WHIA recommendations on teachers detached abroad

“It would be more beneficial for Greece to detach teachers abroad to Greek communities, which are not financially supported by foreign governments, instead of sending them to countries like Australia and Canada”.
This was the proposal submitted by members of the World Hellenic Inter-parliamentary Association (WHIA) on funding Greek language teaching for Diaspora Hellenism.
The proposal was submitted during the 8th General Assembly of the Association, held in Athens, attended by 29 delegates (Diaspora MPs), seven of whom were from Australia, to discuss, among other things, the cost of teaching Greek language and culture for Diaspora communities.

Their proposal however, seems to cause reactions and concern in the Greek educational community of Australia.
WHIA President, John Pandazopoulos, stated to “Neos Kosmos” that the meeting involved an exchange of views with MPs from other Diaspora regions and Greece, on “how we can relieve Greece from the cost of Greek language teaching in Diaspora regions where the teaching of our language is subsidized by local governments.

For example, in Australia, where the teaching of our language is funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments, we have dozens of teachers detached from Greece. Other Diaspora regions do not have this privilege. Therefore, we discussed whether it would be more beneficial if Greece detached educators to Greek communities that are not financially supported by foreign governments”.

The Director of the Department for Greek Language at Flinders University, Dr. Michalis Tsianikas, told the newspaper that he believes the disruption of teacher detachments to Australia, would be pointless, untimely and dangerous.
“Detached educators serve our symbolic and practical needs”, he stressed, adding that it would be dangerous to move from one extreme to another. “If we believe that we must change our objectives, then we must define new aims after mature discussion among all involved parties in the teaching of Greek language and culture. Detached teachers are essential to us and we should not be discussing the abolition of this institution so lightly”.

Similar statements were made by other academics, members of the Greek – Australian Community. For example, Ms. Maria Irodotou, head of La Trobe University’s Greek Language Department, estimates that the abolishment of the institution will have a negative impact on Greek language teaching in all educational levels, while Dr. Tasos Tsamis, Professor at Notre Dame University, considers that the disruption of the institution “will inflict harm on the backbone of Greek language teaching”.