε ημέρα την παρεχόμενη παιδεία, για να δίνουμε στα παιδιά μας διαρκώς περισσότερα εφόδια και εργαλεία. Υ.Γ.: Ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, που πρόλαβε και έβγαλε ανακοίνωση για τα σημερινά περιστατικά προτού καν φύγουν οι κουκουλοφόροι (τυχαίο άραγε;), αλήθεια ποιον στηρίζει; Αυτούς που αδιακρίτως πετούσαν μολότοφ, μάρμαρα, πέτρες και ξύλα κατά τη σημερινή συγκέντρωση; Ευτυχώς, δεν έχει πια τη δυνατότητα να επιφέρει άλλες ελαφρυντικές αλλαγές στον Ποινικό Κώδικα όπως έκανε για το νεοναζιστικό μόρφωμα της Χρυσής Αυγής…».