MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS IN THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL IN GREECE

Abstract

Historically, the necessity of permanent education has been recognized as far as ancient times. Not only does it contribute to constant personal improvement, but it is also related to a number of initiatives aiming at raising the education level of citizens, rooting out illiteracy, reducing the number of the early leavers from education, etc. Regarding the relevance and significance of permanent education today, it is sufficient to mention that the last Joint Report from 2015 of the European Council and the Member States on the Strategic Framework “Education and Training” sets out as a first priority sphere for the period 2016-2020 permanent education in its direct relation to qualification and employability, innovation, active citizenship and well-being.
Regarding the problem of literacy development, in the national strategy of the Republic of Greece in the field of lifelong learning on the measure “Reducing the Share of Early School Leavers” the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs provides 2 initiatives, first of which is the work of the so called alternative schools, also known as second chance schools. The studies thereby continue for 2 years and they are oriented towards adult citizens without basic education.
The management of alternative schools reveals a number of specific problems. We hereby present some of the more important ones, as a result of a questionnaire, carried out with acting principals of such schools. Due to the given opinions, the most serious problem is the geographic distance between students’ homes and the educational facilities, which leads to accumulation of a great number of absences and following drop out. Another serious problem is the lack of flexible instruments to motivate the staff for vigorous and innovative activity, for significant and positive contribution and example in the organization structure, as well as the lack of support by the students and solidarity to the ideas of permanent education and alternative schooling. There are 2 serious difficulties that are striking in this line of problems – the limited powers of the principal and the formal attitude of many teachers and consultants towards the work, which limit to a great extent the opportunities to apply new initiatives and practices. Such behavior of a certain passiveness or indifference can be related either to excessive security of the staff (state officials with constant workplace) or to excessive insecurity for the staff members working for a fee for a defined period of time. It is particularly pressing to apply new and adequate measures in the mentioned directions, as the cumbersome and conservative operation is critical and crucial for the existence of both every separate acting school on regional level, and the initiative and the institution of the second chance school on national level and their financial support by the European and the national funds.