Zeybek criticizes Ministry: Minority Schools’ structure and authorities overlooked

İskeçe MP Hüseyin Zeybek has issued a press statement evaluating the response of Education Minister Sofia Zaharaki to his parliamentary question (No. 132/9-10-2025) regarding minority education and the powers of School Committee Boards in Thrace.

Zeybek argued that the Ministry’s reply “fails to address the essence of the legislation” and that several critical issues were “deliberately ignored.”

“The administrative role of School Committees is clearly defined in law”

Zeybek stated that the Minister’s claim—asserting that School Committee Boards are only responsible for financial matters—contradicts relevant articles of Law 4563/2018. He emphasized that the law defines School Committees as three-member bodies responsible for the administration and management of minority schools.

“The continuous disregard of this structure weakens the functioning of minority educational institutions,” Zeybek said.

Eviction of School Committee Office in İskeçe Raises Concerns

The MP highlighted that the Ministry’s response did not address why the School Committee Office at the İskeçe Minority Middle and High School was emptied or why the elected committee members were denied entry into the school premises. Zeybek described these actions as “a serious sign of disrespect toward the minority community.”

Cost explanation and international obligations

Zeybek also criticized the Minister’s statement suggesting that minority schools incur higher operational costs due to their bilingual structure. He noted that no objective data was provided to support this claim.

Moreover, he stressed that referring solely to the Lausanne Treaty, while ignoring the 1951 and 1968 Education Protocols, results in “an incomplete interpretation of the legal framework.”

Maintenance responsibilities for state-owned school buildings

Zeybek underscored that the building of the Minority Middle and High School located at Hatzistavrou 10 in İskeçe is state property, making it legally and practically impossible for the School Committee to assume responsibility for its maintenance. He added that Committees lack the financial and technical capacity to carry out large-scale repairs, calling the Ministry’s approach “unacceptable and superficial.”

“No plan presented despite serious structural issues”

The statement criticized the Ministry for failing to present any plan, commitment, or solution regarding long-standing safety and infrastructure problems at the school. According to Zeybek, this lack of action “strengthens the impression that the state is neglecting its responsibilities toward minority education.”

Zeybek’s call to the Ministry

MP Hüseyin Zeybek urged the Ministry of Education to take the following steps:

• Provide clear and transparent answers to parliamentary questions,
• Acknowledge the legally defined administrative role of School Committees,
• Reopen the School Committee Office at the İskeçe Minority Middle and High School,
• Undertake the maintenance and repair of the state-owned school building,

Fully implement not only the Lausanne Treaty but also the 1951 and 1968 Education Protocols.

Zeybek emphasized that minority education is “one of the state's core responsibilities” and should not be treated as a secondary administrative matter.