The news that the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) refused the application of a distinguished blind student came as a shock to the Greek people. The high school student who has excelled in student competitions of the Greek Mathematical Society and the Union of Greek Physicists was not even allowed to fill in an application, since according to the Panhellenic Association of the Blind, the young student had already been rejected by the AUTH.
The Greek University claims that the application was rejected because the student did not fulfill the general acceptance criteria for students with special needs, such as non blindness and disability of both limbs.
The Panhellenic Association of the Blind describes this decision as unconstitutional and supports that there are no such provisions in other universities in Greece.
The chairman of the Physics Department of AUTH, Mr. Constantinos Chrysafis, in response to the Association argued that it is not a personal matter. He supports that he only abides by the attendance criteria for people with disabilities. “Every year, the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs demands from all Universities a detailed report on the categories of persons with disabilities who are able to attend the lectures. Our department believes that there are two categories of people who are not able to attend such an experimental department. Those are the people with complete disability in both arms and the completely blind. These are the two categories that cannot attend the lectures in our department. This matter does not concern this single person in particular, it concerns all the potential students who belong to these categories,” stated Mr. Chrysafis.
However, after the case of the blind student went public and the ministry intervened, it is expected that there will be a change in the criteria for students with disabilities and the 18 year-old Argyris Koumtzis will eventually follow his dream to study physics at AUTH.
The 18 year-old was determined not to give up on his dream and struggled to make it come true. “We cannot afford to feel disappointment or bitterness. If we did so, we would not endure all these years in the Greek educational system. Unfortunately, we are used to a tough struggle in order to achieve the obvious,” highlighted the Greek student.
The deputy Minister of Education stated that “it is the student’s right. These things cannot take place in Greek universities. We will take measures to end this child’s odyssey.”
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