Summary

• Author: Applica, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission), Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)
• Pages: 46-46

Case studies on the effectiveness of funding programmes – Key findings and study reports

46

Summary

Following the dramatic increase in the influx of refugees and other migrants into the

country in 2015, the Greek government began to take action to ensure access to education

for refugee and migrant chil dren. A mong the main measures was a special educati on

programme concerning the establishment and operation of ‘Reception/Preparatory Classes

for the Education of Refugees’ (DYEP).

The aim of this program me, which is geared to refugee and migrant children (aged 4-15)

who live in refugee accommodation centres, is to facilitate their integration into the

educational system in a way that should gradually all ow them to join mainstream classes

in Greek schools. For children aged 6-15, the DYEP classes operate during afternoon hours

in certain pu blic schools on the Greek mainland that are located in areas accessible from

refugee accommodation centres. With regard to children aged 4-5, the programme

envisages pre-primary classes operated within refugee accommodation centres during

morning hours.

The programme has run for three consecutive school years (2016/17, 2017/18 and

2018/19), and plans have been made to continue it in 2019 /20. The number of refugee

and migrant children who have participated has increased from approximately 2,650

children in the fi rst year to 4,600 in the third. Fundi ng for the programme was secured

mainly from the Europ ean Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and from the

state’s public investment programme гтр% EU contribution , 25% national) with a total

budget of €му mil lionй The International Organi sation for Migration (IOM) also secured

funding from two EU funds (the AMIF and the Emergency Support Instrument – ESI), to

cover the c ost of transporting children between the accommodation centres and publi c

schools. Fundin g for other related activi ties has been secured f rom various i nternational

organisations, non-government organisations (NGOs) an d the Greek parliament.

In spite of some initial delays and shortcomings/inefficiencies, the progr amme constitutes

a very positi ve step towards the gradual integration of refugee and migrant chi ldren into

Greek society, as access to education is a key factor in this. However, no offici al

assessment has b een carried out of the extent to which the programme has achieved its

objectives an d its actual impact on refug ee children. Notwithstanding this, the fact that

more refugee children participate in the formal education system is a positive step in itself

towards improving their quality of life. Many of these children are escaping the harsh living

conditions in ‘ghettoised’ refugee accommodation centresз and are taking part in normal

everyday activities suitable for their age.

Moreover, the programme has triggered an increase in the number of morning ‘reception

classes’, which are part of the fo rmal educational system and are aimed at pupils with

limited knowledge of the Greek language. All refugee and migrant children who live in

urban areas are enabled to attend these classes, and this has also provided an opportunity

for other vulnerable groups of children to benefit from them too. Funding has been secured

from the European Social Fund.

The programme has also stimulated the establishment of a unit within the Ministry of

Education, tasked with co-ordin ating and monitoring the education of refugee children.

This is expected to improve the Ministry’s ad ministrative/management capacity and help

the systematic monitoring of all activities relating to refugee and migrant children’s

education.

EU funding has greatly contributed to supporting interventions aimed at facilitating access

to education for refugee and migrant children, especiall y given th e fiscal constraint s the

country has been faced with over the last 10 years. However, EU funds have been used in

an ad hoc way , rather than in a strategic and planned way un derpinned by an integrated

approach. The effective use of funds, in particular EU funds, requires among other things

that the design and approval of the programmes concerned is based on hard evidence

and/or on an ex ante impact assessment. Ensuring that monitoring and evaluation

arrangements have been put in place is also consid ered a prerequisite in this regard.